The sensation of heaviness, doubt and in the same time find back to trust. Hope already returned, so I am hopeful to let go of these other ìtems` of unnecessary loads. Thank you!
This is a really tough question for me, and I’m finding myself relating this back to a book called “The Courage to be Disliked” where they speak about how we are in control of our own happiness.
The reflection strikes a chord with me right now as in my current life stage, the financial aspect is something I cannot let go of, but that is what is making me feel the most unhappy or restricted.
Perhaps a change of scenery or taking small steps to move to something else counts as working towards that freedom and happiness.
Sometimes, Letting go open doors unexpectedly and help us to think outside the box. May you experience peace and May the light shine brightly to lead you to the path you are intended to take.
I’ve let go of a lot of stuff. And I’m pretty free and happy. But when I get down to specifics, it’s all trade offs. I don’t think it’s anything that I’m holding onto, that is holding me back. It’s just the structure of the way things are. I’m trying to remain as free and happy as I can within this paradigm.
I think
that most of us
have to live within certain limits,
dear Charlie,
and those who don’t
i.e. the very rich,
live lives
that don’t often end well.
Keep on keepin’ on. ♥
I mentioned it earlier,
but I’ll mention it again . . .
”Searching for happiness
will not get me there.
Happiness is found along the way”,
and I will add,
“when I’m not looking”. ♥
I discovered this truth,
surprisingly enough,
during a very unhappy tine in my life.
I was sure
that happiness had eluded me forever
and felt doomed to a life of simple endurance,
like a horse wearing blinders,
tethered to a wheel
that went round and round and round
for all eternity,
with nothing to break the cycle.
I would rise each morning
with an inward sigh,
seeing that I was going to live another day
and that the day
would be one of plodding through,
one step in front of the other
until it was time to get into bed to sleep,
waking up in the morning
only to do it all over again.
One day,
while outside,
sitting listlessly
on a pile of unused lumber,
something caught my eye . . .
I looked
and saw the most beautiful creature
cleaning its face
not three feet away from me.
It was a praying mantis,
the brilliant colour of new,
green grass . . .
eyes,
curious orbs,
and feathered legs
that tended diligently to its toilette,
just like a cat–
with not a care in the world.
That moment
planted itself in my misery-sodden brain
as a jewel of happiness
that warmed my heart
and lifted my spirits.
I have carried this image with me
all these years,
and always know
that happiness will find me again.
Those few moments
on that day
taught me to let go of anticipation,
and yes,
even hope,
for happiness
has a way of finding me
when I least expect it.
We had intense thunder storms last night that were so loud I got no sleep but give thanks that they caused no damage. I’m too tired to ponder today’s question so I will let it go and not judge myself for doing so! I plan on taking a much needed nap!
My body feels like an obstacle to my happiness – it is aging, hurts, can’t do what it used to do and a new complication seems to arise almost every day. But I can’t let go of my body, at least not yet. Caring for it seems like a full time job. Perhaps it’s not so much a matter of letting go of my body, as it is accepting or embracing and loving the body I now have, and discovering happiness with that.
It’s taken me a few years,
dear Katrina,
to come to terms with the changes.
And yes,
it does hurt.
Now
I move at a slower pace,
do what I can,
take a break,
and do more . . .
what gets done gets done.
What doesn’t
can wait for another day.
I’m doing the best I can,
and you are too. ♥
The aging process. I get it. Acceptance that I need to stop and rest my form more often during my daily labors, has allowed me to practice observing the world in standing meditation, Katrina. I am grateful for the refreshed rest.
I also like some other comments, would love to let go of the idea of my body looking a certain way. But it is so hard, I try to instead love myself as I am and try to make the improvements I want at the same time. But giving myself grace and being gentle about how I think of my body is so difficult.
Willing and able are different stages. I want to let go of the idea that my body should look a certain way. I know this is rooted in society’s conditioning and the work of many, many people seeking to sell me something. Knowing that doesn’t make those roots any easier to pull up. Willing, sporadically able.
I recognize that I am a highly sensitive individual. As a result, it can be difficult for me to remain calm when I encounter words that are hurtful. I do not wish to suppress strong emotions, but rather to view them as opportunities to practice forgiveness and to avoid dwelling on them for extended periods.
My Ngoc, I’ve heard an old saying that “Sticks and stones will break my bones but names won’t.” That’s back in the days of basic needs where lack of food and shelter was the real bully. We’re winll past that point. Emotional support is more important than people like to realize. Words carry weight.
Attachments. I feel like I’ve been working on this since I left my ex, but it’s more focused these days and has been coming up a lot for me lately.
One of my students gave me a book to read, and it’s related to all of this – The Surrender Experiment by Michael Singer. I’ve been reading it on the beach, and it’s really good. It’s a true story about Mickey Singer’s journey to live in the flow of life, using meditation to quiet the ego voice that distracts us from the flow. I’m only about 60 pages in, but it’s a great read!
“Surrender isn’t a sacrifice of the known, but rather a celebration of the infinite.
