"Health is the greatest possession. Contentment is the greatest treasure. Confidence is the greatest friend. Non-being is the greatest joy." - Lao Tzu-
Contentment is not a highly esteemed virtue in the world around me. I am afraid to be content. I don't have much experience with it and i fear i am missing out on pleasures unknown when i choose to stop chasing after the "next".
I constantly hear a voice inside my head that says "more"!! "If you want happiness you must find more...more of everything." However, i am learning that lasting happiness is found the opposite way. It is recognizing that all external influences are processed and given value internally. We are essentially defining happiness with our beliefs. We define our entire world by what we believe. Lasting happiness isn't found its created!! I notice i am most discontent when i look outside of myself for happiness or when i attempt to peer too far into the future. The farther i get away from the "now" the greater my discontent. I become frantic but not even sure why. Then i slow down, i sit for a minute with the frantic feeling, i try to trace it to its origin and usually end up at the same places....either i borrowed others ideas on happiness, i expected it to come from outside of me, or i got lost in the future. By no means is this the origin entirely... this is usually how far back i need to go to realize i can change my feelings. I no longer feel like i have to just live with feelings i don't enjoy. Its up to me to create the ones i prefer.
Contentment is not a highly esteemed virtue in the world around me. I am afraid to be content. I don't have much experience with it and i fear i am missing out on pleasures unknown when i choose to stop chasing after the "next".
I constantly hear a voice inside my head that says "more"!! "If you want happiness you must find more...more of everything." However, i am learning that lasting happiness is found the opposite way. It is recognizing that all external influences are processed and given value internally. We are essentially defining happiness with our beliefs. We define our entire world by what we believe. Lasting happiness isn't found its created!! I notice i am most discontent when i look outside of myself for happiness or when i attempt to peer too far into the future. The farther i get away from the "now" the greater my discontent. I become frantic but not even sure why. Then i slow down, i sit for a minute with the frantic feeling, i try to trace it to its origin and usually end up at the same places....either i borrowed others ideas on happiness, i expected it to come from outside of me, or i got lost in the future. By no means is this the origin entirely... this is usually how far back i need to go to realize i can change my feelings. I no longer feel like i have to just live with feelings i don't enjoy. Its up to me to create the ones i prefer.
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