What Activities Bring Happiness?

There are lots of things that we do that bring us pleasure: Sex, eating, watching TV, shopping, drinking, etc. But pleasure is fleeting; when the activity ends so does the pleasure.

“Spending our time doing what we please may bring momentary pleasure, but it will not bring us true and lasting joy. We cannot become great artists or great actors of life-we cannot become great human beings. Literature, music and drama are all to be found in our activities for faith-in our prayers, our challenges to develop ourselves through (religious) activities and our efforts to educate others. All value is encompassed in these activities. This is the profound realm of Buddhism.” Daisaku Ikeda, President, SGI.

On the other hand if we engage in noble activities such as helping others, pursuing the humanities, or creating a greater good then we are filled with an inextinguishable happiness. True happiness comes when we better ourselves or the lives of others. There is satisfaction in the things that make us and others happy.

How Do You Keep Your Life In Balance?

Work, school, family, relationships, kids’ soccer, dance class, gym workouts, traffic jams, taxes, church, etc., etc. –how to you find balance with so much on your plate?

“The conservation of energy depends upon getting your personality speed synchronized with the rate of God’s movement. God is in you. If you are going at one rate and God at another, you are tearing yourself apart.” Norman Vincent Peale.

Life often pulls us in many directions. We have responsibilities that need to be fulfilled. We have others to care for, who depend on us. We plan a vacation but then an emergency arises and we have to use our vacation fund to take care of the emergency.

With so many outside forces it’s hard to concentrate on what’s really important in our lives: Our own happiness and peace of mind. We lose track of what truly makes us happy. We don’t set aside time to find a few moments of peace inside ourselves. Instead we just concentrate on reducing stress a little—if we buy the kids the video game they want then maybe they’ll behave for a while; if we allow our spouse to buy that big screen TV or new dress then maybe they’ll show us more affection and love; if we work late maybe our boss will give us a raise.

True happiness doesn’t come from the outside, it’s generated from within. People can lose everything in a fire but still radiate happiness from within. Happiness is the state of being content, satisfied, and at ease. When truly happy you don’t suffer from want; though material goods can bring you momentary pleasure they can’t really make you truly happy.

To find balance in your life remember the Rule of Divinity: Everything is One and One is the greatest power. As Norman Vincent Peale says above, synchronize with this power of the One.

Each day take a few quiet moments to find happiness and peace inside yourself. By doing so you will find balance and learn what’s really important in life.

Is It Spring Yet?

Is it Spring yet? That might be a question asked by people still suffering cold weather. I’m lucky because I live in Hawaii where it’s sunny and warm most of the time. That’s not to say that we don’t have our share of inclement weather—a few years ago it rained for 41 days straight!

“The coldest winter I ever spent was summer in San Francisco.” Mark Twain.

We do get the occasional hurricane in Hawaii—the last one was over 20 years ago. And we do get snow in Hawaii! On the slopes of the Mauna Kea Volcano which stands at over 13,000 feet.  Just a couple years ago all 50 of the United States had snow.

While the weather in Hawaii might seem unseasonably warm to those visitors who come from snow covered vistas, you will see many locals wearing jackets and sweatshirts with their shorts and flip flops. I joke with my friends in cold weather places that it’s so cold in Hawaii that I had to turn down the air conditioning; that it’s so cold that I had to close the windows part way; that it’s so cold that I had to wear long pants.

Everything is relative, though. I’ve been to places where it was below freezing and people were wearing nothing but t-shirts. While anything under 72⁰ F is cold for me!

And so it is with life. As the old saying goes, everything looks greener on the other side of the fence. If you have an office job, an outside job looks for appealing. If you’re married, single people seem to have it better. If you live in Hawaii, you miss the snow. Okay, maybe the last one doesn’t apply.

There are those who are perpetually dissatisfied, no matter what side of the fence they’re on. The trick is to find happiness and enthusiasm where you are right now no matter what. Happiness and enthusiasm are emotions generated from within, independent of outside forces.

If you want to be happy and have passion for your life then follow this exercise called the Value Suns, based on the Six Values of a Coherent Life.

1. Sit in a comfortable, quiet place.
2. Place one hand in your lap, palm up.
3. While looking at the palm of your hand imagine a small sun, a ball of fire.
4.  You are in control of this sun; you can change its size and shape, making it bigger, smaller, longer, or higher.
5. As you look at this little sun feel the emotion of the value you wish to create in your life.
6. Concentrate of the feeling for a few moments.

Each sun has a different color for each of the Six Values:

• Internal Assurance (confidence) = White
•  Eternal Ecstasy (happiness) = Orange
• Indissoluble Love = Yellow
• Armored Tranquility (peace) = Green
• Fervid Enthusiasm = Red
•  Profound Abundance = Sky Blue

By practicing viewing these suns and experiencing the associated emotions, you will no longer be dependent on outside forces to live the Six Values.

How Do You Enjoy Life?

What would you do if you had no restrictions, no responsibilities, no limits? If you had all the money in the world and all the time, what would you be doing right now? By answering these questions you can find what you’re passionate about.

“Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.” Oprah Winfrey.

The problem is that we don’t have all the time and money in the world. We have jobs, family, and other obligations. We might be struggling financially so that finding the money to do something extra is out of the question.

