Category: Happiness

2019 theme : The Triple A Happiness Synthesis

Work the 3 keys of acceptance, attitude and approach to unlock your inner treasure of happiness

We look at each of the three A’s and then we will combine them together to find our happiness. 

Take the first A – the A for Acceptance but acceptance of what?  Acceptance of reality.  We refer here to the ability to see and understand the situation as it is.  The mind wants to trick us and is happy to get drawn into imagining a more rose-tinted future or brooding about the bygone past.  Once we understand the present condition, then we can accept it and face it.

The second A is for Attitude.  What type of attitude should we cultivate?  It’s easy to be negative, sarcastic, denigrading, bullying, especially if we are in a situation that is not to our liking or is not as we want it to be.  This is weak and cowardly.  Instead let’s be positive.  For sure, that’s easier said than done. But, if we try then we will succeed in training the mind to be positive.   

Finally the A for Approach.  We all face challenges and sometimes they seem unsurmountable.  Do we fixate on these problems and spend our energy over-analysing and crying to the world ‘why do all these things only happen to me’?  Or do we focus on finding solutions to these issues?  The first solution may not work so let’s try another work-around rather than giving up.  

Use the three As to analyse any situation you are faced with and then with a positive attitude work out the solution(s) for the situation.  And those are the three A keys working together to unlock our inner happiness.   

2018 theme ~ find JOY in the ordinary

Why are we so dissatisfied? Rather than seeking temporary happiness in the material world, can we enjoy our daily tasks?

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The fast paced world we live in today seems to be gathering more speed year by year.  Time is short as more and more must be packed into life.  This is fueled by the smartphone – the morning commute is not complete if we’ve not scrolled through Instagram and tapped a few orders into Amazon.  And we need to keep up with the Jones’.  Right?  Instant gratification is the norm.  But we are still not satisfied and the pattern repeats itself day in day out…. And time is short!  The lure of the external world too strong. 

The flip side of this is that our everyday tasks become burdensome to the point that you want to escape from having to do them and remain glued to the smartphone.  And then if you are not able to fulfil the desires created by the smartphone you becomes even more resentful and unhappy, especially of our routine daily life.

Rather than reaching outwards to fulfil our desires, we experimented this year with ‘finding JOY in the ordinary’.  We considered each aspect of our life – our daily chores, our work life, our leisure time.  Do we find our daily routine chores mundane?  Or is shopping for groceries done with enthusiasm? Are we always seeking thrills by having adventurous hobbies and holidays?  Are we grateful for all the conveniences we have in our daily life or do we take it for granted?  Do we appreciate our jobs/work and our colleagues?  Or do we gossip and complain?  Upon introspection perhaps we need to modify or change our thinking and learn to enjoy the routine in our lives.  It stabilizes us and grounds us.  And it makes a difference….

Bill commented that the reflections in yoga class on ‘finding JOY in the ordinary’ have helped him calm down and focus on his daily routine more effectively.  He has been going through a low patch in life and has not been finding it easy to sleep.  The weekly reminders in class over the year and looking at different aspects of his life with a fresh joyful perspective has had a profound positive impact on him.