Happiness = What Happens?
Our happiness does not have to depend on what happens. What happens is the most unstable thing in the world. If we’re waiting for something to happen to be happy, we’re giving our power and the result of our emotional state to someone or something else.
For instance, if it needs to be sunny out for me to be happy or if my neighbor needs to call me back, or if friends have to act a certain way for me to be happy, I’m looking externally for contentment. This is tough because we don’t have control over those things. We don’t know if the neighbor’s going to call back. The neighbor may not think he needs to call back, or he may not even like me.
A strategy for being happier is to be sure that our happiness is independent of what happens outside of us. The stock market can be up or it can be down. The weather can be favorable or miserable.
If we learn to be happy (or at least neutral) during the unpredictability of life, it can save us from some of the energy drain of negative emotions. There are Taoist practices for staying rooted like a tree, maintaining perfect inner weather, and staying centered while experiencing swings in emotions. Learn more about these practices in:
The Alchemist’s Tao Te Ching:
Transforming Your Lead Into Gold
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