You Can Be Happy Even When…
- People have disappointed, betrayed or even defamed you
- Somebody else is having a bad day and gets upset when you don’t join in their misery
- Nobody seems genuinely supportive of your goals and dreams
- You are falling short of your high expectations or you didn’t complete your to-do list
- Nothing runs smoothly, on time or according to your plans
A blogging friend of mine at growing happiness had a video on her blog that I found to be very empowering. It’s a TED conference video and I’m going to share it with you.
Matthieu Ricard, French translator and right-hand man for the Dalai Lama, has been the subject of intensive clinical tests at the University of Wisconsin, as a result of which he is frequently described as the happiest man in the world. — Robert Chalmers, The Independent
After training in biochemistry at the Institute Pasteur, Matthieu Ricard left science behind to move to the Himalayas and become a Buddhist monk — and to pursue happiness, both at a basic human level and as a subject of inquiry. Achieving happiness, he has come to believe, requires the same kind of effort and mind training that any other serious pursuit involves.
His deep and scientifically tinged reflections on happiness and Buddhism have turned into several books, including The Quantum and the Lotus: A Journey to the Frontiers Where Science and Buddhism Meet. At the same time, he also makes sensitive and jaw-droppingly gorgeous photographs of his beloved Tibet and the spiritual hermitage where he lives and works on humanitarian projects.
His latest book on happiness is Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life’s Most Important Skill; his latest book of photographs is Tibet: An Inner Journey.
Matthieu Ricard on the habits of happiness
http://video.ted.com/assets/player/swf/EmbedPlayer.swf
Happiness is something that everyone is searching for. When we’re happy, life just feels great. Everything feels…right. Now, as happiness is a goal for many of us, there is a lot of advice out there. I’ve even wrote a post myself about attaining instant happiness, but today I wanted to share some proven examples. –
5 Research-Proven Ways to Increase Happiness
I can’t access the video on my dinosaur slow dial up connection, so can’t comment… except to say that I can heartily agree with this bit:
“You Can Be Happy Even When…
People have disappointed, betrayed or even defamed you
Somebody else is having a bad day and gets upset when you don’t join in their misery
Nobody seems genuinely supportive of your goals and dreams
You are falling short of your high expectations or you didn’t complete your to-do list
Nothing runs smoothly, on time or according to your plans”
It does take effort on one’s part though, and when it works it’s worth it. :)
I’m so sad to hear you cannot watch the video because Matthieu Ricard is a wonderful person and what he has to say is very true and valuable. Best wishes to you and Cassie.
Hey TT, I heard Matthieu speak in Vancouver about two years ago. It was standing room only in a small theatre, and many people were turned away. His first comment to the audience was a little joke about how so many people would suffer in a long, cold lineup to hear him speak about happiness. His Tibetan slides were gorgeous on a big screen. Fascinating man.
Your timing in posting this topic does not escape me. According to Matthieu, “We all have the ability to study the causes of suffering and gradually to free ourselves from them.” You have had more than your share of suffering lately.
The fall is a time of harvest. Happiness can be harvested where we have planted and nurtured our own fields. Take care, cgn
Thanks so much for the comment Cindy. I’d love to hear Matthieu Ricard in person. Heck I’d even suffer through waiting in a queue. This summer has sucked but as you have so correctly observed a time is a time for harvest. I have harvested almost everything now and preserved or frozen or dehydrated it. It’s never off season when it comes to planting seeds of happiness so that’s what I’ll be focusing on.
Namaste
Good write.
Thank you Chris and best wishes too.
This is a very very interesting article and a brilliant video
Thanks for watching, reading and commenting too. :)
I glanced through Ricard’s book this winter at our local library. Any book with Happiness in the title immediately attracts me. Happiness is a great topic these days among the scientists and psychologists, who think they can test and measure everything. I wonder if all this testing and measuring makes THEM happy. Who knows? Happiness has been my obsession since I was eight years old. It’s much simpler than anyone thinks or imagines. One is happy as soon as one lets oneself be.
I’ve been finding it very difficult to be happy this summer and in the last couple of weeks I have been very unhappy at times. However, I’m committed to keep making the happiness choice again and again until it “sticks”.
Hi TT,
It really is as simple as choice. The causes of suffering are all around us yet we have the power to choose what we take in. While it is simple, it is not easy.
Letting go requires us to understand that negative emotions are temporary thoughts that will leave if we acknowledge them and let them pass.
Matthieu Ricard is an amazing person yet it was not by chance that he became happy. He followed his path, making choices along the way.
Thank you for sharing this.
Namaste
@Roger
I’ve been acknowledging everything that I tend to be adverse to and recognizing how much power I give away to these negative thoughts. I do understand them and I’m finally moving to a place where I can let go and make a better choice. As you say choosing to be happy is a simple choice but it’s NOT easy.
Namaste
Great post. I personally think that happiness is a choice. After all we live short lives to spend it on misery. It is really great to be friends with equally happy people. Happiness is like electricity that affects other people. As the saying goes” Smile and the whole world smiles with you”
@celticmusicfan
Yes being happy is a choice. As Roger points out it’s a simple choice but not an easy one and I’m tired of making myself suffer by choosing to be angry and/or sad. One day at a time and sometimes one hour at a time I’m making the better choice over and over again. Being with freinds, family and my dog has helped me lift my spirits and move on but I admit I frequently backslide and experience an unhappy hangover.
Namaste
Thank you TT – I came for blogging tips and am leaving with something far greater…Beautiful video from start to finish.
@ Michele
I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed what you found. Without doubt Matthieu Ricard is an aware, informed and excellent speaker on this subject and on others. If you click the link in the RSS feed in my left sidebar you will arrive in my blogging tips blog. Happy blogging. :)
Thanks for sharing this Timethief . Happiness is what we always have aspired for and it’s not always easy to attain it. Happiness is a temporary state of mind and therefore we are forever searching for it. When we do, we tire of it just like the way M. Ricard gave an example about the warmth of the fire. If we look deeper within ourselves, we find happiness is a spiritual experience – only when we experience gratitude and love. :)
Wonderful.
GREAT post!
It’s funny how sensitive we are to others moods/attitudes/responses– I’ve thought about this topic before and noticed how easily my own happiness is swayed by those around me.
So this was wonderful to read.
thank you!
I am enjoying the video…thank you for posting this. I believe happiness is a choice. Happiness is knowing our own strength despite what is going on in our world. Yes, we can have happiness even when the things are going on that you have listed…
take care & hope you have wonderful moments to warm you on these fall nights!
.-= victorine´s last blog ..Being Silly =-.