Untethered Mind, Sunday Edition, 3.5-min read. — Some people experience more pain, resistance and hardship than others. Some people experience more joy and peace than others. But the connection between someone’s life situation and their happiness is unclear.
I enjoyed reading this, Alex. Thank you. In the ancient spiritual tradition of Vedanta, the seers would say, happiness is as unreal as sadness because both are from the realm of the Mind, and hence best ignored or practiced in moderation. Overall, they’d say, it’s best to remain a “sakshi” or a witnessing consciousness to both happiness and sadness in life, since the only thing for real is our divine Consciousness. Of course, this is a vast simplication of the thinking, but your call to “resist” or apply distance from the experience of happiness is very close to the principle of “sakshi” and I thought you might find it interesting:) If you search for “sakshi” on my site, you’ll see a post I wrote about it.
Happiness is something that comes from within. Gratitude and living one's values is one of the things which leads to happiness. Yes, we shouldn't resist reality but go with the flow knowing we can't control outside events but only what is within us.
I like the word purpose or balance, whatever the term is that suggests an embrace of pain and pleasure, of opposing forces. As happiness is a polarised word, of duality, it suggests and implies sadness, as in the absence of sadness, and inherently it has to. We cannot have a one sided existence, so the striving of such a thing is/can be a source of suffering.
This was beautiful to read. I enjoyed it! My take-away from your post is that happiness is a choice but this selection process needs to practised to perfection.
My only negative feedback is that your statement below should have been highlighted and made bold 😃
"So, to be happy, regardless of your situation, means nurturing your ability to forget" Apt!
I identified with this post immensely. I have struggled with extreme depression since high school. However, through the gifts of two amazing women, who served as my counselors at different times in my life, I learned I am virtually bursting with Joy! Of course, I have my fair share of struggles and am challenged by severe social anxiety; however, when I experience something wonderous in nature, like the fragrance of sagebrush after a summer rain, I am transformed into that little girl once again running home with a large handful of bright, yellow dandelions for my mother with the intention of saying, “I love you so much!”, and want to share my zeal for springtime with you by sharing my favorite thing, flowers. I am a passionate person with a zest for life. I’ve learned if I don’t like how it’s zigging then it’s time to zag.
pssst: I know I’m in this class. However, I am not sure what I’m supposed to be doing. If you see this and have a moment, would you please let me know? I am sorry for being, “Late to the party.” I can explain.
One of the best ways I have found to be happy is to be grateful. When crappy things are happening, it seems counterintuitive to feel gratitude, but it is impossible to be grateful and sad at the same time. There is a lot of science behind this concept as well.
Happiness is an elusive domain. There is calmness, gratification, peacefulness, celebratory and numerous other dimensions.
But by grateful in all circumstances you can settle your mind into a state where things bother you less and you are able to see that there is a bigger picture. Life arrives and leaves in moments, as in each breath that we take. We are never the same from one minute to another - - physiologically this is impossible. However, the changes are so minute that we do not notice.
So when disaster strikes, a period of gratitude can propel us to a state of greater equilibrium, less stress and greater enjoyment (and health as well).
Thanks Alex. I enjoyed this one very much. Your essay brings to mind the Victor Frankl Quote: “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way”
What a beautiful piece of writing ! Thanks for sharing. You are right. When worrying becomes a habit, happiness takes a backstage. We should watch out how often we find ourself worrying. It has a direct impact on our ability to feel happy.
Beautiful truth, however the ability to forget usually means pushing thoughts and memories down into the subconscious, which causes more suffering and dis-ease.
Changing ones beliefs and thought patterns changes ones perspective and gives one the ability to "release" the circumstances one believes to be crappy. 🙏🏼🪄☺️
I enjoyed reading this, Alex. Thank you. In the ancient spiritual tradition of Vedanta, the seers would say, happiness is as unreal as sadness because both are from the realm of the Mind, and hence best ignored or practiced in moderation. Overall, they’d say, it’s best to remain a “sakshi” or a witnessing consciousness to both happiness and sadness in life, since the only thing for real is our divine Consciousness. Of course, this is a vast simplication of the thinking, but your call to “resist” or apply distance from the experience of happiness is very close to the principle of “sakshi” and I thought you might find it interesting:) If you search for “sakshi” on my site, you’ll see a post I wrote about it.
