There is no way to happiness in my mind. Happiness is the way.

Some people predict that the next century will be a century of spirituality. I agree with the late monk Thich Nhat Hanh that we must have a spiritual century if our country or the world can thrive or even exist.

Watching the news is painful; the air bristles with insults, lies, violence, and denials. Sadly, our previous leader is the most prominent and cruelest liar.

I am learning to pity the followers of cruelty and lies, every one of them, every day.

Politics like this are eroding the quality of life in our country in this mindless process.

We live in a curious reality – the more the stock market goes up, the more the nation’s values seem to keep going down. Spirituality is essential – it calls for love, empathy, and kindness.

For myself (everyone can make up their minds; I’m not here to tell people what to do), I believe the only rational and meaningful path for me is a spiritual one. I’m on that road.

There is so much suffering, violence, despair and confusion. I’m unsure how we can survive without spirituality, which means a re-embrace of kindness, empathy, charity, peace, and freedom. We have forgotten how to respect and even talk to one another, let alone listen.

Truth matters.

The big news for me is that I am trying to transform myself, and every time I stumble, which is often, someone is quick to accuse me of hypocrisy and dishonesty; I wish it were that simple. These people are making me more robust and more authentic. Every time I look deeply into myself, I get stronger, happier, and more confident.

I have made spiritual progress, and I  will be making more until I get within range of the human being I want to be before I wither or die.

This is the harsh and sad reality of our time. Cruelty and dishonesty are not more fringe problems; the poison of hatred and dishonor has seeped its way into the mainstream and will plague and torment us for years.

Politics seems almost hopeless to me, but spirituality is full of hope. And history suggests that when things get bad, that is when they start to get better.

My searching has brought me everything I want – instead of panic or despair, I feel peace and hope. I have found happiness and meaning.

I believe that people are beginning to tire of hatred and grievance.

I understand what is broken inside of me, and I am learning to fix it and be a force for some good. That is what brings me meaning and joy. And that is the point of a spiritual life.

I see that spiritual people are happier than angry and hateful people.  The grievers and haters suffer the most; it is an awful and corrosive way to live. At the core, spirituality is about finding peace with oneself, facing up to who you are, working to be better, and changing what needs to be changed.

That means learning to be good to people and helping those in need when there is an opportunity.

I must know who I am and want to be to work on this. I know of no other path to that than spirituality.

Hanh said clearly: “Whether we have happiness depends on the seeds in our consciousness. If our seeds of compassion, understanding, and love are strong, those qualities will be able to manifest in us. If the seeds of anger, hostility, and sadness in us are strong, then we will experience much suffering.”

Amen to that.

This prediction of the urgent need for a  spiritual century can be seen daily on the news, our phones, tablets, and televisions.

It’s right in front of us. Hatred has come out of the shadows and into the forefront of our lives, families, communities, and aspirations.

I’m not going quietly into that night. Hatred is a choice. So are lies. So is spirituality.

I’m doing the work I believe I need to do.

Part of that work is understanding how spirituality can improve me and help me leave the world better than I found it.

It means helping refugee children get to college and getting “ugly Christmas sweaters for the Mansion Christmas Party.  It means teaching people at the edge of life how to meditate and use spirituality to ease their lives.

I want to be part of the spiritual century that I believe is inevitable and even underway if we open our eyes to it. Hate is spreading, but so is opposition and a search for a better way.

I sense and hear and see that more and more people are sick of the cruelty, lies, and dysfunction. Voting is certainly one way to respond.

Another way is to look inside ourselves and see if the seeds of compassion, understanding, and love are strong within us and can help us by example to create a gentler, kinder, and more honorable world.

I don’t need to lie to myself or others anymore. I like myself these days, and I cherish the progress I am making to be the kind of person I want to be, not the kind of person other people want me to be. I love learning to be authentic, and I had nothing to fear when I stopped lying.

I will stumble repeatedly; that is what it means to be an authentic human, and I will keep going forward.

These days, we don’t crucify people on crosses; we chew them up on Facebook and the runaway hate machine called X. Our new generation of billionaires does not seem to love us. They love more money.

I don’t want to march in that parade.

Spiritual living is an art. I don’t have to be a saint or a monk or live in a monastery to practice compassion and a gentler world.

I ca n practice this anytime and every day, from what I write to the photos I take, the animals I care for, the people I love, and the people I help.

“Driving in mindfulness,” wrote Hanh, “can make the time in your car joyful, and it will also help you avoid accidents.”

I’m working on mindfulness; I’m only beginning to understand it. But I have this idea that is better than anything else I know. I’ll give it a try.

This is where I am; this is what I am up to. I’m preparing for the Spiritual Century, even if I’m not around to witness it.