Dr. Thomas Maples

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Happiness is not a goal; it is a by-product.

Eleanor Roosevelt

The noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding.

Leonardo da Vinci

Hedonic Bliss and the Pleasure Principle of Happiness

Am I the ghost in the machine, or is the machine a ghost in me? Can you remove the pleasure of happiness from the hedonic pain associated with its bliss? A dualism presents itself very quickly as I look upon the eyes of Dionysus, wondering what beautiful wine filled, drunken bliss is present at the moment the very moment in time where the aftereffects make their weary head present as the party ends.

You see, happiness is not a destination. It is work wrought with pain, satisfaction, sorrow, and joy. That may be the point. Can someone ever be happy when they don’t work to create joyful habits? As those two beautifully wise minds explain above, pleasure is a process of understanding, and happiness is never a goal to achieve, but a byproduct of the processes (work) undertaken to engage in a method of creating self-understanding, empathy, resilience, and realization.

Happiness shifts. But’s its effects are there, if one learns to attend to the moments when it arises. What are your happiness habits? Are they present, or have they been placed at the wayside a bit too long for the engagement of more trivial pursuits. It is the work of works, to learn about who we are. But it is the greatest work we will ever undertake.

May blessings find you, my friends, as you engage the shadow and enlightening work that guides your journey to advance confidently in the direction of your dreams.

More from Dr. Tom

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A Sacred Journey Podcast

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.

Filling Your Cup: The Discipline of Loving-Kindness – A Sacred Journey: Where Myths Unfold and Potential Awakens

How do we maintain our emotional viability when the demands of daily life start to drain us?In this episode of A Sacred Journey, we dive deep into "Filling Your Cup: The Discipline of Loving-Kindness." We stand at the crossroads of love and self-compassion, exploring how these two forces are not just passive feelings, but active, daily disciplines that create lasting meaning in our lives.Join us as we discuss how to navigate those daunting, mundane, and stressful day-to-day events by shifting our internal dialogue. By learning to actively pour back into ourselves first, we build the emotional resilience needed to show up fully for the world.In this episode, we explore:The Anatomy of Emotional Viability: What it means to be emotionally sustainable in a demanding world.Loving-Kindness as a Discipline: Why self-compassion is a practice of strength, not softness.The Daily Crossroads: Practical ways to inject love into the moments that feel the most daunting.Filling Your Cup First: Moving past the guilt of self-care to cultivate genuine, lasting meaning.Grab a warm drink, settle in, and let's take this sacred step together.

1. Filling Your Cup: The Discipline of Loving-Kindness 20:42
2. Fill Your Glass: The Disciplined Practice of Loving-Kindness 12:07
3. The Architecture of Joy: Navigating Darkness to Find Your Light 17:28
4. How to Find Spiritual Grounding: Healing a Fractured Soul through Integrity 17:15
5. The Unshakable Anchor: Building Hope in a Fractured World 15:31