Why Chasing Happiness May Leave You Empty

One of the questions we hear most often from those who reach out to us is surprisingly simple:

“What will bring me joy in life?”

It is a sincere question — one that usually arises during moments of reflection, transition, or quiet longing. Many people feel that something is missing, even when life appears full from the outside. They begin searching for happiness, hoping that once they find it, everything else will fall into place.

Yet this is where a subtle misunderstanding often begins. At the Dr. Wanda Pratnicka Center, we rarely encourage people to pursue happiness. Not because happiness is unimportant, but because it is fragile by nature. When happiness becomes the goal, it quietly binds us to external circumstances.

We start believing that we will finally feel fulfilled when the right partner arrives, when the bank account grows, when the promotion comes, or when life unfolds exactly as we planned. But external conditions are constantly changing.

A marriage may face challenges. Financial situations fluctuate. Health can shift unexpectedly. Loss may visit even the most carefully built life. And when happiness depends on these moving pieces, it rises and falls like the tide. What we gently invite people to cultivate instead is joy.

The Quiet Strength of Joy

Joy is very different from happiness. It is quieter, deeper, and far more resilient. Joy is the feeling of inner contentment — a peaceful awareness that settles within the soul regardless of what is happening outside. It does not deny grief, illness, or hardship. Rather, it coexists with life’s complexities, offering an inner steadiness that cannot easily be shaken.

feeling joy

A person rooted in joy may still experience sorrow, yet beneath it there remains a calm presence — a knowing that all is part of a greater unfolding. This is the kind of inner state that cannot be taken away by circumstance. But how do we cultivate such joy? Over decades of helping individuals around the world, we have observed two profound pathways that consistently awaken this deeper fulfillment. Serving others. And growing within yourself.

Joy Through Selfless Service

There is perhaps no greater source of lasting joy than offering yourself in service to another human being. When service is genuine, it shifts your focus outward. It lifts you beyond the narrow concerns of the ego and connects you to something far more expansive — the quiet understanding that your presence can ease another person’s burden. However, true service must be selfless.

It is not a calculation. It is not performed while secretly measuring what will return to you — recognition, financial reward, praise, or status. Instead, it flows from a sincere desire to make the world gentler, kinder, and more compassionate.

When you act from this place, something remarkable happens: joy arises naturally. There is nothing to chase, nothing to force. The heart simply recognizes that it is aligned with its deeper purpose. Again and again, we witness this truth in those who dedicate themselves to helping others. Their lives are not necessarily easier, yet they often carry a quiet radiance — an inner richness that no material possession can replicate.

The Joy Found in Growth

The second path is equally powerful: personal growth. Your soul was never meant to remain still. Everything in existence is moving through cycles of evolution. Trees stretch toward the light. Flowers open petal by petal. Even the smallest creatures continually adapt and learn.

You are part of this same living intelligence. When you challenge yourself, learn something new, persevere through difficulty, and expand beyond old limitations, you activate a deep sense of fulfillment. Many people mistakenly believe that joy will arrive once they reach a specific milestone — the perfect relationship, the ideal career, financial security.

Yet when these goals are achieved, the emotional high often fades quickly. What felt like the ultimate destination becomes, within weeks or months, simply the new normal. Why? Because joy was never waiting at the finish line. It was present in the becoming. It lives in the effort, the courage, the stretching, and the quiet determination to continue growing even when the path demands patience.

A Life Anchored in Purpose

At the Dr. Wanda Pratnicka Center, these two principles guide our work every day. We strive to serve each person who comes to us with sincerity and care, always aiming to give more than what is expected. Service is not merely what we do — it is the foundation of our purpose. At the same time, every case invites us into deeper spiritual development. Each encounter expands our understanding, strengthens compassion, and calls us to refine our own awareness. Service and growth are not separate forces. Together, they create a powerful inner flow — one that naturally elevates your state of being.

And as your inner state rises, something else begins to shift. Your energy becomes clearer. Your emotional resilience strengthens. Your sensitivity sharpens. In spiritual terms, your vibration grows higher. This inner elevation is not only fulfilling — it is also protective. A grounded, evolving person is far less susceptible to negative influences, including spiritual disturbances (spirit possession). Joy itself becomes a form of quiet strength.

Choosing What Truly Lasts

If you find yourself searching for happiness, pause gently and ask a different question: How can I serve? Where am I being invited to grow? Joy is rarely found through pursuit. More often, it appears when your life begins to nourish others and expand beyond yesterday’s version of yourself.

And perhaps the most comforting truth is this: Joy is not reserved for extraordinary lives. It becomes available the moment you align your actions with compassion, growth, and purpose. Even in a world that constantly changes, this is something that remains. A quiet light within you — steady, peaceful, and always present.

About the Author:

Marianna oversees the daily operations of The Dr. Wanda Pratnicka Center, skillfully advising staff members on guiding clients through the spirit removal process. Her efforts extend beyond management; she is dedicated to raising awareness about the phenomenon of spirit possession, utilizing various platforms including events, books, and digital media. In her leisure time, Marianna delights in gardening, immerses herself in reading, and explores new natural wonders.

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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

1. You can find more information about common symptoms of spirit attachment / possession here:

SYMPTOMS OF SPIRIT ATTACHMENT

2. How to check whether you or your loved one are experiencing a spirit attachment?

REQUEST CHECK-UP

3. Want to learn more about how we remove spirits?

SPIRIT REMOVAL PROCESS