— Nipun Mehta
“Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness. If, in our heart, we still cling to anything—anger, anxiety, or possessions—we cannot be free,”
—Thich Nhat Hanh, The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation.
Sunnypatti, I can say the same for myself except that it’s rooted in my competitive fire. As I talked about my flu-game method before, I used that to push my root people away from babying me. The dark side is that it becomes a habit of going alone and not needing people. After all, we’re all god’s children. God creating the people who he knows are best on our journey aligns with the notion that we’ll always be a baby to our elders. As mentioned yesterday on my answer, I’ve proven myself time and time before too. All and all, getting past my flu-game methods that worked for awhile last year has surprisingly been beneficial for me this year beyond my imagination. I’m also improving on trusting my root people too.
Happiness. ‘Happiness is the absence of striving for happiness.’ Lao Tzu. The society in which we live tell the populace constantly, if you buy this, drive that, eat this, drink that, wear this, watch that, go here, go there, that happiness will follow. I am not buying the narrative. I let go. I let be. I let happiness come in the form of a little blue bird, a floating feather, a shiny stone, an Indian paint brush blossom beside the irrigation ditch. Much happiness is available if I just let go. Peace, Love & Light.
‘Happiness is the absence of striving for happiness.’
This has been a long time mantra for me,
dear Joseph . . .
searching for happiness
will not get me there.
Happiness is found along the way.
I had a conversation once,
many years ago,
with someone who couldn’t believe
that happiness was not my goal in life . . .
he didn’t see how a person could live like that,
but the conversation
gave him something to think about.
Thank you
for this very wise piece of wisdom,
mi amigo. ♥
What a timely question. This weekend I started the process with f leaving a relationship. It is going to be a long process and a hard one. I expected an instant release of peace, instead I found myself with sadness, guilt and doubt. But not regret.
I just read everyone’s answers from the May 17 question and all of you helped me. Thank you I started feeling a little grounded.
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The sensation of heaviness, doubt and in the same time find back to trust. Hope already returned, so I am hopeful to let go of these other ìtems` of unnecessary loads. Thank you!
This is a really tough question for me, and I’m finding myself relating this back to a book called “The Courage to be Disliked” where they speak about how we are in control of our own happiness.
The reflection strikes a chord with me right now as in my current life stage, the financial aspect is something I cannot let go of, but that is what is making me feel the most unhappy or restricted.
Perhaps a change of scenery or taking small steps to move to something else counts as working towards that freedom and happiness.
Sometimes, Letting go open doors unexpectedly and help us to think outside the box. May you experience peace and May the light shine brightly to lead you to the path you are intended to take.
I’ve let go of a lot of stuff. And I’m pretty free and happy. But when I get down to specifics, it’s all trade offs. I don’t think it’s anything that I’m holding onto, that is holding me back. It’s just the structure of the way things are. I’m trying to remain as free and happy as I can within this paradigm.
I think
that most of us
have to live within certain limits,
dear Charlie,
and those who don’t
i.e. the very rich,
live lives
that don’t often end well.
Keep on keepin’ on. ♥
I mentioned it earlier,
but I’ll mention it again . . .
”Searching for happiness
will not get me there.
Happiness is found along the way”,
and I will add,
“when I’m not looking”. ♥
I discovered this truth,
surprisingly enough,
during a very unhappy tine in my life.
I was sure
that happiness had eluded me forever
and felt doomed to a life of simple endurance,
like a horse wearing blinders,
tethered to a wheel
that went round and round and round
for all eternity,
with nothing to break the cycle.
I would rise each morning
with an inward sigh,
seeing that I was going to live another day
and that the day
would be one of plodding through,
one step in front of the other
until it was time to get into bed to sleep,
waking up in the morning
only to do it all over again.
One day,
while outside,
sitting listlessly
on a pile of unused lumber,
something caught my eye . . .
I looked
and saw the most beautiful creature
cleaning its face
not three feet away from me.
It was a praying mantis,
the brilliant colour of new,
green grass . . .
eyes,
curious orbs,
and feathered legs
that tended diligently to its toilette,
just like a cat–
with not a care in the world.
That moment
planted itself in my misery-sodden brain
as a jewel of happiness
that warmed my heart
and lifted my spirits.
I have carried this image with me
all these years,
and always know
that happiness will find me again.
Those few moments
on that day
taught me to let go of anticipation,
and yes,
even hope,
for happiness
has a way of finding me
when I least expect it.
I miss seeing praying mantis, have never seen one in Florida.
I rarely see them here,
dear Michele,
but when I do,
I always know it is a gift. ♥
The swallows and humming birds are back!
. . . more happiness
flooding in,
dear Joseph.
Wrens and robins
and the rare blue bird. ♥
We had intense thunder storms last night that were so loud I got no sleep but give thanks that they caused no damage. I’m too tired to ponder today’s question so I will let it go and not judge myself for doing so! I plan on taking a much needed nap!
