Practice letting things go

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It is over 20 years since I read this saying from Gurdjieff. It struck me then and still resonates now. We often pin our happiness onto what we have  – certain things, relationships, achievements, successes- and hold onto them for dear life. What this quotation reminds us is that happiness is rooted in a contented mind. It is often related to letting go, to holding things lightly, to being peaceful within ourselves  – with where we are and what we can do without. It is linked to knowing we are complete in ourselves, not holding on to some things and not needing to be  completed by others or by what we have.   

A man is satisfied not by the quantity of food, but by the absence of greed.

Finding a quiet space within

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As I have written before, finding quiet time  each day is not a luxury. Rather,  it is essential for protecting our health and strengthening our deepest selves.  Looking within nourishes  the roots of an enduring happiness, namely, a deep confidence in our sense of self, as opposed to a happiness which looks outside, linking itself to circumstances in our lives, such as our career, finances or even relationships.

I can’t give you any advice but this:

to go into yourself and see how deep the place is from which your life flows.


Rilke

Being grateful for the colour of this day

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Some days are just full of moments of joy and unexpected goodness, that when one arrives at the evening one can only be grateful. Occasions where we experience the kindness of friends and the encouragement of those who are there for us. Days like this remind us to surround ourselves with positive, not negative influences.  All we can do is look back and take in the colour of the day.

Take refuge in your senses, open up
To all the small miracles you rushed through.

Imitate the habit of twilight,
Taking time to open the well of colour
That fostered the brightness of day.

Draw alongside the silence of stone
Until its calmness can claim you.
Be excessively gentle with yourself.

Stay clear of those vexed in spirit.
Learn to linger around someone of ease
Who feels they have all the time in the world.

Gradually, you will return to yourself,
Having learned a new respect for your heart
And the joy that dwells far within slow time.

John O’Donoghue,  A Blessing for one who is exhausted

Book Review: Awakening Joy

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I should really have reviewed James Baraz’s book long before now, as I have had it in my possession for more than a year. However, with James coming to Switzerland in August to deliver, in a weekend Seminar,  his hugely successful Course, now is as good a time as any. James has been teaching meditation since 1974 and is one of the founders of Spirit Rock Meditation Centre in California. The great strength of the book is that it is based on years of  experience, especially in teaching the Awakening Joy Course. So it is filled with stories and testimonials,  as well as practical strategies to help develop joy in our lives. James’ basic starting point is that joy is a choice that we make, and it can be developed. Each chapter introduces a different aspect of living a contented life, helping them become habits in our lives, such as developing a grateful heart or how to work when difficult emotions arise. It is one of those rare things: a book that is warm, practical and easy to use, while basing itself on up-to-date research on happiness.

Awakening Joy is not about fulfilling goals or changing particular circumstances. It’s about training the mind and the heart to live in a way that allows us to be truly happy with our life as it is right now. Not that we stop aspiring to change in positive ways, or that we remain in harmful situations, but we begin to find the joy inside us right where we are. As you work with the practices presented here, you will discover that happiness is not a place that you arrive at, but rather the result of training your mind to ride with ease and flexibility the roller coaster of life (page 7).

Smile, life is good

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How can you remember to smile when you wake up?  You might hang a reminder–such as a branch, a leaf, a painting, or some inspiring words – so that you notice it when you wake up.

Once you develop the practice of smiling, you may not need a reminder. You will smile as soon as you hear a bird singing or see the sunlight streaming through the window.

Smiling helps you approach the day with gentleness and understanding.

Thich Nhat Hahn

The winter is over, let go, move on

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It is so good to see the buds appearing on the branches and the first flowers pushing their way through the soil. Nature is full of positive energy and we too are part of that.

Be ahead of all parting, as though it already were behind you, like the winter that has just gone by. For among these winters there is one so endlessly winter that only by wintering through it all will your heart survive.

Rilke