We’ve been running into so many questions regarding Happiness through all walks of life…
People says “Happiness is the way…”. Many keep seeking the Happiness. Even be obsessed with that term in a very blurry way. All of which causes us Human-beings to become hopelessly unhappy Happiness-Hunters.
Having been pondering and meditating upon Laozi and Zhuangzi’s ideology quite a long time, I feel that happiness is not the way to drive and lead our lives. Also not a goal to chase after. It’s purely a state to feel and enjoy, but always can come and go.
*Laozi (Lão Tử) and Zhuangzi’s (Trang Tử) ideology in general: enjoy being soft and spontaneous within the down-stream transformation flow of Nature. Wu-wei/ doing not-doing…)
So just let it be when it comes and goes. Feel all the aspects of The Moment – Yin and Yang, Dark and Bright, every single simple thing around us… And NOT pursuing happiness. Seeking life-term MEANING and discovering your TRUE-NATURE-SELF instead. Nurturing and growing your values. Fostering and bringing up your HUMAN-FLOURISHING to the best…
Magically, when you’re on the path to follow meaningful things and discover your spontaneous Higher-Self in the Truth, happiness keeps showing up in a natural way as your daily joy, effortlessly… No need to build up, run after or ask for…
That’s, my friends, when the Ultimate Freedom and Lasting Fulfillment come to light…
With that said, the Path to Happiness is Not pursuing Happiness, searching for Meaning instead – meaningful lifestyle, meaningful relationships, meaningful careers, meaningful hobbies, meaningful projects, meaningful YOU…
Learn something new every day (acquire new hobbies, study new subjects, practice new skills, pick up new lessons from others…). The “Continuously learn something new” makes you feel free from vanity and focus more on your inner values/interior work.
Travel and discover new lands, culture and people to open more of your soul and mind windows to new values.
Listen more to people around. Start sensing more every single thing about. Feel more sympathy and empathy for others’ suffering and try to help heal. This makes you feel relief and focus more on other people’s feelings and their happiness rather than being self-centered as a habitual human.
Anyway, “Happiness is amazing. It’s so amazing it doesn’t matter if it’s yours or not” – my favorite quote from After Life Netflix series by Ricky Gervais.
And another deep thought by Kyle Maynard regarding the difference between Happiness (Hạnh phúc) and Bliss (Chân phúc): “Thinking of what makes me happy doesn’t give me the same clarity as thinking about what gives me bliss.”
*Kyle Maynard is a best-selling author, entrepreneur, and ESPY award–winning mixed martial arts athlete, known for becoming the first quadruple amputee to reach the summits of Mount Kilimanjaro and Mount Aconcagua without the aid of prosthetics – A mentor from the book Tribe Of Mentors, Timothy Ferriss. Audible and Kindle Edition.
“Happy” is just a state of emotion which can come and go. Uncertainty. You can’t decide.
“Bliss” is a state of mind which is always just there, the whole time, what makes you feel most alive and meaningful. Certainty. You decide.
So, make Meaning for you and other people. Follow your Bliss. Be more of You and Be more for the World.
-Minh-
