Part 2 - How can we turn happiness into an asset?

Is it right or wrong about what one person determines as happiness?

I choose the one in the middle. Let me explain why.

No!

What you must remember however is that happiness like all emotions, does not last long. Gary Cox put it best in his seminar, "Feelings are like spray paint on rust, it doesn't last long."

If you have ever read any books on meditation it will tell you that thoughts float like clouds they come and go. They never stay. Same goes for emotions, you cannot hold your happiness or anger or sadness for very long periods of time. Experience and external influence will change your emotional state.

Keeping this in mind, you and I certainly think about happiness differently, and we expereince it differently.  What we do have in common is that neither of us can hold onto happiness for too long. It can come as a burst and it can distinguish after sometime.

Let's do a short meditation to prove my point, and we will get back on track afterwards.

After reading this next paragraph close your eyes and follow my simple instructions. You do not need to sit cross legged with your thumb and index finger touching. Just simply close your eyes for 2 minutes.

The beauty about happiness is that you can unlock it within you if you choose too at any moment and time. I want you to think back to your fondest memory, it can be an early childhood memory, or something that has happened recently. I want you to think of the time when you had your best laugh, it could have been with a friend or a stranger. The moment you laughed so much, how did you feel? Where was it? What surrounding where near you? Were you in a different country or city. What did you hear? Was it near a beach or ocean, or the city noise? Was it in a restaurant or club? Did someone say a joke to you? Don't think of the details too much, I will explain why after this paragraph. Just simply think of the time you had a great laugh. Ok go ahead close your eyes and follow the instructions. You can set a timer or just go as long as you can.

Now that you have done this short meditation, you can open your eyes. 

How do you feel right now? If you followed my instructions, you should feel a bit better than you felt before completing this exercise. If you didn't do the exercise I encourage you to go back and do it. If you don't have time too, well you are going to finish reading this post I hope, so why not spend an extra 2 minutes, what have you got to lose?

As you continue reading this post this happiness will slowly crawl away like a turtle inching through the sand on a beach, back to the sea.

Going back to why I said about not overthinking the details. Too much or too little detail can skew the perception for a person. Firstly when meditating you do not want to forcefully think about details. Instead you want to gently let those thoughts come and go. Secondly details help us overestimate and underestimate the happiness.

Do you notice when you have too much variety that you tend to be less happy about your choice? I know I do. For example I went to BestBuy an electronics store to buy a usb stick. There was at least 21 different options to choose from. The worst besides spending time finding the right one, is after the fact thinking about what if the other options were better. Now I am sure this has happened to you before too.

Do rich people live happier lives than broke people? Does this mean that broke people are not happy?

I have a few friends who are financially free, yet they are in constant pursuit of happiness, why is that? I believe you know the answer to this.

So happiness hey?

Are you happy after reading this post? That is not a trick question. Really how can you determine if you are happy, not so happy, or really happy. The thing is that sometimes you are wrong about your feelings. You may think you are happy when really you could be just content, or thrilled.

How can this be that we have a hard time determining our own emotions?

Well it is because we lack the understanding of it.

Let me wrap this up by saying that as we grow old we are conditioned by society to accept what happiness should be. Sitting in a crowded place, if one person starts smiling or laughing you began to join in. At this point it is almost uncontrollable.

Age does not affect your happiness. Although you would have had a great deal of experiences.

Now I am not telling you to walk around and just be jolly and happy all the time. Just be mindful of the times you are. Happiness is a choice just like anything else we do.

What you choose to do with this information is up to you.

To be continued....

(Also posted in KarasinTII.com)