Mind Alchemy Day 17 – The Myth of Happiness

Happiness, that’s what we all chase after, isn’t ist? Or maybe you’ve already found it. Well, today’s lesson is about the Myth of Happiness. That’s right, you’ve been chasing a myth. But there is some good news, in fact really good news.

You see, the trouble with Happiness is that it usually is driven from our insatiable human nature. That means that your ego views each Happiness as temporary and then wants more. It also means that you may experience voids. But worry not because help is at hand, our Life-Long ‘friend’, Contentment. So how do they differ?

I’m reminded of the Buddhist teaching which goes something like: ‘Contentment is the goal behind all goals because once achieved there is nothing to seek until it is lost”. For me ‘lost’ means a loss of balance which provides a useful link to our discussion yesterday on Emotional Homeostasis – the need to maintain balance emotionally in the face of adversity. The point is that Contentment is a positive, joyous steady or persistent state. However, that does not mean you exclude Happiness altogether it simply means that you always have the comfort or peace or safety of knowing Contentment.

I’ll leave you with a quote from the eleventh-century Spanish poet-philosopher Solomon Ibn Gabirol, who taught,

‘Who seeks more than he needs, hinders himself from enjoying what he has. Seek what you need and give up what you need not. For in giving up what you don’t need, you’ll learn what you really do need’

Have you found Contentment?

Mind Alchemy Day 16 – Emotional Homeostasis

Day 16 and we are looking at the emotional homeostasis. I must warn you that this lesson starts with some really strong language that may disturb some readers and which personally I cannot condone. You can reach it here.

Despite the strong language opening, I think this is a very important lesson.

Homeostasis is the property of a system that regulates its internal environment and tends to maintain a stable, constant condition. Human homeostasis refers to the body’s ability to physiologically regulate its inner environment to ensure its stability in response to fluctuations in the outside environment and the weather. So emotional homeostasis is your ability to remain stable in the face of external threats or triggers, leading to, for example, road rage or anger or sadness. Essentially, your ability to regulate and continually stabilise your emotions.

To develop this a bit further, life forms can be described as conformers (you allow the environment to determine how you will react or behave) or regulators (you try to remain constant or stable in outlook irrespective or perhaps despite of the environment). Hmmmm. Well, this works for me because I believe that all power starts from within and more especially that you have the capacity of freewill choice. So, when another driver cuts you off, you can choose to remain calm and carry on, or subject yourself (and your blood-pressure), the ‘offending’ driver and all around you to an episode of road-rage. You choose.

Your ability to choose is related to what Steven calls the Stairway to Emotional Mastery; in essence, that you recognise your emotion(s), accept responsibility and learn to remain stable. That way you are in control.

So, how’s your Emotional Homeostasis? (if you don’t mind me asking 🙂 ).