Not a Guru: One Woman's Spiritual Journey to Happiness
by Despina Gurlides

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Description

I recently attended a workshop at Esalen called "The Art of Happiness." When the leaders asked, "Who is happy?" I was the only one of forty people who raised my hand. I looked around the room, surprised, as each person told his story of suffering. Since I was the only one claiming to be happy, the workshop leaders asked me for my recipe for happiness.

So what is my recipe for happiness? I can give it in a short sentence of four words: Do NOT betray yourself.

This is easier said than done. Not betraying yourself means that:

•  You do not stay in a loveless marriage just because you don't know how you will pay the bills.
• You do not stay in a job you hate just because you're earning a hefty six-figure salary.
• You do not stay in friendships where there is no love and respect just because you've known each other for thirty years.
• And you do not stay with a spiritual teacher who is condescending and emotionally abusive just because you believe he can offer you enlightenment.

You tell the truth, to yourself and to others, regardless of the consequences, because happiness is a by-product of staying true to yourself. There are no shortcuts. To the extent that your life has been a self-betrayal, you will journey through a dark night of the soul before you can be happy.

This book tells the story of my spiritual journey to happiness. Not everyone will relate to my story, but some people will.

The people who will relate to Part 1, Breaking through the Material Trance, are the ones who have worked their asses off, probably at a prestigious job, and have all the toys they ever wanted. They also have the respect and envy of many people who long to be like them. Everything in our culture is telling them that they are successful and that they ought to be happy, and yet they are not. They are tired, exhausted, bored, depressed, and stressed out. They long for something, but they don't know what that is. They feel as if they're in prison, despite the fact that they have everyone's admiration.

This book, my story, is here to offer confirmation to these people that they are not crazy, they are not spoiled, they are not greedy. They are in fact in a prison of their own making, because they have listened to society rather than to their hearts.

This book offers the story of my escape from a material prison to a more spiritual life. It shares the joys of that spiritual life and then shows how that too became a prison that I needed to escape from.

The people who will relate to Part 2, Breaking through the Spiritual Trance, are the people who have followed a guru, joined a spiritual community, or meditated for years, hoping to become enlightened. Some of them, like me, may have come from a life of extreme materialism. Others may have followed a spiritual path most of their lives, and have never had much money. Regardless, my story will confirm that they are also in a prison of their own making, because they have given their power away to some outside spiritual authority rather than trusting themselves.

My story is not linear, because life is not linear. Rather, events spiral and similar issues come up from a different perspective. I offer what I have learned in the hope that this serves to support you, wherever you are in your journey.

In the end, no one else can save you. No one knows the truth about how you should live your life. That truth can only be found in your heart, by following your passion and joy. Ultimately, that path leads to your life's work, which is the only true source of happiness.

 Click here to read excerpt from Not a Guru