No, I do not like your avatar but it is yours. lol
Not sure happiness is achievable in a general sense. Only in a temporary, fleeting way, being in the moment. But is good enough in my opinion.
Turtle, your posts are so often about depression and happiness! Find some peace for god sakes!
Love.
I will never find peace in this life…I hate what I see. … my life is comfortable…
If you hate what you see then you may have tunnel vision.
turtle, is it what happens abroad that makes you so depressed–war, famine, disease, corruption–or are there things closer to home that make you depressed–you mentioned troubles in your marriage.
I hate what I see…that seems to bother you…I have many problems…but tunnel vision is not one of them…I am not someone who denies what I see…
I have troubles in my marriage…the reason for that is— two human beings are living and working together…I have a strong wife and I am strong…so there are going to be problems…other than that my personal life is good…but I don’t like what is happening to people in my township, in my county, in my state, in my country, in my world…too much violence between people…I don’t think people understand what needs to be done for survival…
I didn’t want this to get lost…
You dwell on it, which makes it worse for you.
If we wish to tidy up the world, the place to start is our own front yard. If we can not or will not bring more peace to ourselves, it’s pointless to talk about a lack of peace in others.
So, the serious question is, how do we bring additional peace to ourselves?
A lack of peace arises directly out of the inherently divisive nature of what we are made of, thought.
The inherently divisive nature of thought divides the “me” in to a mind full of different mental voices who are often arguing with each other. The first step in moving towards additional peace is to observe this internal division process in action, so that the seeing of it becomes real, and not just intellectual.
A second step might be to more closely examine whether we actually want additional peace. We assume we do, but if that’s not true, any plan is likely to be in vain.
We might ask, what price would we be willing to pay for additional peace? If we can’t think of anything, perhaps we enjoy the mental melodrama as it is, and there is no problem to be solved?
Peace is a word which describes the state of a mind not divided against itself. It is the inherently divisive nature of thought which divides the mind against itself. Thus…
Less thought equals more peace.
The solution is remarkably simple. Not always easy for sure, but also not complicated. Simple exercises patiently applied can lower the volume of thought. As the volume of thought recedes, it is replaced by peace.
Additional peace is there for just about anybody who really wants it. The problem is not that additional peace isn’t available, but that we often don’t actually want it.
Imagine me standing in the store before a fine suit. I say to myself, I really want that fine suit! But, hmm, I’m unwilling to pay for it. Which means I don’t actually want it very much after all.
The problem is simple.
If I want the suit, I have to pay for it.
If I don’t actually want the suit, I should know that, and walk away.
Aha, a wise man with a talent for conciseness!
Yes. Peace of mind requires clarity and decisiveness.
-
Choose those worldly problem we will act on, and act.
-
Everything else, let it go.
Again, so very simple, so the question really is, do we want peace or not?
jazz—you need to start at home…how are you doing there…I actually mean how are you functioning at present…what problems are you coping with…
See, I’m not like that. I know there are tons of atrocities in the world and too much hate, but I can go about my life day to day without worrying about it too much. Are you empathic? I knew a girl in university who would always cry at the sight of atrocities on the news or tragic stories she heard. I’m kind of the opposite–not that I don’t care or think these atrocities don’t matter–but that I’m cold.
So when you think about all these things in the world–the violence and the hate–do you get angry, like it’s an affront to your values, or do you feel sorrow, like your heart goes out to the victims?
what do I do to protect myself------I limit news of any form each day…each day is different…my mood changes like the weather…today I feel very cynical about human survival…actually my biggest problem is with myself…but I am not alone with that…how are you coming in that department…
Typoholicism!
Fantasy Holymanism!
I am after all, Sri Baba Bozo, the founder of Bozoism, the next great world religion.
(…and you think you have problems…)
sign me up
So it sounds more like anger than sorrow. You’re depressed. That’s it. I recognize the symptoms exactly.
How am I coming along? Today, I’m pretty good (I’m excited because today is the last day of my 2 month sobriety fast). But I’m like you: I go through mood swings and there is no answer to the question: Are you happy? You mean today? Yesterday? Over the last week, last month? As a disposition of my personality? I recognize the symptoms of depression in you because they’re in me too. When we’re in a bad mood, we will see only the negative in the world–and if there is no negative (ha! ha! Yeah, right.) we will put a negative spin on it.
I’ve learnt to sit back and watch it happen. Wait for it to blow over. Fighting it causes me too much pain. And never, never cling to anything you think–you have to let it blow over.
So it sounds more like anger than sorrow. You’re depressed. That’s it. I recognize the symptoms exactly.
How am I coming along? Today, I’m pretty good (I’m excited because today is the last day of my 2 month sobriety fast). But I’m like you: I go through mood swings and there is no answer to the question: Are you happy? You mean today? Yesterday? Over the last week, last month? As a disposition of my personality? I recognize the symptoms of depression in you because they’re in me too. When we’re in a bad mood, we will see only the negative in the world–and if there is no negative (ha! ha! Yeah, right.) we will put a negative spin on it.
gib—I can see beauty but I see more problems than beauty…I don’t think it is depression…I think it is reality…we are just being told by others to be good little boys… and say the right things…I say bullshit…of course I am angry…whats wrong with anger…
“Depression” is the choice to do nothing because there is nothing perceived as worth doing.
Except suicide maybe.