Where is Happiness

[wongmo]

Everyone is seeking happiness but do you know what happiness is? Where is happiness?

[DayInTheLife]

Happiness exists in every moment you can observe without judgment. You will find it no where else.

[wolfgang]

happiness exists in not seeking happiness

[dave marshall]

in you if you look hard enough

[Blackpool]

Happiness is something you do.

It's very nearly the opposite of seeking security, it is when you have take the courage to do what you like, without wasting time contemplating the possible consequences to you first.

The peace that comes with the practice of clear minded meditation doesn't compare with the joy and self-esteem that comes of successful effort. Or in fact, any effort that moves towards a positive result. There are such things as negative risks, taken for their own sake and not because much good can come of it, it can lead to a kind of sickening addiction to stepping towards what you don't want rather than what you do want, in the name of eroding ones fear of that which you don't want. It's not a good idea to prove you're not scared of a bad idea!

Happiness is taking up a good idea and running with it.

Personally I see the problem as being 'socialised' into thinking the thing you want, or the person you are, is not up to a good standard. You're encouraged to become idealistic about what to do and this I think is the source of the trouble and the barrier to spontaneous action. 3, 2, 1...

[fwellers]

happiness cannot exist without unhappiness. Both are illusions.

[Malazan]

Originally Posted by fwellers

happiness cannot exist without unhappiness. Both are illusions.

Indeed, we should instead focus on finding deep inner peace, go beyond illusions of the mind.

[fwellers]

Originally Posted by Malazan

Indeed, we should instead focus on finding deep inner peace, go beyond illusions of the mind.

I am trying to focus on being more present, and fully honoring and accepting the present moment these days. I feel that is the most effecient and useful way to live. pure Eckhart Toll / Tao type stuff for me. :-))

[bellemeadows]

For me, happiness is a choice and a habit. I can choose happiness or unhappiness at any moment, and I choose happiness.

Blessings from Belle,

[Malazan]

Originally Posted by fwellers

I am trying to focus on being more present, and fully honoring and accepting the present moment these days. I feel that is the most effecient and useful way to live. pure Eckhart Toll / Tao type stuff for me. :-))

I've been doing the same thing lately, I can't say I've mastered it yet though.. I have to remind myself often not to fall into useless "chatter" with myself and thinking (negatively) about the future. I don't really have problems with the past I hardly ever think about that unless I need to but I do tend to think ahead about basically everything if I don't "catch" myself.

The catching is becoming more easy though so I'm going in the right direction

[fwellers]

Yes you are going in the right direction. Just by knowing about it !!
I deal with mental chatter, and also with acceptance.

Here's something weird. A couple of times now, I was meditating, ( very short periods of time ), following my breath, then concentrating on the feeling of being the witnesser. Trying to see myself as the witnesser of the thinker.

It seems I got to a point twice now, where I got scared. It was like I was starting to actually see myself as that 'awareness' and then I was afraid to go any further.

I wonder if I really was onto something and my little man ( ego ), is afraid of annihilation if I go further into realizing things. Hmmmmm. I gotta try again.

Every have anything like that happen ? Somehow I think it may be common.

[Sukie]

Namaste,

As a Spiritual/Life Coach I believe that every human is capable of living a life that we love and we need only open our minds and our hearts to the voice of Spirit within us. The Law of Attraction is a WONDERFUL gift given to us as a means for us to see what we are and awaken to our TRUE SELF.

As I grow in my own knowledge of myself I share with the rest of the world through my blog and social network in hopes that others will awaken to their Divine Power and Uniqueness.

My service to humanity is through my blog Your Inner Voice and a social network Your Inner Voice dedicated to supporting all people regardless of religious affiliation or ethnic background on their on their journey to awakening to their individual power.

I look forward to learning from all the other Smart People out there.

[Malazan]

Originally Posted by fwellers

It seems I got to a point twice now, where I got scared. It was like I was starting to actually see myself as that 'awareness' and then I was afraid to go any further.

