Can your happiness really come down to four minutes?
Really, our emotions are all about an interaction with something presented to us. We have the power to react how we want to. At times it feels like other factors are controlling our emotions, but really the power lies within yourself. You are in charge of you. There is no one else out there that can change that.
Sometimes your happiness or your attitude about something all comes down to your perspective on the situation. Maybe you aren’t seeing other perspectives or seeing as clear as you would like to. There is a lot of mind chatter going on. If this is the case, then try taking four minutes to change all of that. The next time you feel like you are having a difficult time finding the happiness, practice MindBodyGreen’s way to change your emotion with meditation in just four minutes.
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“Don’t seek happiness, see happiness.
That’s the challenge—seeing it in the ordinary and the everyday. In the mantras later in this chapter, I say, “I don’t seek the light—I am the light. I drown out all darkness. I’m immune to negativity.” We are the light and the happiness that we seek. The painful stuff that happens in our lives is the darkness, but the light within us can allow us to feel happiness even in the midst of darkness. No matter what happens to us, we are still the light.
Our natural state—before we fell under the influence of other people’s opinions, irrational fears, and arbitrary social rules—is lightness, curiosity, discovery, awe, and, yes, happiness. Just as we are not our feelings that pass through like breezes, we are not the darkness that sometimes comes into our lives. Nothing that happens to us can dim our light. And remember: there is light available to us even at night. The moon and the stars never go out. Let their light be a reminder that our light never goes out either. That source of happiness is always shining if we just look.
Every day there will be opportunities to be happy and opportunities to be unhappy. Which opportunities are you going to say yes to?
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t feel pain and grief and loss when they come into your life. Those feelings must be felt and cannot be ignored. But so often what we experience as unhappiness is really just a dull sense of dissatisfaction. In those moments we can make the choice to cultivate openness within ourselves and allow happiness to come, whether it’s generated from our own state of being or from something in our external world—a hug, a song, or a slice of Jewish apple cake.
Meditation for happiness.
“If we could change ourselves, the tendencies in the world would also change. As a man changes his own nature, so does the attitude of the world change towards him. This is the divine mystery supreme. A wonderful thing it is and the source of our happiness…” —Mahatma Gandhi
Changing your environment is as simple as changing your outlook. Inspiring other people to do the same is as easy as shining your light and allowing them to step into its glow. When you’ve touched one person’s heart, you’ve changed the whole world forever.
This meditation, inspired by a metta meditation (for loving kindness) taught to me by renowned meditation guide davidji, will wake you up to the light that’s already inside you and help you shine that light on the world. Recalling your meditation at other times of the day will remind you to turn on your light for others to see. Imagine yourself as a streetlight on a dark night. You’re not just the light that shines—you’re also lighting up everything around you. Once someone steps into your light, the darkness that surrounds him or her disappears, too.
When? Morning is a perfect time to start spreading light. You’ll be able to send light, love, and happiness to others even from your meditation pillow. You might also like trying this meditation whenever you feel like the people around you may need a little happiness pick-me-up.
Where? Of course, it’s always nice to meditate in a quiet spot, but I’ve used this meditation in all sorts of places—in my dressing room on the set of my TV show, in the back of taxis, and in my doctor’s waiting room. Use it before a big interview to soften your interviewer or to help ease the nerves of your fellow passengers on the runway before your plane takes off. You are a powerful light worker doing your magic everywhere!
Position? Energy flows most easily when you’re sitting up tall. Sit in Easy Seat with your hands resting on your thighs or knees and your palms upturned. It might feel good to place your hands over your heart center for all or part of your meditation. I’m going to guide you through a visualization of your heart chakra, so it’s best if you can close your eyes during parts of this meditation.”
Good luck!
