A must read article on benefits of meditation. meditation
lesson learned
For the foreseeable future my blog updates will focus on lessons learned. I am practicing the art of reflection by determining what lesson the day taught me. Assumption is, life is full of lessons and the act of life long learning includes reflecting on daily events and finding the lesson of the day.
Today’s lesson was a reinforcement of a prior post on discipline. I took advantage of several otherwise wasted moments of time to write. In these few moments, two psycho-educational report were started. I managed to complete 3/4 of each report. It feels really good getting these reports started. Make the most of each moment.
Money and happiness
Yes, money makes us happy. It is necessary for survival and living is a happier state then dying. The problem is happiness is not money. Happiness is not pursued either, one often needs to stop and let happiness catch up. You see, most run from happiness believing they are running toward it. Truth is happiness will catch up when we stop of a while. Think about it.
focus is not denial
To say one must focus on the good things in life is not to say one must deny all that is bad. Nor ignor the wrong and bury one’s head in the sand. Focusing on the good is taking what is right and making the world a better place. For example, college requires study, endless hours of lecture, writing papers and exams. It provides a breath of knowledge and an oppertunitiy for one to become cognitively engaged in a subject. You see, if a college class is boring, it is the student’s fault for not becoming more engaged. The secret to happiness and mental health is cognitive engagement, not cognitive activity. One can be cognitive active and not care about the subject. One cannot be cognitive engaged without being invested. Get invested by focusing on the positive aspects; by finding the relevant parts and integrating them immediately into your life.
Discipline
Success takes discipline. There is no two ways about it. Just look at the most successful people you know.
Duty to be happy
What if the constitution read, we had the “duty to pursue happiness” instead of the “right to pursue happiness”? Don’t we owe it to our friends and family and the community at large to pursue happiness!? Make it so.
Success
It has been said that success is not they key to happiness but that happiness is the key to success.
Happiness
Look for the good. Life has enough bad to make us want to crawl under the bed. It also has enough good to make us want to jump out of bed each morning. You choose your focus.
Fake it. People often asks, “how are you?” When they do, use it as an oppertunity to express a high energy, excited, “excellent” or as I used to in the Marine Corps, “Outstanding.” My real estate agent always replays, “Another day in paradise!” Living in Palm Springs that is an appropriate reply and reminds others of the blessing they have just by where they live.
Consider the problem. If something has you worried, consider if it is fixable. If it is start working it. This will give a sense of control and hope. If it cannot be fixed, embrace it until you see the blessing. The blessing may be wisdom, sensitivity, tolerance, understanding, etc…
Back up…often things appear difficult because we are so close. Get perspective. Ask friends how they would feel or what they would do. See it through someone else’s eyes. Is it a real problem or a first world concern?
Ask, “will this really matter 10 years from now?”
Fairness vs justice
Fairness is lower level thinking. The idea that two totally different people must get the same treatment or item “to be fair” discount and lessens their individuality. However, giving the one who needs more help extra, and the one who needs less help the oppertunity to grow in self-confidence, is justice. Help as little as needed, anything more is a hinderance.
