LESS EGO / MORE SOUL

Without the contrast the road would not be worth traveling…

Lost opportuinities are what they are. But, dont dwell on what is lost my child. The world is abundant. Chances will come again and again as the circle continues to turn.

Let go of your past; the stories you continue to hold on to. You place far to much meaning on your past.

You are now.
You are here.
You are nothing outside of this moment.

Knowing this, let go of your future, (if only for a moment).
The wishing, the wanting, the restless desire that keeps you from being happy now.
Be happy now.

Life is in the present moment. The sounds, imagery, sensations, tastes and smells that surround you. You are  everything and you are nothing; a wealth of possibilities.

Understand that there is no definitive you. You are the inexplainable; undefinable because you are not a static entity.  Rather, you are an ever changing, moving, (groovin’), evolving experiencer.

You are alive and you exist. That’s about as close as you will ever get to a comprehensive description of yourself.

Embrace this truth and the freedom it entails.

For if you are nothing and everything you have no name to live up to.

So let your guard down knowing that you simply are what you are.

“Other cultures are not failed attempts at being ‘western’. Rather, they are an imaginative response to the age-old question: what does it mean to be alive?“

 - Wade Davis

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What I know about true happiness…

- It’s spontaneous
- Not always rational
- Doesn’t need to be justified & shouldn’t really be questioned
- Is not dependent on external factors unless you define it as so
- Causes you to forget about your fears, worries, shortcomings, failures and past pains
- Keeps you present and connects you with the divine

What I am certain about true happiness…

- You don’t “need” anything in particular to be happy (though some things can make it easier).
- It is not derived from collection or accumulation but rather based on being satisfied in having enough, learning more and sharing your experiences with others.
- It is found through balance across all areas in life – mind, body soul,  consciousness, sub-consciousness and super consciousness, past, present, future, work, play, passion, vices, dreaming, doing, being, changing, etc. etc.
- When I acknowledge that this moment is satisfying a previous desire I enjoy it more.

What makes me happy is…

– Knowing that I am on the right path
– Creating, being productive, pursueing my dreams
- Exercise, walking, swimming -> physical activity!
- Doing kundalini yoga
- Taking on new challenges
- Connecting with nature
- Eating raw and wholesome foods – but not overdoing it
- Reading, writing, learning more
- Exploring, being fascinated
- Sharing experiences
- Connecting with others -> good company
- Feeling inspired and inspiring others

What I don’t have that would make me happy…

– Control over/freedom from my binge eating/self sabotaging routine. Though, I do realize that I can be and have been happy despite this.
- I would also like to know more about a lot of things – like how to speak other languages, the essences of other cultures, the concepts behind other religions, a deeper understanding of the human body, how to use herbal remedies, the names of plant an animal species…& the list goes on…

I wont be happy until…

– I realize that I can be happy now. That there is pleasure to be found in this moment if I can let go of wanting more.
– I get rid of this binge-eating cycle (sometimes it feels that way).

What I know about dealing with other people’s happiness…

- Sometimes I feel guilty for feeling happy when another does not. And so I pretend I am unhappy – which tends to attract things that make me unhappy (a self-fulfilling prophecy).
- For the most part, if others are happy their happiness rubs off on me!

What I have learnt from books & others about happiness…

– Life is so much simpler than we make it
- It’s okay to be happy; we don’t have to suffer
- You can have it all. Unless you tell yourself that you can’t…
- You can’t judge another’s life based on your own definition of happiness – it just doesn’t work!
- When you  spend time with negative, unhappy people it can have a harsh effect on your own happiness…

What I regret about happiness is…

– All the times I have turned it away because I haven’t allowed myself to be open to it
- All the times I have sabotaged my pursuit of happiness (particularly with food) and fallen subject to defeat, becoming blue and ‘stuck’ as I have not allowed myself to move on and seek pleasure in other areas of life…
- All the times I have ignored the joy of the present moment in favour of what the future could hold…

What I believe about happiness despite my experiences…

– Happiness is defined by you
- You don’t need anything to be happy – recognize that it’s the wanting that holds you back.
- You shouldn’t have to justify why you feel good – sometimes you just do and that is great!

Final comments on happiness…

- “Sunshine all the time makes a desert” -> we need contrast (unhappiness, sadness, loneliness, discontentedness) to experience true happiness. Embrace the darkness too.
- Enjoy the moments when you are happy – don’t waste your time trying to analyze why – work to be present.
- Allow yourself to be happy, move on from disappointment, do what you need to do.

Now ask yourself!

I remember when I was a kid, my dad telling me the truth:

“You always have a choice” he said.

At the time I protested. I saw the fact that our actions have consequences and that “sometimes those consequences can be so ugly that it’s best to avoid them” as a not-choice.

My father and I argued about this for a little while; I just didn’t get it.

But now I do:

We always have many choices. Not all are so obvious.

Sometimes we are afraid of what staying true to ourselves – being authentic – will mean.

But narrowing down one’s possibilities – due to the prediction of an ugly outcome - is a choice too.

It’s okay, and perfectly reasonable to  back away from some possible choices, but we should also recognize that our minds are programmed to automatically narrow down our options to make decisions easier. This is both a gift and a curse; something to keep in mind when you are faced with making an important decision.

Sometimes it is important to explore these ‘not-choices’ a little more closely…other times it is not necessary. But either way, it’s good to be aware.

And even in situations where your options are narrowed – when you feel out of control or cornered and obliged into doing a particular thing – you still have a choice.

However, the choice is not always as simple as to-do-or-not-to-do.

Rather, the key to your happiness shifts from

what you do

to

how you think of what you do.

This quote sums it up nicely:

“Suffering is a matter of choice. I think that we do not have to suffer anything in this life…

[Even in jail] I was still free.

Free to hate the men who were torturing me,

or to forgive them…

And the choice you make, between hating and forgiving, can become the story of your life.”

- Shantaram, by Gregory David Roberts

“Refusing to acknowledge failure is often an attempt to avoid the paralysis of shame. Many of us were raised or educated by people who tried to make us feel guilty when we made a mistake, hoping that fear of being shamed would help us avoid future failure. It didn’t work. We cannot live fully and avoid mistakes. So, to avoid the paralysis and pain of shame, we narrow our lives to those things we already know and deny the mistakes that  happen.”

- The Invitation by Oriah Mountain Dreamer

Traveling has made me realize that time is not endless.

I am having to become very comfortable in making new friends and then letting them go.

But as people come and go it’s important to recognize that the length of time they stay in your life is by no means an indication of the impact and importance of their role in your life.

I want to meet a million, billion great people in this lifetime, and share just as many god-awesome experiences with them.

Because life is long enough – truly.
It really just comes down to what you make of it. You get what you put in!

The best part about exploring the world on my own like this is that I am the only person around to paint the picture of who I am…

I am free. To choose and to change, who I am and who I would like to be.

Something I was reminded of when flicking through last years travel journals…