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Greetings!
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"Happiness... is not a destination: it is a manner of traveling. Happiness is not an end in itself. It is a by-product of working, playing, loving and living."
Haim Ginott
"A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes."
Hugh Downs |
One of my favorite quotes is, "Happiness is not a destination; it is a manner of traveling." but after reading The Art of Power by Thich Nhat Hanh this quote has taken on a more significant meaning for me. In this inspirational book he relates the following Zen story:
One day the Buddha was sitting in the woods with some of his monks. They had finished eating their lunch in silence, and they were about to start a dharma discussion, when a farmer came running up to them. The farmer looked unhappy; "Monks, have you seen my cows going by here? The Buddha said, "No we haven't seen any cows come by here." The farmer said, "Monks, I am a very unhappy person. I have only twelve cows, and I don't know why, but this morning they all ran away. And that's not all. I have twenty acres of sesame plants and this year the insects have eaten everything. I think I'm going to die. How can I survive without my cows and my sesame seeds?" The Buddha looked at him with compassion and said, "Sorry, my friend, we haven't seen any cows passing this way. You might want to look for them in another direction." When the farmer had gone, the Buddha turned to his monks, looked at them deeply, smiled to them, and said, "Dear friends, do you know that you are luck people? You don't have cows to lose."
Looking deeply into the meaning of this story we can begin to understand the pathway to living a happy, peaceful life. If we perceive happiness as a destination then we will never be happy. The mirage of happiness will continue to elude us as we strive to achieve or acquire whatever we perceive as necessary for us to be happy. This is the concept of situational or conditional happiness that is so prevalent within our society. We are constantly conditioned to believe that if we have a nicer car, dress a certain way or acquire certain items then we will be happier. We are taught that in order to be truly happy we need to graduate from a good college, marry a wonderful person, live in a nice house, drive a new car and raise the perfect family. However, these are all conditions that we believe will make us happy and when we achieve all of these things goals, conditionally happy individuals will still find themselves searching for happiness. How many of us have stated or heard others state that, "I will be happy when...?" This thinking is what drives the belief in conditional happiness. Looking externally for happiness results in comparisons to others and judgment rather than acceptance and contentment.
Rather than falling into the trap of pursuing conditional, externally driven happiness I would like to encourage you to look for unconditional, internally driven happiness. True happiness is a way of living that is the result of; acceptance of who we are regardless of our strengths and weaknesses, an outpouring of love and respect for ourselves and those around us and a commitment to living fully in the present moment. Although it may sound challenging to mindfully and purposefully live by this means I can assure you that it is much easier and rewarding than chasing the mirage of conditional happiness. Don't wait for tomorrow to be happy. Start today by slowing down, counting your blessings, mindfully appreciating and growing your relationships and returning to living in the present moment. For this IS the only moment we can live in and the only place that true happiness can be enjoyed.
KAIZEN!!!!
Steven M. Erickson
© Copyright 2010 Steven M. Erickson.
All rights reserved. Ki Inspiring Thoughts.
The Center for Humane Living. |
| "You have just this one moment, and you can make a choice. You can chase your cravings, and perhaps to the outside world you will look powerful, but I can guarantee you will not find happiness. Or you can cultivate the five spiritual powers (faith, diligence, mindfulness, concentration and insight) and bring to yourself, your loved ones, your work environment, and your community the power of the bodhisattva. It is this path that can bring you real happiness. It is the only path that can transform the world."
Thich Nhat Hanh |
 Picture by Katie Erickson |
The Center for Humane Living is a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing the personal and spiritual growth of individuals through an innovative approach to martial arts education. Our vision is to inspire all people to live peaceful and compassionate lives.
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