Tag: Look for Happiness

Happiness does not mean there are no problems

Karl Duffy2 Comments

We often think that happiness means that there are no problems going on in our lives. However this is never going to happen for as long as we are on this earth. There are ups and downs every day and we soon see that even the best moments will never last forever. We can only do our best and come to see that some things,  and how others act, are beyond our control.  So happiness comes from viewing  our problems in a new light. The key to wisdom practice is to stay in the present moment, regardless of whether that moment is pleasant or unpleasant. Happiness is not the absence of difficulties, but comes about in the reality of the losses and change which are part of this world.

Another way, which is our practice here, is slowly to open ourselves to the wonder of what life is,  by meticulous attention to the anatomy of the present moment. Slowly, slowly we become more sophisticated and knowledgeable…in this approach everything in our life becomes grist for the mill… as this anatomy becomes clear, freedom increases.

Charlotte Joko Beck

A mistaken view of happiness

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Genuine happiness does not come from accumulating pleasant feelings.

Joseph Goldstein

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).