“Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions."
-The Dalai Lama
Hey Reader,
Many people believe that happiness is a product of our circumstances.
"Good things happen to us, and those good things produce happiness".
It makes sense on the surface. Yet, it couldn't be further from reality.
Circumstances on their own do not have the power to give us happiness, nor do they have power to take away happiness.
Happiness is an internal phenomenon. It begins in our mind and endures in the mind.
Therefore, it is not circumstances that make us happy, but how our mind interprets those circumstances.
No matter our circumstances in life, we decide how to interpret them. We can exercise conscious control over them. By choosing our perspective, we choose the meaning we give those circumstances.
And by choosing our meaning, we are directly choosing our mental state.
Therefore, happiness is not something given to you. It is not something that can be taken from you. It is something you must choose.
And that choice begins in your mind.
Today's Reflection:
Examine your perception of your circumstances carefully. What meaning do you give to them? How do they make you feel in return? How could they be looked upon more joyfully?
Peace, love, and joy to you.
Your friend,
Tao Meditations
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