ignorance
/ˈɪɡn(ə)r(ə)ns/
noun
lack of knowledge or information

Ignorance is 'not knowing'. Most of the time, we don't even know that we don't know. Once we know that we don't know, we can do something about it.

So, knowing one's own ignorance is the starting point. Once you realize that you don't know, you can start your study. And only study resolves the ignorance.

A good news is that there is ample information available on the Internet these days.

sacrifice
/ˈsakrɪfʌɪs/
noun

1. an act of slaughtering an animal or person or surrendering a possession as an offering to a deity.

It's a powerful word. Nobody wants to sacrifice anything. And that's the major roadblock for us to reach our big dreams.

Let us ask once again, "Do I really want it?". If not, you don't sacrifice anything. Only when you want it badly, you surrender, you give up something you don't want to give up. You must get it whatever it takes.

Ask yourself once again, "Do I really want it?".  

Why do we need goals?

Because most of us are lazy at one level. You may be an exception but at least  I am lazy. So, if I don't have any goals, my mind wanders all the time. I would do many things my mind is attracted to without any long term vision. Then, probably I don't get what I really want. Soon, the time will be up. The end of my life. The story ends.

Instead of pursuing happiness, it is better to make BLISS your target.

Why? Because happiness fluctuates while bliss doesn't.

The key to get bliss is to understand mind. And it is not an easy thing to do. It takes time. It takes persistence. It takes determination. But it is possible.

Happiness depends on circumstances while bliss doesn't. Bliss comes when you know that the world is simply a creation of your mind.

What is mind?

Mind is not you. You have it. For most people, however, it owns them. That is a problem.

The key is to understand mind and use it effectively.

Happiness and unhappiness are the opposite sides of the same coin. You cannot be happy all the time and you cannot be unhappy all the time either.

The reason is the fact that your happiness depends on something outside such as environments, circumstances, and conditions. To go beyond happiness and to feel good all the time, you need to focus on something within, something inside. Because outside conditions necessarily can be controlled by you all the time. 

Everybody wants to be happy. Happiness is something all of us strive for.

What is happiness by the way?  It is not easy to explain by words but we all know when we are happy.

Most people use the word as synonym of pleasantness. If it is the case for you, you may want to rethink a little bit. 

Now, here is the mechanism. You are the boss of your mind. And you can order your mind what to think, when to think, how to think. Once you control your thoughts, you control your feelings because your feelings are created by your thoughts.

Isn't it great if you can control your feelings all the time? Isn't it great if you feel 'peace' all the time?

There are thoughts and feelings within us. Here is a question. Where do they come from? It seems they just happen to us and we don't know their origin. Most of the time, they are triggered by stimuli outside. And that's what's happening to most of us. However, external stimuli are not the origin of thoughts and feelings. They are just triggers. The origin exists somewhere else.

I read a book long time ago in which the author wrote the sentence, 'There is no world outside'. I don't remember the title nor the author's name of the book. But the sentence has been stuck with me since then up until now. 

Then finally, I feel I have deciphered the meaning of the sentence.