Table of Contents
A Sacred Journey VLOG
The Wisdom of Pleasure & Happiness
You’re only here for a short visit. Don’t hurry, don’t worry. And be sure to smell the flowers along the way.
Walter Hagen
3 Rules for Happiness!
Can there only be three rules? I don’t really know the answer to this. Author and psychologist Jordan Peterson boiled it down to 12 rules, and of course we cannot forget the 10 commandments, but in a way, I like how Jesus simplified it to one:
34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
John 13: 34-35
The more simplistic the rule set, the better. And no, I am not trying to recreate the wheel here, for I believe that the wheel itself is perfect just as it is. After thousands of years, do we really need to complicate perfection? Let us just look at Mr. Hagen’s statement above and try and find unity in love as it relates to the command given by Jesus.
Rule #1 for Happiness: Dont Hurry
As a young man, I had the opportunity to go to Florida. Coming from California, I was always amazed by the speed of life, everything passing at you at the speed of light, but really to what end? As I was driving the Florida highway, I was amazed by how fast I was driving. I was in the left lane and flying past cars. I thought I had to be doing 90 mph, but when I checked my speed, I realized I was doing 75.
Now in California, this speed is often reserved for the right lane. While this slight curiosity went to the back of my mind, something of a miracle happened that day. It may me reflect on why we move at such a hurried pace. We conquer, move on, move from place to place, and herded at warp speed, but is this what the meaning of happiness is? I couldn’t really come to grasp with this, as I reflected on where I had been versus where I was going. A question came to my mind at that moment, where am I going, and why is it so imperative to get there in such a hurried pace. If the citizens of Florida could relax for a minute, couldn’t I also relax and enjoy the journey instead of trying to conquer the destination.
Hurried nature creates tension. If you look at it from the perspective of love, it creates in inability to enjoy one’s happiness in the moment. What’s next? I don’t know, but if you ask yourself that, you just negated the happiness present in this moment, and that’s where love can flourish.
Rule #2: Don’t Worry, Be Happy
I loved Bobby McFarland’s song. Especially the video that featured the late Robin Williams. He was such a brilliant man. Yet, like many, he battled a mental illness. In the end, his very public battle with manic depression was the catalyst for his final act of taking his own life. Yet this need not have been the case.
Worry is only temporary. If you find yourself in the dark place of depression, or battle with the grasp of anxiety, or have temporary or longer-lasting symptoms of other mental illnesses, there is help. You may not even know the symptoms, but in taking a first step to talk with your doctor or other qualified mental health professional, you engage in the first step to regaining a grounded footing for your life.
No problem is permanent. Emotions are within themselves only a temporary phenomenon. If you or a loved one are in crisis, you can call or text the National Suicide Lifeline at 988. Here, professionals trained in crisis management can assist you on the journey to recovery. Once you find the anxiety, loneliness, or depression eases, you can get back to the journey of finding your happiness habits with a qualified mental health counselor.
Rule number 2 reminds us not to worry. The source of anxiety, the most primary of all emotions, as it is linked to survival, is there to keep us alive. It is a measuring mechanism that helps us identify environmental cues that can be dangerous. On the flip side of this emotion, is the possibility of happiness. Because if the internal environment identifies safety factors, it can ease itself into finding happiness habits, because the body, mind, and spirit are allowed to ease into action that can elicint the more positive feelings.
Now happiness itself can be elusive. That is its one downfall. However, it’s plus side is worth the journey to find ways to grasp its elusive nature. Don’t worry. Let go of past hurts. They are no longer happening, so don’t let them control your present. Don’t fear a future that has yet to happen. This robs you of the moment, where you mind can possibly see a flower marker for a path that was not readily apparent just one moment before. Most of all, please don’t forget rule number 3.
Rule # 3: Smell the Flowers Along the Way
Jesus said love one another. This is the most simple, yet profound commandment anyone can give. What would do if each person just practiced this for one minute. That minute would be peaceful. But it is up to you, it will not occur from an external source.
You may ask, why even try. It’s no use anyways. But this is an overt denial of the flower that is within your grasp. I wonder, if you spent one moment in gratitude and loving kindness, if that moment could lead to more. Maybe. Maybe not. But the biggest effect of that one moment will be, you identified one way to see the flower in your grasp, that was not present before your turned your consciousness towards its beauty. Simply being unaware does not mean that beauty does not exist.
I hope you found this post helpful. It is truly my wish to promote happiness and inner wellbeing on this blog. Also, thank you for reading. May blessings, find you my friends, as you plan, chart a course, and advance confidently in the direction of your dreams.
It is our choice to believe in the beauty of dreams unfolding. When we direct our mind’s eye to belief, faith guides us in the direction necessary to realize our Self as it unfolds into its most optimal being.
Are you being your best possible Self? Dr. Thomas Maples explores our personal and collective journey to realize our ultimate potential through the lens of psychology, personal development, and the myths that drive our journey forward.
