Michaelgrp: Happiness is a state that can only be achieved by holding the appropriate attitude and having appropriate interactions with others. So, it is found within yourself but except in a rare lifetime, entails other people's input. In order to be happy, you must realize that all deep desires are truly able to be fulfilled or you would not be programmed to desire them. The paradox here is that people get bogged down in specific pictures and agendas about how the desires are to be fulfilled instead of allowing essence and the Universe to present them with the most fulfilling possibility. When you get attached to a certain result that you think will make you happy, you are likely to create a denying force that seems extremely real and seems to inform you that you cannot have what you want. For instance, if you desire a certain type of deep committed relationship and are only willing to pursue that type of relationship with one or two specific possible mates out of the billions of potential people on this planet to be close to, you limit your essences' manifestation ability to such a degree of restriction that you will usually create a negative result.

J: Michael, do you mean if we ask for guidance we will receive it?

Michaelgrp: Absolutely, you always will receive guidance if you ask for it, unfortunately, what can occur is the unwillingness to listen to the guidance that presents itself.

L: so are you saying marriages are limiting in this way?

Michaelgrp: No L, marriages are not at all necessarily limiting. Marrying someone out of a stubborn desire to manifest a mate, whether they are compatible with you or not can lead to unhappiness. Marrying someone because you surrender to your compatibility and essence connection is the only road to true mated happiness. Unfortunately, most people are too stubborn to give up a picture for happiness and refuse to consider surrender as an appropriate path.

W: true essence contact scares many people

Michaelgrp: Being on the path to true happiness is always exciting, confusing and terrifying. If you are not sure where you are going, how you are going to get there and what it is going to look like when you do, but your heart if full of excitement, your body feels a gut level truth in what you are doing and your instinctive center is telling you that you have never been more afraid, then you are in the right relationship.

L: Doesn't everyone really want to be connected, to return to being in essence contact? Isn't that desire what creates longing or even loneliness?

Michaelgrp: Yes, L, everyone wants to return to essence contact eventually, but most people, while they have bodies are too afraid of losing themselves in another persons wants, needs and desires to fully connect. Again, surrender is the key here. You cannot be in appropriate longing or loneliness for long if you recognize that you are already loved and allow the love at whatever level it is being sent to absorb into your soul and revel in it. Any more questions on the subject of happiness?

G: Yes - why is it so hard to achieve?

B: How does Happiness relate to the strong male and strong female energy swings we're having?

I: OK here is a question re. happiness. How do you feel about mood altering drugs?

Michaelgrp: G, happiness is hard to achieve because you have to be totally vulnerable, honest and willing to risk everything in order to truly achieve that state of grace.

B: Do they help us be happier or deal with happiness issues?

Michaelgrp: Happiness is a spiritual state, not just an emotional one. And because it is a spiritual lesson, it takes self love and self discipline to achieve. Drugs can create an atmosphere within the body chemistry that temporarily shuts off your learned instinct to reject love. Therefore, for a short period of time you experience the connectedness that is always available, even without drugs, if you are willing to live in the intellectual concept that states: I Am Loved, I Am Whole, I Can and Will Have My Needs Met, The World is here to support: my Ultimate Truth, and I Am Here To Work For The Greatest Good.

M: is this more true for alcohol or all drugs?

Michaelgrp: M, All drugs.

W: Don't overleaves affect one's ability to achieve a state of happiness? Isn't it easier with some combinations than others?

Michaelgrp: Some overleaves can be more obstructive in the achievement of happiness than others because they are chosen for Karma completion. Cynic, for example, however, even a Cynic, can achieve true happiness if they are willing to surrender to love and if its more important to them to be loved than to be right. It is very easy to live in the intellectual concept that life sucks and to manifest being right about that every day. If you get more satisfaction out of being right, than out of being happy, then cynic or not, no matter what your overleaves, you will continue to prove to yourself on a daily basis that happiness is not available. Surrender to love and if its more important to them to be loved than to be right. It is very easy to live in the intellectual concept that life sucks and to manifest being right about that every day. If you get more satisfaction out of being right, than out of being happy, then cynic or not, no matter what your overleaves, you will continue to prove to yourself on a daily basis that happiness if not available.

W: soul age would impact this also would it not?

