The frustration of wanting something you don’t have can overwhelm your life.
 
Often, we believe we want a thing – a better job, a relationship, more money or our own house. We’ve been taught that these things will give us a "better life."
 
But we’re really after something intangible. We want security, belonging, love, to feel seen and heard and accepted for who we are. We want to leave our mark on the world, to contribute. And these intangibles don’t come from jobs or possessions or a high net worth.
 
Until we realize that, and learn the true sources of living a contented life, we feel trapped and frustrated. That invisible brick wall keeping us from happiness causes continued mental anguish for us and can harm our physical health as well.
 
What can you do? There’s no simple solution, but there is a solution. It involves opening up to something new. If the old ways of doing things aren’t giving you the happiness you want, you must try something new.
 
First, define happiness. Do you know what you really want? If you want one of the things I mentioned above, try going deeper. What intangibles will it give you?

The answers to these questions come from self-reflection and exploring and asking Source/Universe/God/Your Term to show you how to search.
 
Then, pay attention. Remember that you want new ways of looking at the world. So be open to subtle messages or to messages that arrive in unexpected ways. Through a song, a thought, a stranger’s comment. Listen to your heart. 
 
Keep exploring. Keep acting on those messages. And that means you're no longer trapped because you're actively searching. That’s the solution that’s worked for me and I still use it.

In the past, I was so anxious for my life to be different. I could sense that I just needed to overcome some unseen but huge hurdle blocking my progress. I felt it would be like flipping a switch. Once I was on the other side of the giant blockage in my path, I'd be free.

Fast forward many years, and I'm mostly free. But it happened in stages, not in one giant leap. Some people experience a single event that changes their life dramatically, but for most of us, there may be something that sparks the change, but the actual process of change takes time.

And that's okay. If we can be patient and view change as a life-long adventure, then it'll be easier to navigate the ups and downs and distractions. Think of change as the background and support for all that happens. We can learn to flow with it by increasing our awareness and being open to new ways. We can learn to trust that Source is there to guide us, if we'll allow it to.

Because we fear so much, we cling to what we know. But if we'll just try to trust in what we cannot see, there will be signs for us to follow. If we'll just try to tone down our expectations and our rules for the way things must be, there will be invitations to explore something we hadn't considered before.

The external world is loud and forceful and relentless. Our inner world, underneath all the protective measures we've created, is quiet and subtle and calm. When we're ready, we just have to take the next step.