As a teenager going through some emotional turmoil, I found myself wondering about this mysterious thing called the "secret to happiness." That curiosity eventually led me to Zen Buddhism, which teaches the importance of focusing on the present moment instead of the past or future. Before I knew it, I was diving deep into mindfulness meditation—a journey that has since become a lifelong practice.

Here’s what I discovered about the secret to happiness—we don’t need a new job, a perfect relationship, or a fancy yacht to be happy. Joy, love, and contentment are already within us—they’re a natural part of who we are. But, like old friends, we’ve lost touch with them.

To reconnect with this innate capacity, we need to focus our attention on each moment as if it were a heart-warming gift waiting to be opened. Mindfulness returns us home to find happiness waiting at the door, ready to welcome us back. As the wise Dorothy once said, “If I ever go looking for my heart’s desire again, I won’t look any further than my own backyard. Because if it isn’t there, I never really lost it to begin with.”