In a recent comment on one of her posts, Ursula wrote
My dear Jean, please do stop deluding yourself: Happiness is NOT a “practice”. Spiritual or otherwise.
Happiness is a by-product of daily life, a surge, a fleeting moment, a gift. And those fleeting moments can be found in the most mundane and unremarkable tasks. Not least because that which you do on auto pilot gives you freedom to let your spirit roam.
Yes, happiness is a by-product, a gift. And our attitude and how we focus our energy and attention greatly increases the chances for those experiences to spring forth. The practice comes in paying attention, getting to know ourselves deeply, and in the choices we make every day.
Letting our spirits roam? If that isn’t sacred time, I don’t know what is. See Slipping Into Sacred Space and Are You Spending Enough Time Doing Nothing? Happiness is probably not related to spirituality for most people, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t for me. As usual, one size doesn’t fit all. Forget trying to fit everyone into the same mold and celebrate differences, I say. Yay, differences! Yay, happiness!
tammy’s post little bits of happiness is on the same subject. Yay, tammy!
January 20, 2015
Remarkable! Inspired by Tammy, I too have written on this subject!
Yep, awareness and gratitude is the key.
we are just one happy family! LOLOL!!!
i have always loved what abe lincoln said about it . . .
“most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”
i kind of agree with the president. i think it’s a choice for each person.
and maybe… fueled by gratitude …
and a love for beauty found everywhere… no matter where.
and a sense of humor. so MANY things make me laugh!
all combined do seem to make for a certain happiness in life.
at least for me they do.
remembering… an expert is merely a drip under pressure. LOLOL
Lincoln is always the first one who comes to mind. He read and shared humorous stories to keep his sanity during the Civil War. As we get older and older, we need it more and more!
As you know, gratitude is at the top of my list.
Beauty — well, the relatively clear skies and sunshine in winter here are towards the top of my list. But here in the apartment it’s often playing with the colors of oil pastels. I’ve just been luxuriating in how the grey pink and green grey (a gorgeous grey, doesn’t look green) of one brand interact. For me exploring with a beginner’s mind and a sense of wonder is a big one too.
Drip under pressure. Hmm. I can think of some people who think they’re experts on other people’s lives. Hmm. 😀
I agree that you can increase moments of happiness by the way you look at life and the way you react to situations, so to some extent it is indeed a practice. It’s easy to spot the people who make themselves miserable by constant moaning, and the happier ones who are more philosophical and take life as it comes.
Andy and I agreed a long time ago not to fall into the habit of always criticizing and complaining. We laugh a lot instead. It helps a lot to have a buddy.
Isn’t happiness being a byproduct of daily life pretty close to it being a practise?
I think we (in the West and so relatively well off and with a good deal of control) can do a lot to effect our own happiness.
I do think too it is gradually possible to have an elated calmness that flows along most of the time.
I agree. It’s a lot easier when you’re lucky the way we are.
It has NOT been a happy week here, this week!
On Monday I had made a date to help my elderly sister with on-line things but on the way over I felt dreadful, I knew what it was so I expected not to have many problems as I know this issue…but somehow the day didn’t go quite as planned, nice happening.
Tuesday I had to email the people I was supposed to pick up some art supplies from and I still felt diabolic but I had to go out and get some food stuffs (something I was going to take care of on the way home the day before). The people said they would drop by the next day with the supplies
Wednesday arvo that happened but about an hour later when I unpacked said supplies 50% of it was missing – that turned to grumpy +++ they said they would drop off the rest Thursday
I was out Thursday so I advised leave it on a shelf by door – they did so that’s resolved but then whilst I was out Thurs huge problem for me health wise (something new, not serious as it turned out) but I was a long way from home, like about 2 hours public transport…and I didn’t really know how to fix it other to trudge home, stopping for cool drinks/iceblocks here and there….disaster
(for those on f/book I semi-lied on the day, but until things went pear-shaped it was great – I just had abort the rest of the tripping)
Today, Friday recovered but not feeling crash hot and so when the woman from my craft guild came to collect stuff for auditor – I had to say “I’m sorry but this very morning I have destroyed one of the invoices inadvertently” – she understands but I was so grumpy from my whole week of woes I felt more dreadful
Also during the week, a strange letter from Waitemata Health Care about a referral, this morning I phoned to see what that was about – they have decided to cancel it but I still don’t know why my primary care doctor ordered it! I’m not going to ask her either because this whole “foot” thing is getting ridiculous…
I’m hoping that things will pick up next week…
Because the following week is the foot/ankle x-rays!
What a bummer! I do hope next week is a lot better.