essence of happiness (part 2)
advertisement
Upon completing the first two sections of the Essence of Happiness I am seeing that this guidebook contains simple advice on how to achieve lasting happiness in everyday lives. Each page in this book offers a gem of spiritual wisdom to enable those who read it to defeat depression, anxiety, anger, jealousy and the many and varied emotions that form a barrier to our happiness. I have found this book to be a source of profound wisdom The Dalai Lama talks a lot about happiness and how to achieve it. For me personally, since I am a Christian; I understand that His Guide to Happiness is of course influenced by Buddhism. However it really is not a religious approach but rather a very practical one that I can use and apply to my own life and my own belief
There are many points and words of wisdom in this book that I can apply personally and professionally in my life. This book encourages its readers to train their minds to focus on happiness. Happiness is a mental attitude, a state of mind and not primarily dependent on external conditions; Training and developing the mind starts with learning. And its aim is to set free the inner potential that everybody has. This book has encouraged me to focus on practicing contentment and happiness where I am at, and to maintain a positive and happy mindset even during times when it seems happiness isn’t obtainable. I can use this during the times when I feel myself becoming overwhelmed by negativity, or disappointment. If I focus on maintaining happiness tough situations may not feel as difficult and hurtful.
Education and knowledge is crucial in practicing happiness. There is an interesting note by the Dalai Lama: “knowledge is not primarily there to make us cleverer” The most important use of knowledge is to understand ourselves, to create a mental clearing and make changes from within or as he puts it: to develop a good heart. Understanding who I am, and learning more about who I am as a person is an important part to obtaining happiness and reaching my full potential in all walks of my life. In fact, I have had personal experience in this area. A few years back I was going through some hard times, and in order to help preserve and move on I spent some time really digging deeper into who I am. Finding my strengths, things that make me happy, things that I am good at. As I embarked on my self-discovery journey, I felt more empowered and more confident in my professional and personal life. Because I was able to highlight my strengths and gain more knowledge though discovering my self- I felt more equipped and prepared. I feel that this book is a helpful reminder that staying in touch with your true self is important because it helps you grow and become a better, better-rounded aware person.
The book goes on to talk about how one can develop calmness of mind. By training the mind we can develop an inner discipline. This training towards a calmness of mind is what Buddhists call "The Way" and it is the fundamental method of achieving happiness. The inner discipline means confronting our negative states of mind and transforming them into more positive states. The goal is to develop a calm or peaceful and stable state of mind, regardless of outer events. This is helpful information for me because I often get really caught up and focused on the negative parts of circumstances. I focus on what could go wrong, and what could happen that is negative and while this isn’t always a bad thing because it keeps me on my toes, this book helps me to recognize that too much worrying and negativity can rob me of my peace. The best way for me to overcome tough situations is to find a balance and focus on remaining calm, and at peace with circumstances regardless of how negative or difficult they may be. If I focus on inner discipline I can be more resilient and strong and radiate peace for myself and others. Practicing a calmer state of mind means that I can be sensitive and aware so that I can be in control and to respond to situations in the best way possible without the buildup of heavy negative emotions. This would help me in all walks of life and help me to choose the right reaction to tougher stations instead of becoming overwhelmed by negative emotions.
Positive states can act like an antidote to negativity. By coming from a state of joy, love or enthusiasm it is almost natural to neutralize anger, hatred or apathy. This book explains that practicing positivity is helpful in eliminating negativity and helps produce a happier, healthier person. My goal then is to develop habits out of those positives states to make them my predominant state. I would say I am a very positive person; however I do find myself in a negative funk from time to time if a circumstance doesn’t go as planned or difficult factors come into the picture. For me this book is a helpful reminder that I don’t need to let the negativity of a circumstance affect me, but rather I can combat it with positivity and peace. From this I will be able to grow as a person. I know from personal experience that growth can’t happen where there is damage or brokenness, instead the damage needs to be let go, and positivity surround it so that part of me can grow and flourish into the best me I can be.
