We buy stuff and travel to new places to be happier. Often we don’t stop to think if that’s the best use of our money and time—but even when we do, the focus is still on our external life.

“What can I buy and where can I go to feel better?”

The answer is nothing, if you’re looking for lasting solutions. Every gadget, car, house, holiday, and festival will only give fleeting results.

We could instead focus on the root cause for our feelings: our mind. The thing that interprets everything we buy and do into the emotions we feel.

Lasting peace of mind, happiness, contentment—whatever the emotional state we desire—comes from our way of thinking. That’s where to shift focus.