I can recall one meditation where I had that too. Instead of breathing I used progressive muscular relaxation to get into it, but I also had a point right at the end of the relaxation where I freaked out a bit when I noticed I wasn't really having any thoughts anymore.
I immediately lost it after that realization though

[AmIReal]

Hi people,

My view on wongmo's question is that happiness is a state of consciousness... As long as we ponder what it is, that we search it, we transfer ourself to the mental state. We "think" happiness.

I think that when we stop looking for it and just live consciously, we will "live" happiness without even "thinking" about it...

Just a quick thought!

Have a nice day living happily consciously!

[fwellers]

Originally Posted by Malazan

I can recall one meditation where I had that too. Instead of breathing I used progressive muscular relaxation to get into it, but I also had a point right at the end of the relaxation where I freaked out a bit when I noticed I wasn't really having any thoughts anymore.
I immediately lost it after that realization though

Yea, maybe that explains it a little bit for me too. ( It's hard to remember enough about these types of experiences to be able to explain them ), but when you said you freeked at the point of not having thoughts, it rang a bell with me. That may have been the 'emptiness' type feeling I had.

[Just a Thought]

When true desire is aligned with true experience.

[Rockchick26]

I like Eckhart Tolle's explanation of it:

"There is a general term for all negative emotions: unhappiness"

Basically you ARE happy anytime you are not experiencing negative emotions. I think most people's true self and inner happiness is obscured by mind chatter,stress and an inflated ego which all contribute to negative emotions.

[dancer]

Originally Posted by Rockchick26

I like Eckhart Tolle's explanation of it:

"There is a general term for all negative emotions: unhappiness"

Basically you ARE happy anytime you are not experiencing negative emotions. I think most people's true self and inner happiness is obscured by mind chatter,stress and an inflated ego which all contribute to negative emotions.

For me, you nailed it Rockchick!

[infinitethoughts]

Originally Posted by wongmo

Everyone is seeking happiness but do you know what happiness is? Where is happiness?

All the above posters are wrong.

Where is happiness located?

I know for a fact it's located at Downtown Oakland.

[MrNotebook]

Happiness is something that is only defined from within. No one can explain what happiness is for another because their definition will come from their own perspective.

For me, happiness is having inner peace and knowing that I remember to be grateful for every second that I breathe. Happiness to me is knowing that the way that I live now is how I would want to die (no regrets) if death were to come sudden. Happiness to me is freedom. Happiness means no fear. Happiness to me is also gaining the inner knowledge and security that I am loved by something greater than me. If the things listed above are consistent with how I live my life, then I am happy.

[PerDev]

Originally Posted by wongmo

Everyone is seeking happiness but do you know what happiness is? Where is happiness?

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS HAPPINESS - ITS MIND's way to avoid bliss because if bliss would be there then mind would disappear

[Jennihul]

All deep answers.

Happiness is inside. Only inside. You decide to experience it or to not experience it. If bombs were dropping in your neighborhood, happiness is still there. You can choose to be happy that you are still alive. Or choose to fear that you may die. Most people take the easier more seductive path and frankly the more "dramatic" path, fear and doubt.

If you get to the point where the world can be as bad, dysfunctional and scary as it wants to be and you are still living in happiness, then you have accomplished something worthwhile in life. Everything else is pretty much decorative.


Jennifer

[Angela]

Originally Posted by Rockchick26

Basically you ARE happy anytime you are not experiencing negative emotions.

Why settle for mere happiness -- the absence of negative emotion?

Who We Are is unlimited joy. We just play with the illusion of negative emotion for our own growth and expansion.

Your human self is like that child's artwork project where you scratch off the black paint to reveal a pattern of brilliant colored crayon underneath. It looks from a limited perspective that only part of the page is beautiful, set against the black background. But the truth is, the entire page is gorgeous. The beautiful joyful unlimited color is the background; it's the darkness that is the illusion to be uncovered. The game is to unconceal a portion of spectacularness at a time -- for the fun of it! To complain about the blackness or the "negative emotion" is like the child whining about how the black is messing up her artwork.

[nightdiamond]

Or a pleasant, stable mood that doesn't change from one moment to the next....