This book tells the readers to cultivate good habits (and eliminate bad ones) if we really want to be happy we have to identify the factors that lead to happiness and then cultivate them into habits. On the other side we have to identify what leads to the opposite of happiness: suffering. Then we have to get rid of those destructive states and habits and replace them by the positive ones. As I have been saying in my reflection it is important for me to reflect on the areas in my life which aren’t benefiting me and let them go so that I can repoint my focus in the direction of happiness and contentment. A happy me is a productive me, a motivated me, a better me. I want to be able to be the best me I can be, and in order to do that I must eliminate things that bring me down, or stop me from being completely happy.
This book offers a lot of tips and resources that can be used in practicing happiness and what it means to live a peaceful, self-disciplined life. It doesn’t show these actions as being easy, or simple in fact it is challenging and it shows that I will need a lot of self-control and discipline in order to achieve this true sense of happiness. As I’ve said before, I am a naturally happy, upbeat and positive person. But like all people I have my moments of chaos, disappointment, anger and pain and they interfere with who I am. They interfere with my work, my relationships and my interactions with children. If I am having a bad day because of something at home, I can’t wear my best teacher outfit and smile and hope it doesn’t project onto my students it does. This book is a helpful guide and reminder that I can have these moments but I can have access to different tools and coping methods that can help me to eliminate the negative effect of an unfortunate circumstance. In my field of work it is important that I remain positive and happy because those are the attitudes I want the next generation to possess. Using the methods of meditation, and these different practices outlined in this book I can find a better balance and focus more on projecting happiness, gratefulness and positivity to these children even through the hardest circumstances. Resilience is an important virtue in my life that I have possessed and been able to use to help me overcome a lot of tough situations, these same practices in this book will help take my resilience to a new level of happiness and peace. I am learning that guilt, fear, aggression and anger are characteristics of an old paradigm I cannot identify with any longer. Maybe the biggest realization I can have is that it is okay to be happy and that this good thing. That the negative emotions have over stayed their welcome and I can train myself to be truly happier and, free from guilt and fear and other limiting emotions. Happiness evolves through the practice of self-acceptance, non judgement and love. I am going to make it a habit that each day I work on cultivating positivity and feel happier so that negativity falls away and people respond to me in a very different way. In this way I get to stay in a higher energy level for longer and longer periods and I can hopefully encourage others to practice cultivating these characteristics too.
The feeling of happiness frees me up to be myself and connect to my true self. I feel I will be in the flow of receiving the energies that manifest success which will pour into both my personal and professional life in positive ways. I am thoroughly enjoying this book and all the wisdom it entails and I look forward to continuing to press on this journey of self-discovery and finding a true sense of happiness.
There are many points and words of wisdom in this book that I can apply personally and professionally in my life. This book encourages its readers to train their minds to focus on happiness. Happiness is a mental attitude, a state of mind and not primarily dependent on external conditions; Training and developing the mind starts with learning. And its aim is to set free the inner potential that everybody has. This book has encouraged me to focus on practicing contentment and happiness where I am at, and to maintain a positive and happy mindset even during times when it seems happiness isn’t obtainable. I can use this during the times when I feel myself becoming overwhelmed by negativity, or disappointment. If I focus on maintaining happiness tough situations may not feel as difficult and hurtful.
Education and knowledge is crucial in practicing happiness. There is an interesting note by the Dalai Lama: “knowledge is not primarily there to make us cleverer” The most important use of knowledge is to understand ourselves, to create a mental clearing and make changes from within or as he puts it: to develop a good heart. Understanding who I am, and learning more about who I am as a person is an important part to obtaining happiness and reaching my full potential in all walks of my life. In fact, I have had personal experience in this area. A few years back I was going through some hard times, and in order to help preserve and move on I spent some time really digging deeper into who I am. Finding my strengths, things that make me happy, things that I am good at. As I embarked on my self-discovery journey, I felt more empowered and more confident in my professional and personal life. Because I was able to highlight my strengths and gain more knowledge though discovering my self- I felt more equipped and prepared. I feel that this book is a helpful reminder that staying in touch with your true self is important because it helps you grow and become a better, better-rounded aware person.
