The day I experience today, will be a reflection of my attitudes. The day you experience today, will be a reflection of yours. It has been said that a person experiences happiness, not because of a certain set of circumstances, but because they possess a certain set of attitudes. This is entirely true.
One's relation to God will certainly color one's experience. If you live in a God-optional country like the United States, you are free to choose how much the influence of God has on your day. If you believe in a parental, punishing, judging God, then your day is locked into a set of rigid rules, and how well you and /or others adhere to them is a giant factor in whether you experience happiness or not. When you place "Worship" in front of LOVE, you define your God and yourself. These self-defintitons are the limiting attitudes of your day. If however your definition of God/Tao/Universe is equal to LOVE, that ALL things are God and connected, then your outlook will be entirely different. You will accept and allow whatever happens as normal and fine. You observe the day relying on the Divine Spark within you to guide you. LOVE always comes before ritual. Finally, if your choice is sans God, then your experience will be an entirely personal perspective, based upon your own developed and developing sense of morality.
Another huge element in your Happiness relies on your identities. What are identities? They are the false atributes that you actually associate with yourself. I am a: businessman, a teacher, a lawyer, white-collar, blue collar, I am a success, a failure, too young, too old, a Christian, a Muslim, an Atheist and on and on. None of these things are the true YOU. To borrow from writer Anthony De Mello, what we call Niagara Falls, is never the water. The water of Niagara Falls is always changing, always replaced. Similarly, YOU, is always changing, different and new. All of your cells are replaced over time, yet you are still YOU! You may change careers, your name, your religion, but YOU never changes. All of the multitudes of things that may change, are your identities. These identities cause attitudes, which for most people, color their day, their happiness, to whatever degree to which they IDENTIFY...
What is the solution? Awareness. That's it, nothing else.
I'm asked what awareness is. Awareness is reality un-colored and uncluttered by your identities. Awareness allows the true YOU to experience life without all the trappings of "you." The way to Awareness is to begin observing yourself. Become aware of the YOU behind the thoughts. You are not the thoughts themselves. One way to see this is too look at yourself in the third person. Notice yourself when you act, observe yourself as in, "Duffy is getting angry," "Susan is being loving," "Chris is getting defensive," "Glen is not being truthful." Watch yourself going through your reactions to your identities. Observation of yourself is all that is necessary. Changes will come form this alone. You cannot continue to be an ass, once you see that you are being an ass...
The more you practice awareness, the more you will see the world removed from your identities. You will recognize that nothing that happens is "personal." You will begin to see that all of your suffering is in you, not attached to anything else. This "seeing" will allow you to detach from your expectations and from your "shoulds." You will begin to experience happiness for its own sake, true HAPPINESS unattached to any outcome.
Today, begin to watch yourself. Observe yourself navigating through your day, and how often you are engaged in protecting the "honor" of your identities. Just "observing," is all you need. Your set of "attitudes" will begin to replace your "circumstances." You'll be free to be happy regardless of reality
Duffy
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