But there are ways that we can follow our passions to a lesser degree. For example, if your passion is to travel then travel to places within your own community that you haven’t been before; meet new people, try new restaurants, shop at new stores. Or you can read about the places you want to travel to, watch videos about those places, and daydream of being there.

No, it’s not the same as travelling there, but it engages the passion part of your brain. Numerous scientific studies have found that imagining doing something has the same effect as actually doing that thing. Imagining, daydreaming, and pretending help us to engage the passion part of our brain and by doing so we increase our passion for other parts of our lives.

By having passion for other parts of our lives, say for a job that we really don’t want to be at, we gain a new lease on life. Our passion infiltrates ourselves, affecting every fiber of our being. We become excited about all areas of our lives. Just like when we were kids, once again we have passion for living!

So even though you can’t be doing anything you want any time you want, at least pursue your passion to the degree that you can. Imagine and daydream. Let the passion inside you manifest itself in other areas of your life. Then once again you will be enjoying life!

What’s The True Meaning of Easter and Passover?

It’s no coincidence that Easter, Passover, and Spring all happen at the same time of year; all involve re-birth. The word “Easter” is believed to be derived from the name of the Anglo-Saxon goddess of the dawn (i.e., Spring), Eostre. Easter celebrates the re-birth of Jesus. Passover celebrates the Jews liberation from Egypt and their re-birth as a free people. And of course Spring is the re-birth of nature.

“The joyful news that He is risen does not change the contemporary world. Still before us lie work, discipline, sacrifice. But the fact of Easter gives us the spiritual power to do the work, accept the discipline, and make the sacrifice.” - Henry Knox Sherrill, Episcopal clergyman.

As humans we are in a constant state of physical re-birth. The cells in our bodies are constantly dividing, regenerating, and dying. The cells lining the stomach, because they’re exposed to acid, replace themselves about every five days. Cells in the epidermis last about a week. Red blood cells live for about four months in the body, while other cells can take up to seven years to regenerate—so we can say that we are completely “reborn” every seven years!

New Year’s is the traditional time when we make resolutions, or new determinations to better ourselves; to make over our lives, to be reborn as a better person. Many of us do this on a regular basis by setting goals. It is human nature to try and better ourselves.

Many of us are reborn spiritually on a daily basis by practicing meditation or mindfulness. The simple act of sitting still and peacefully allows our spirits to regenerate and recharge.

No matter what this time of year means to you or how you observe it, take time to enjoy the new sprouting buds of Spring flowers. “Stop and smell the roses,” as the old saying goes. Re-energize your mind, body, and spirit by sitting peacefully, taking a warm bath, or going for a walk in nature. Make new determinations and set new goals—never cease becoming a better you!

What is the purpose of life?

At no other time in history have we had the luxury of so much leisure time as we have today. In primitive times most of all our waking hours was devoted to survival: Foraging for food and water, hunting, and battling the elements. Today we have lots of free time which gives us many options: We can socialize with friends and family, we participate in sports, we can watch TV, we can go to the movies, we can go shopping—the possibilities are endless.

This plethora of free time has also allowed us to contemplate life and work on bettering ourselves and the world around us.

“I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand. Henceforth will I apply ALL my efforts to become the highest mountain of all and I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy.” Og Mandino.

At this point in history we now have the time and money to pursue the greater questions of purpose. We can ask the big questions of how to better ourselves, how to better our world, how to create peace and end war, how to cure cancer and disease—there are so many good things that we can now concentrate on.

Well, one good thing you’re doing right now with your free time (or maybe you’re doing this at work) is improving your mind and life by reading this blog. What else do you plan on doing? What is your purpose in life? Do you need a purpose or are you fine without one?

As we open our minds and pursue the bigger questions of life we are evolving not just our own selves, but the rest of humanity to come. Future humankind will be smarter, wiser, and more mindful because of the steps we take today to better ourselves, our world, and our souls.

Why Does Life Have To Be So Hard?

Sometimes it seems as if life is so hard and that there is no end in sight to these hard times. Just as we are overcoming one struggle, another hardship befalls us.

“What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.” Ralph Waldo Emerson.

As humans we have very short memories and suffer from “cognitive bias,” that is we perceive things in the very narrow timeframe of the most recent events. Though we may be experiencing difficulties in the present, we are unable to frame these hard times in the larger picture of our lives. Even though the majority of our lives have been good, recent setbacks have colored our perceptions to see life as “hard.”

But past victories and good times are of little consequence when we are struggling with no end in sight.

“The struggle we go through to have our prayers answered makes us stronger. If we were to immediately get everything we prayed for, we would become spoiled and decadent. We would lead indolent lives, devoid of any hard work or struggle. As a result, we would become shallow human beings. What, then, would be the point of faith?” Daisaku Ikeda, President of the Soka Gakkai International.

We need faith, hope, and optimism to help us through these hard times. Look at your past victories and you will know that you will overcome your current difficulties, too. Look at all of human history and you will see examples of those who have overcome much more dire circumstances; you have the same ability.

And whatever your troubles, you can find a moment to sit and be mindful, to empty your mind of worries and anxieties. Even a few seconds of peace of mind will give you new perspective and reinvigorate you to deal with the problems at hand.

Never give up because life offers so many rewards: Happy times with friends and family; the enjoyment of a hike through the woods, a spectacular sunrise, the tranquility of the still waters of a lake; the pride of accomplishment, of overcoming difficulties. Hardships are a part of life, but they are not life itself.