The book goes on to talk about how one can develop calmness of mind. By training the mind we can develop an inner discipline. This training towards a calmness of mind is what Buddhists call "The Way" and it is the fundamental method of achieving happiness. The inner discipline means confronting our negative states of mind and transforming them into more positive states. The goal is to develop a calm or peaceful and stable state of mind, regardless of outer events. This is helpful information for me because I often get really caught up and focused on the negative parts of circumstances. I focus on what could go wrong, and what could happen that is negative and while this isn’t always a bad thing because it keeps me on my toes, this book helps me to recognize that too much worrying and negativity can rob me of my peace. The best way for me to overcome tough situations is to find a balance and focus on remaining calm, and at peace with circumstances regardless of how negative or difficult they may be. If I focus on inner discipline I can be more resilient and strong and radiate peace for myself and others. Practicing a calmer state of mind means that I can be sensitive and aware so that I can be in control and to respond to situations in the best way possible without the buildup of heavy negative emotions. This would help me in all walks of life and help me to choose the right reaction to tougher stations instead of becoming overwhelmed by negative emotions.
Positive states can act like an antidote to negativity. By coming from a state of joy, love or enthusiasm it is almost natural to neutralize anger, hatred or apathy. This book explains that practicing positivity is helpful in eliminating negativity and helps produce a happier, healthier person. My goal then is to develop habits out of those positives states to make them my predominant state. I would say I am a very positive person; however I do find myself in a negative funk from time to time if a circumstance doesn’t go as planned or difficult factors come into the picture. For me this book is a helpful reminder that I don’t need to let the negativity of a circumstance affect me, but rather I can combat it with positivity and peace. From this I will be able to grow as a person. I know from personal experience that growth can’t happen where there is damage or brokenness, instead the damage needs to be let go, and positivity surround it so that part of me can grow and flourish into the best me I can be.
This book tells the readers to cultivate good habits (and eliminate bad ones) if we really want to be happy we have to identify the factors that lead to happiness and then cultivate them into habits. On the other side we have to identify what leads to the opposite of happiness: suffering. Then we have to get rid of those destructive states and habits and replace them by the positive ones. As I have been saying in my reflection it is important for me to reflect on the areas in my life which aren’t benefiting me and let them go so that I can repoint my focus in the direction of happiness and contentment. A happy me is a productive me, a motivated me, a better me. I want to be able to be the best me I can be, and in order to do that I must eliminate things that bring me down, or stop me from being completely happy.
This book offers a lot of tips and resources that can be used in practicing happiness and what it means to live a peaceful, self-disciplined life. It doesn’t show these actions as being easy, or simple in fact it is challenging and it shows that I will need a lot of self-control and discipline in order to achieve this true sense of happiness. As I’ve said before, I am a naturally happy, upbeat and positive person. But like all people I have my moments of chaos, disappointment, anger and pain and they interfere with who I am. They interfere with my work, my relationships and my interactions with children. If I am having a bad day because of something at home, I can’t wear my best teacher outfit and smile and hope it doesn’t project onto my students it does. This book is a helpful guide and reminder that I can have these moments but I can have access to different tools and coping methods that can help me to eliminate the negative effect of an unfortunate circumstance. In my field of work it is important that I remain positive and happy because those are the attitudes I want the next generation to possess. Using the methods of meditation, and these different practices outlined in this book I can find a better balance and focus more on projecting happiness, gratefulness and positivity to these children even through the hardest circumstances. Resilience is an important virtue in my life that I have possessed and been able to use to help me overcome a lot of tough situations, these same practices in this book will help take my resilience to a new level of happiness and peace. I am learning that guilt, fear, aggression and anger are characteristics of an old paradigm I cannot identify with any longer. Maybe the biggest realization I can have is that it is okay to be happy and that this good thing. That the negative emotions have over stayed their welcome and I can train myself to be truly happier and, free from guilt and fear and other limiting emotions. Happiness evolves through the practice of self-acceptance, non judgement and love. I am going to make it a habit that each day I work on cultivating positivity and feel happier so that negativity falls away and people respond to me in a very different way. In this way I get to stay in a higher energy level for longer and longer periods and I can hopefully encourage others to practice cultivating these characteristics too.
The feeling of happiness frees me up to be myself and connect to my true self. I feel I will be in the flow of receiving the energies that manifest success which will pour into both my personal and professional life in positive ways. I am thoroughly enjoying this book and all the wisdom it entails and I look forward to continuing to press on this journey of self-discovery and finding a true sense of happiness.