What is true happiness?
To understand this article, we recommend that you forget about the definitions you previously knew about happiness. These two questions may be a little strange to some: “What is happiness? What is true happiness?” It is as if there exists such a thing as false happiness or false happiness. Today we will discuss misconceptions about happiness and what factors lead us to misunderstand their definition. In addition, the article will delve into the true meaning of happiness and guide you on the best way to achieve happiness.
So what is true happiness? Have you ever thought that the moments you smile are a sign of happiness? Or when you buy a new shirt, start a new relationship, or get your dream job, you’re genuinely happy. These definitions of happiness all share one drawback: they are all based on an external influence, something that creates a happy response in us. Of course, goals and aspirations will help improve the quality of life. However, if we depend on external factors to ensure our own well-being, then when faced with situations such as job loss or relationship breakdown; Or the shirt I used to buy is no longer as meaningful as when I first bought it… It’s easy for us to fall. Human beings place happiness in everything, everywhere and with everyone, but do not reinforce and form happiness in themselves.
After thousands of centuries of research, humans have now defined several concepts of happiness. However, each of us is still looking for happiness for ourselves every day. We are not saying that no one has ever been happy, or that there has never been an external influence to bring happiness to themselves. Instead, we will look for different forms of happiness, some lasting and purer than others. The moments in which we call it true happiness will be called by many different names depending on each different person. Some examples are:
- Awakening
- Enlightenment
- Peak Experiences
- Flow States
- Buddha Nature
- Pure consciousness
- Discover your True-self
- Non-Dual Awareness
- Wu (Satori)
- Non-duality (Rigpa)
Top-notch experience
In psychology, the moments below are called peak experiences, and they have a few remarkable characteristics:
A sense of connection
In moments of peak or awakening, the so-called “ego” gradually dissolves and we eliminate the distance between the “me” and the world. We will no longer see ourselves as an independent individual and far from everything around us. Instead, we take in the entire space and see everything around us, including sounds, smells, and the feeling of being connected.
A sense of clarity
When we clearly notice these moments, everything seems more alive, even seemingly simple things attract our attention. Steve Taylor, author of the book Waking from Sleep, believes that much of our lives are a type of sleep that we can wake up from. These waking moments are considered higher states of consciousness and more precisely that is what we are talking about in this article, moments of true happiness.
One of Steve Taylor’s study volunteers said, “Everything suddenly became clearer. Sights, sounds and scents take on a whole new meaning.”
A sense of serenity
Serenity also means composure. And the peak experiences are the serenity of our often busy minds. Our inner self becomes quieter, so we don’t judge our surroundings or ourselves. We will experience thoughts and feelings in our awareness instead of being stuck in our minds and then obsessed. At that time, people will reach a state of peace and not experience judgment or negative feelings towards themselves or others.
A sense of fulfillment
If we are feeling a moment of peak experience; When we stop and evaluate, we will feel no regret for anything. Everything is as perfect as it is. Because when people are at their peak, they have very little thought, no voice in our minds telling us to compare what we are currently experiencing with what we think we should experience, or what we have watched others experience…
A sense of flow
Perhaps the most important characteristic of a climactic experience is the feeling of lightness. You won’t have to tell yourself that you are happy, or that you should feel happy, but that you actually feel it. You can forget about time or other unimportant factors and survive for a moment that goes beyond “human” boundaries. Everything happens naturally, without effort, without having to think too much.
Can we survive a climactic experience indefinitely?
Going back to British psychologist Steve Taylor, he said: “The real meaning of these experiences is ‘awakening’. They give humans a glimpse of a beautiful, meaningful and connected world; far beyond the normal state of human separation and suffering. In other words, they show us a new way of life.”
So, experts all agree that these peak experiences are not our everyday mental state. However, through meditation, people can create an experience of true happiness that may have never been experienced before or experienced only a few times. This happiness has nothing to do with what we are doing or what we have. Therefore, this will be a kind of
sustainable happiness, which is true happiness
. In the 21st century with a multitude of worries and stresses, to combat stress and train the mind to take in more peak experiences; We can do a number of things: manage our emotions and negative thoughts. What we need to remember is that these moments of true happiness are not related to what we are doing at the time, they depend on our state of mind.
Peaks, plateaus and valleys
To understand the concept of peak experience and true happiness, imagine a mountainous landscape, with peaks, plateaus, and valleys. The geographical shapes correlate with our emotional and mental states of these true feelings of well-being.
Most of our lives are spent in “valleys.” These are times when we feel inadequate in some way and are looking for another job that creates happiness such as a new clothes, a new relationship, or a dream job. When we achieve those feelings of happiness, we experience a moment of peak happiness where we feel complete. However, nothing lasts forever, so when the joy of this climactic experience passes, we return to the “valley” location and the process resumes again. Think you are standing at the foot of one of these mountains and your deepest desire is to climb to the top and take in the view. Once you’ve struggled to get to the top and enjoyed a feeling of complete worthiness, you need to step back again and think back to what you had then. Eventually, that need for a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment will return and you’ll be looking for another “mountaintop” to continue the journey.
For those who have trained their minds, they can identify the characteristics of these climactic moments and incorporate that into their daily lives. Training and effort can create a new normal in the spirit, which we call the “plateau.” By applying meditation, we can all achieve this emotional state without relying on external factors to create happiness.
True happiness is named in many different forms, however, the definition is always only one. It is that there is a sense of wholeness and fulfillment inside the person. This is not our natural state in a fast-paced and highly comparative society like today, as we have all become so dependent on external factors such as people or experiences to create happiness for ourselves – and this kind of happiness will not last! So what we need to do right now is create top-notch experiences without relying on any outside influence. Meta’s “Happy You Happy Workplace” solution will help you do just that. Accept that happiness is temporary, and free yourself from the cycle of “peaks” and “valleys.” Meditation also helps create a deep sense of contentment within ourselves, so we can survive on the true “plateau” of peace and happiness indefinitely.
For more information about “Happy You, Happy Workplace” please click here. Or contact us via email
phung.metta@metta.com.vn
for the best advice. With Metta’s team of experts, we will help you discover yourself and transform into a better version.
Source: https://mindowl.org/what-is-real-happiness/
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