Michaelgrp: It is easier to grasp the concept of happiness being fully achievable if you are older souled rather than younger souled, however, the older souled you get, the bigger stakes you play. The more you learn the game of life and love, the more difficult and perfect happiness scenarios you attempt. By the time you are an old soul, general happiness and contentness is not enough. You want moments of true bliss, bondedness, and ecstasy.

Mg: would you say that it's harder to find a true mate the older you get? smaller available pool?

Michaelgrp: Mg, it is absolutely easier to find a true mate the older you get chronologically. Because, the more you know yourself and the more relationships you have for practice, the closer you hone in on relationships that are more truly fulfilling.

W: can't it become more difficult sometimes the more manifested you get especially if you are older soul?

B: the older we get, the more karma we've resolved, so the pool for "better" relationships should increase?

Michaelgrp: You cannot be happy and satisfied until you love who you are, where you are. While remaining open to more and walking forward through the illusion of denying force to achieve it. B, yes. The more Karma you resolve, the more you open to love. Each lifetime.

Mg: why does most people's idea of happiness seem tied up with love relationships?

Michaelgrp: The reason that people associate happiness with love relationships is that it is only in intimate relationships that you have the opportunity to reveal to another person, all the many subpersonalities within yourself. In more casual relationships, you can feel connected and loved but you do not feel unconditional acceptance until you have revealed all the parts of yourselves, good and bad to another.

Mg: I do feel that an intimate relationship would make all the struggles easier - is this unrealistic?

Michaelgrp: Mg, sometimes your essence arranges for you to work on self Karmas alone so that you can deal with issues, for example, in your case, whether or not you deserve to be supported, and handle that issue before you are ready to manifest your next mate. Without handling those self Karmas, you would pull in another man that disappointed you because of his inability to meet your needs.

R: Confirmation that "dogmatism" fits for my negative attitude and unhappy?

Michaelgrp: R, in the negative pole of your attitude, you protect yourself from feeling a full range of emotions. And therefore, they get stuck, in dogmatism.

T: Do we biologically or spiritually or emotionally need a partnership for long term survival?

Michaelgrp: T, some people learn to be intimate by handling survival together in partnership for example, many new mates find themselves to be poor for a period struggling with money or resources together, teaches you to appreciate the emotional and spiritual bonds that you can create. People that have money already handled, when they meet, sometimes use an excess of resources as an excuse for blaming the other party for their own issues and end up separating, due to selfishness.

(Chat continued on 9/3/96...)

L: Michael what is the difference between doing what brings you joy and really being happy?

Michaelgrp: The difference between Joy and Happiness is that joy is an instantaneous experience and happiness is a state of being.

L: ah OK so true happiness is lasting, you would say, not so fleeting

Michaelgrp: true happiness is a lasting state if you remain in the balancing context, however you can tell what your balancing context is by looking at what state of being makes you the most fulfilled and contented. This week, (9/3/96) people are working on discrimination, and sorting issues trying to decide what exactly they need to get rid of to be happy. Usually, the answer to that question is found in things, thoughts or emotional states rather than people, but some folks will eliminate relationships as well as objects to clear their path for the new fulfilling energy of September. This is a manifesting month and folks will do anything to clear space for manifesting things that they have wanted for at least the last 7 years.

M: It also feels like everything is up for review, even issues that supposedly were handled--is this true across the board for folks or just certain people (like me)?

Mg: Do you think people have such high expectations of 'happiness' that they could be happy and not know?

Michaelgrp: So we're talking about the manifestation of very long term goals here and the older souled you are, the less yo will allow anything to stand in the way of your manifesting abilities, this is true across the board. When you look at discrimination work, you look at loss and letting go and the more you discriminate, the greater the loss and the more potential for feeling temporarily sad, depressed, lost, guilty or ashamed.

G: Wow.

Michaelgrp: The negative feelings always pass as the reason for creating the loss or vacuum makes itself known in the manifestation of the new and better. Until the new starts flowing in however, the bigger the manifestation you are working on, the easier it is to feel temporarily depressed and defeated. Most of you will begin filling the vacuum that you have created after the 5th of the month. This will continue as a trend until mid October. Some of you need more manifesting time than others. Most of the manifestation noticeable in Sept. will be around health, money, career, and living space. October will see more manifesting in the client/friendship and business partnership arenas. Nov. will be the month for manifesting romantic opportunities and family issue resolutions. This should give people plenty to do until the holidays and Dec. will be a solidifying and assimilative month. Until then, it will be very easy to have little patience with stubbornness, with ignorance, with low havingness, and especially with whining.