My body feels like an obstacle to my happiness – it is aging, hurts, can’t do what it used to do and a new complication seems to arise almost every day. But I can’t let go of my body, at least not yet. Caring for it seems like a full time job. Perhaps it’s not so much a matter of letting go of my body, as it is accepting or embracing and loving the body I now have, and discovering happiness with that.
Yes, this is hard.
It’s taken me a few years,
dear Katrina,
to come to terms with the changes.
And yes,
it does hurt.
Now
I move at a slower pace,
do what I can,
take a break,
and do more . . .
what gets done gets done.
What doesn’t
can wait for another day.
I’m doing the best I can,
and you are too. ♥
The aging process. I get it. Acceptance that I need to stop and rest my form more often during my daily labors, has allowed me to practice observing the world in standing meditation, Katrina. I am grateful for the refreshed rest.
I also like some other comments, would love to let go of the idea of my body looking a certain way. But it is so hard, I try to instead love myself as I am and try to make the improvements I want at the same time. But giving myself grace and being gentle about how I think of my body is so difficult.
Willing and able are different stages. I want to let go of the idea that my body should look a certain way. I know this is rooted in society’s conditioning and the work of many, many people seeking to sell me something. Knowing that doesn’t make those roots any easier to pull up. Willing, sporadically able.
I recognize that I am a highly sensitive individual. As a result, it can be difficult for me to remain calm when I encounter words that are hurtful. I do not wish to suppress strong emotions, but rather to view them as opportunities to practice forgiveness and to avoid dwelling on them for extended periods.
My Ngoc, I’ve heard an old saying that “Sticks and stones will break my bones but names won’t.” That’s back in the days of basic needs where lack of food and shelter was the real bully. We’re winll past that point. Emotional support is more important than people like to realize. Words carry weight.
I can let go of my ego. The details have been mentioned in my comment to Sunnypatti.
Attachments. I feel like I’ve been working on this since I left my ex, but it’s more focused these days and has been coming up a lot for me lately.
One of my students gave me a book to read, and it’s related to all of this – The Surrender Experiment by Michael Singer. I’ve been reading it on the beach, and it’s really good. It’s a true story about Mickey Singer’s journey to live in the flow of life, using meditation to quiet the ego voice that distracts us from the flow. I’m only about 60 pages in, but it’s a great read!
“Surrender isn’t a sacrifice of the known, but rather a celebration of the infinite.
— Nipun Mehta
“Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness. If, in our heart, we still cling to anything—anger, anxiety, or possessions—we cannot be free,”
—Thich Nhat Hanh, The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation.
Sunnypatti, I can say the same for myself except that it’s rooted in my competitive fire. As I talked about my flu-game method before, I used that to push my root people away from babying me. The dark side is that it becomes a habit of going alone and not needing people. After all, we’re all god’s children. God creating the people who he knows are best on our journey aligns with the notion that we’ll always be a baby to our elders. As mentioned yesterday on my answer, I’ve proven myself time and time before too. All and all, getting past my flu-game methods that worked for awhile last year has surprisingly been beneficial for me this year beyond my imagination. I’m also improving on trusting my root people too.
It has become so clear to me that my happiness/freedom is not dependent on others’ decisions, responses, choices. It is dependent on me. 🌸
Past trauma, future tripping. Focus on the present.
Happiness. ‘Happiness is the absence of striving for happiness.’ Lao Tzu. The society in which we live tell the populace constantly, if you buy this, drive that, eat this, drink that, wear this, watch that, go here, go there, that happiness will follow. I am not buying the narrative. I let go. I let be. I let happiness come in the form of a little blue bird, a floating feather, a shiny stone, an Indian paint brush blossom beside the irrigation ditch. Much happiness is available if I just let go. Peace, Love & Light.
‘Happiness is the absence of striving for happiness.’
This has been a long time mantra for me,
dear Joseph . . .
searching for happiness
will not get me there.
Happiness is found along the way.
I had a conversation once,
many years ago,
with someone who couldn’t believe
that happiness was not my goal in life . . .
he didn’t see how a person could live like that,
but the conversation
gave him something to think about.
Thank you
for this very wise piece of wisdom,
mi amigo. ♥
What a profound insight, Joseph. Striving for happiness gets in the way of experiencing happiness.
What a timely question. This weekend I started the process with f leaving a relationship. It is going to be a long process and a hard one. I expected an instant release of peace, instead I found myself with sadness, guilt and doubt. But not regret.
I just read everyone’s answers from the May 17 question and all of you helped me. Thank you I started feeling a little grounded.
As rough as these life moments are, there is the opportunity for growth. Hoping you find some solace soon.
I am with you too, dear Deann, and will hold you in my prayers. May peace return quickly.
I absolutely relate. Leaving isn’t easy but when it’s time, it’s time.
My heart is with you,
dear Deann . . . ♥
Befriend yourself and be tender with yourself, Deann. You are a strong woman.🌸
Best wishes through this process, Deann. It isn’t easy, but you will find your peace 🙏🏼
❤️