An Overlooked Secret to a Happy Life Part 2

In case you missed my first post in this series, start here.

Did you know that the Dead Sea is a body of water in Israel that is below Sea Level? Water is able to trickle into it, but no water is able to flow out of it because it would have to fight gravity to do so. The result is that mineral deposits have built up to such a great extent that the water is unable to sustain life of any kind.

The Sea of Galilee is said to come from the same source of water as the Dead Sea, flowing down from Mount Hermon.

The difference is that the Sea of Galilee has an outlet. As the water flows into it, it is also flowing back out, using its minerals to fertilize the plain of Jordan.
The Sea of Galilee is filled with fish and other living things. However, as the fresh clean water flows into the Dead Sea and mixes with the stagnant, salty water, it loses its vitality.

These two bodies of the same water have completely different results. One of the bodies of water takes of this life-giving source, but never gives. The other allows the life source to not only flow into it, but to continue to flow through it, bringing beauty and life to others.

So how does this relate to us?

Sometimes we find ourselves needing to fill ourselves up with MORE of something. Often, we try to fill that emptiness with material things – MORE money, MORE possessions, MORE “stuff”. We become so caught up in trying to find that fulfillment that we begin to operate in fear. We are afraid to give of ourselves because we worry that we won’t have enough. When we don’t allow anything to flow out, we are doing ourselves a disservice, because now there isn’t room for anything good to flow in. We become stagnant just like the Dead Sea, filled with bitter water and devoid of life.

On the flip side, have you ever noticed that when you are overflowing with joy, it’s difficult to keep it all to yourself? You find it trying to bubble out of you to everyone you encounter – either with a smile, a kind gesture, or an encouraging word. When we allow this to happen, we’re letting our joy and our love flow through us, making room for more of the good things to flow in.

How about you? Have you found this to be true in your life? Leave a comment sharing your experience – I’d love to hear from you!