We all own a very special key. It is the key that unlocks all that we are, all that we could ever want, all and more than we could ever dream. Access to this key is so simple, yet we make it so hard. This key is always there, waiting for us to use it to unlock our treasure chest that lies within our very being and to release the power within it. We all want so badly to be the winner of the big lottery, but little do we know we already are the winner. We think winning the lottery will give us the power to do what we want with our lives. If we only knew all the power is already within us. This very special key that unlocks our power and the best life we could ever want, the very key that has unlocked my very own treasure—heaven on earth—has a special name; it’s called believe.

It is said that in the last days the hearts of many men will fail because of fear. Our hearts fail every time we make a decision based on fear, instead of trusting what is in our hearts. Our heart is each and everyone’s very own treasure chest that is open every time we choose to believe what is in it. By the way, this treasure chest is bottomless and never ending. This is the true lottery that everyone wants to win; they just don’t know it. I believe that is why there is such an epidemic of big lotto games in this country. There is nothing wrong with playing the lottery, and I sure wouldn’t mind winning, but it is symbolic of something much greater. A lot of people are searching for their fulfillment in the wrong places. They are looking outwardly for their happiness. Our true treasure lies within. This does not mean, however, that you should close the door to games of chance; I’m simply saying that you have already won the lottery. You just need to collect it! And we actually expand in our winnings every time we make a decision based in trust, which is to believe what is in your heart, the desires you hold dear. When you choose to believe in your treasures, it will help manifest the life you want, the very same reason everyone wants to be the winner of the big lotto: to create the life they want.

Now if the key to all our happiness is in our treasure chest, which is one in the same with our heart, wouldn’t it make sense that our number one priority in life would be to discover what lies within our heart? How do we go about this most amazing discovery? Well, first and foremost, we open the door by simply believing we hold the most amazing and significant treasure of all time within our very being. And secondly we embrace the magnificent journey of life.

All of life experiences take us on a great journey called self-discovery. In order to benefit the most from this gift called life, we must again believe. We must believe that all of life circumstances are molded perfectly to create a situation for self-discovery. We learn who we are, and we learn who we are not. We learn what we love and what we can do without. Life causes us to question. When we seek, we find, and hopefully we always find ourselves. Self-discovery is not easy, but it is so worth the journey. It is why we are here.

A lot of life is actually dying. It is dying from who we thought we were, and dying from what we thought we believed and how we defined ourselves. We must shed a lot of what we are because it really is not who we are. A lot of what we thought really aren’t even our own thoughts. They are actually thoughts we adopted from others. They are thoughts and beliefs imposed on us by others, beginning right down to when we were babies. In this process to self-discovery, we must cut off the “junk” we gathered in life that are not our own in order to become in alignment to who we are. I do not mean to disrespect what we have learned and have been taught up to this point; it serves its purpose. I believe we, at some higher level, chose the road we travel in order to facilitate self-discovery, which is the same as discovering God. Trust that all aids us into self- discovery. We are always changing, evolving, growing, and creating. Decisions, thought, and focus determine our tomorrow, which is really our today.

There are no regrets in the process of self-discovery. It all serves in the process. To live in regret would be to live in distrust of God or life itself. On the path to self-discovery, we are always given what we need. Everything we require is always present in the moment, whether we see it this way or not. God is the very essence of life, the life within us, the life outside us. God’s presence is always present and speaking. God speaks to us as individuals, showing no favoritism. God speaks our language, for it is truly us speaking to ourselves. Who knows ourself better than our higher self? The outside world is a reflection of where we are in our development. We can only hear and see what we are ready to receive; God can’t give us what we are not ready for and willing to acknowledge. Even our treasure chest cannot be open if we don’t even acknowledge it. We would not give a baby something he was not mature enough to receive or understand what it is or how to use it, such as tools or a computer. As the baby grows and matures so does his capacity to understand and use the tools and his experiences to his benefit. And just like a baby taking his first steps, we too experience milestones in our growth and development on the road to self-discovery. We cannot receive unless we believe!

As we continue the path of self-discovery, happiness is sure to follow. The compass that should aid us in our journey is called bliss. Following our bliss is the key to finding our happiness. We must do what brings us peace and joy. When we have a decision to make between several options, choose the one that brings you peace. This does not mean that the decision that you make won’t be frightening or a challenge, but something deep within will let you know it is the right choice; it will feel right after you have decided. This does not mean that we won’t feel fear; it simply means we do it while we are afraid. In spite of the fear, there will still be that sense that you have made the right decision. Sometimes, however, in this process we must shed old ideas and conditioning that no longer serve us. This is necessary in breaking through the fear. After all fear stands for false evidence appearing real. The fear is in the mind. Always listen to that small voice speaking within your heart even, and especially, if it goes against the flow of all you’ve ever known.

Know that what brings peace to an individual must not be confused with what brings the world or others peace. What I mean by this is sometimes we need to go against the grain, we need to go against what others think, and we need to go against the popular choice in our society. It may go against our upbringing and cause turmoil within our family or group of friends. Our decision may make us an outcast among our peers. We all have a natural need or desire to be accepted by those around us, but the times of greatest growth in self-discovery in our lives may be the ones where we need to stand alone. Take this as encouragement if you are feeling alone in something that you are going through; most likely it will have great impact on who you are and your life. I personally have experienced this when, coming from a Catholic background, I chose to divorce my first husband. It was not a popular decision among family. It is painful when you are no longer accepted by those who you thought loved you, but I would never ever have changed the most challenging decisions in my life, for they have made me who I am. It has made me a truer expression of who I truly am and living more congruent to my heart always brings happiness and peace.

To follow your bliss means to follow the whispers and yearnings of your heart, not what the world expects of you and not even what your own family expects of you. As a child struggles to enter into adulthood on his own, he sometimes has to go against the expectations a parent has for him, and so must we to enter a life more aligned to who we really are. It takes courage to fight through criticisms of others, but only we can answer to our life and whether we are enjoying the true bliss and joy of following our hearts’ desires. Not to follow our hearts’ desires is like trying to teach a fish to live without water. It dies, and so do we every time we make a decision based on others’ opinions instead of exposing our hearts’ desires through our actions. To live without expression of the divine spirit within us is not really living; it is an insult to life.