Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Happiness And Joy In Daily Living

I have not been as positive lately as I try to be. The enemy of a positive attitude and enthusiasm for life is fatigue. I am not talking about a fatigue caused by a lack of sleep. I am talking about a fatigue that is caused by dissipation. It is the fatigue of a mind going in too many directions. In order to have a zest for living one must have enthusiasm for life that can only be maintained by a mind in harmony with itself. It is difficult to be enthusiastic if you are burning the candle at both ends and living in a mental fog exacerbated by a divided and dissipated mind. Today I am challenging myself and all of you to renew your quest for happiness and joy in your daily living. This happiness and joy can be found not only in pleasurable activities but in your other daily tasks including those in the workplace. I challenge you to strive for the "one mind" that is focused on the moment and the task at hand. Too many tasks at the same moment and you have a divided mind. The Buddha says that life is suffering. This sounds incredibly negative and pessimistic but it isn't. I think what the Buddha is telling us is that life is difficult and hard at times. I think this every time my alarm clock goes off on a workday and I must rise from my bed. I think this every time I have a chore to perform that I don't want to do. I think this every time my will must bow to the will of another. We all go through this and all of our lives have some difficulty, suffering, and challenge. No one is free from pain whether it is emotional or physical. In spite of life's struggles, pain, suffering, and challenges, we are still capable of happiness and joy. Whatever is going on around us, and even to us, we can still maintain an inner calmness and peace by striving for the "one mind" where we remain focused on the moment and the task. Admittedly, this is not always easy and it requires some effort. Much of what goes on in the world will not support you in this effort. Life will pull at you from every direction. With enough practice and perseverance you can resist these attempts to pull you from your center. The more you are centered and have "one mind", the better you will see the opportunities in the moments of your life for happiness and joyful living.

2 comments:

Greenwoman said...

Thanks for sharing. I've been there many times...

Michael Brown said...

Good evening, greenwoman!