Happiness is something that comes from within. Gratitude and living one's values is one of the things which leads to happiness. Yes, we shouldn't resist reality but go with the flow knowing we can't control outside events but only what is within us.
awesome.
I like the word purpose or balance, whatever the term is that suggests an embrace of pain and pleasure, of opposing forces. As happiness is a polarised word, of duality, it suggests and implies sadness, as in the absence of sadness, and inherently it has to. We cannot have a one sided existence, so the striving of such a thing is/can be a source of suffering.
Thanks again.
Very well put. Thanks.
Happiness is quite an evasive thing.
Especially at a time when it has been misused and overused so much as it has, on the internet, and in the tricky world of self-help.
So kudos for extracting a meaning which is useful and applicable!
This was beautiful to read. I enjoyed it! My take-away from your post is that happiness is a choice but this selection process needs to practised to perfection.
My only negative feedback is that your statement below should have been highlighted and made bold 😃
"So, to be happy, regardless of your situation, means nurturing your ability to forget" Apt!
One thing I've realized over time both through my own experiences and by growing up in an Indian Philosophical and Spiritual household:
What you desire is what you don't have.
Sounds simple?
But understand it—the mind doesn't work in terms of the future.
Mind is always in the present. The moment you start desiring something, the underlying implication of it is you don't have it in the present.
So desires create suffering in the present.
If you give up the desire to be happy and just be, you'll be happy.
As contradictory as it may sound, but it's true.
At least this is what I've experienced and realized.
You struck the proverbial nail on the head.
Recently, my journal contains passages reminding me that resistance is suffering.
Your post stated the proposition in better terms.
Thank you.
I identified with this post immensely. I have struggled with extreme depression since high school. However, through the gifts of two amazing women, who served as my counselors at different times in my life, I learned I am virtually bursting with Joy! Of course, I have my fair share of struggles and am challenged by severe social anxiety; however, when I experience something wonderous in nature, like the fragrance of sagebrush after a summer rain, I am transformed into that little girl once again running home with a large handful of bright, yellow dandelions for my mother with the intention of saying, “I love you so much!”, and want to share my zeal for springtime with you by sharing my favorite thing, flowers. I am a passionate person with a zest for life. I’ve learned if I don’t like how it’s zigging then it’s time to zag.
pssst: I know I’m in this class. However, I am not sure what I’m supposed to be doing. If you see this and have a moment, would you please let me know? I am sorry for being, “Late to the party.” I can explain.
One of the best ways I have found to be happy is to be grateful. When crappy things are happening, it seems counterintuitive to feel gratitude, but it is impossible to be grateful and sad at the same time. There is a lot of science behind this concept as well.
Happiness is an elusive domain. There is calmness, gratification, peacefulness, celebratory and numerous other dimensions.
But by grateful in all circumstances you can settle your mind into a state where things bother you less and you are able to see that there is a bigger picture. Life arrives and leaves in moments, as in each breath that we take. We are never the same from one minute to another - - physiologically this is impossible. However, the changes are so minute that we do not notice.
So when disaster strikes, a period of gratitude can propel us to a state of greater equilibrium, less stress and greater enjoyment (and health as well).
Thanks Alex. I enjoyed this one very much. Your essay brings to mind the Victor Frankl Quote: “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way”
What a beautiful piece of writing ! Thanks for sharing. You are right. When worrying becomes a habit, happiness takes a backstage. We should watch out how often we find ourself worrying. It has a direct impact on our ability to feel happy.
Beautiful truth, however the ability to forget usually means pushing thoughts and memories down into the subconscious, which causes more suffering and dis-ease.
Changing ones beliefs and thought patterns changes ones perspective and gives one the ability to "release" the circumstances one believes to be crappy. 🙏🏼🪄☺️
Zz
I appreciate your response and your time. Writing is very important to Meg