Happiness is a discipline

            There is much discussion about happiness these days-perhaps because so few of us actually experience joy in our everyday lives. There is much destruction and horror in our world-that cannot be denied, but as individuals, we have to keep our minds clear and present to be up to the challenge of living, breathing and enjoying our individual lives. In this way, collectively we can influence most what is happening day by day- to ourselves, to our families and friends, communities and finally reaching out in concentric circles-to the world at large. By developing happiness or joy in our lives, we can cultivate the ground work for the great changes that are coming.

We often think that happiness is a reward, when all our work is done, or when we are “good”, when we deserve or earn it somehow. This is partially correct-certainly happiness is not handed to us on a silver platter for us to consume, as told to us by the myth of consumerism. Buy this product and you will be happy! I just flipped over to a music station to listen to mediation music while I was typing and had to listen to an ad first “Which of you offers the biggest retractable panoramic roof” asks a handsome young man sitting beside a pretty young woman, with an expectant smile on his face.  The world ever present showed me a perfect example of this myth even as I write about it!

Addiction is increasing in our societies and communities as our natural connection to inner wisdom diminishes. These addictions can be to obvious things like drugs and alcohol, or to more subtle things like actions, beliefs or relationships. The deception is the mythy that we can control our happiness by manipulating outside things. I call this the Great Lie! The only control we have over our own happiness is through the cultivation, here and now- of mindfulness. This is much harder work than buying a retractable car roof or taking a tablet. As Joko Beck the Zen abbotess notes about meditation-it’s hard to be present, but it’s harder not to be.

Happiness is not something that “happens” when nothing else is irritating you or getting in the way. Happiness isn’t something that falls from the sky when your life has reached a kind of perfection-when your problems are solved or THAT person is out of the way or this substance is consumed perfectly or when that action is done extremely well. It is an intentional cultivation of inner wisdom, noticing inner and outwardly. 

Just noticing.

World Metaphoric therapy is learning to connect inner experience with outer world-seeing inside outside. For more information contact Julia at info@longboatcounselling.com

Try This!

1.     Commit to developing the discipline of developing happiness every day, even if for only 5 minutes.

2.     During this time, sit with your back straight and your limbs, arms and legs uncrossed. This allows energy to travel up and down your spine unimpeded. Bring into your awareness a sense of calm abiding, wellbeing, happiness. This may through a memory, a scent, visualization, music. Everyone opens the door to happiness in their own way.

3.     Expand this sense of happiness into all parts of your body; visualize it flooding all parts of your body with light, warmth, a sensation of belonging and coming home to your own soul.

4.     Now bring this awareness to the outside world, notice something beautiful in your world, a bird song, a plant close by, the warmth of the room where you are sitting. In this way you bring blessing to yourself and your world.

5.     Return slowly to everyday consciousness, notice how you feel differently now. Intend to carry this renewed connection to soul with you for the rest of the day.