02 Apr Is happiness inside or out?
For many years now, I’ve been a strong advocate of the practice of paying attention to your inner workings.
That is, rather than ignoring or denying them, or pretending they don’t exist, I’ve encouraged others to and tried myself to practice acknowledging and allowing all my thoughts and feelings.
Happiness, at least in part, comes down to acceptance; acceptance of ALL inner experiences.
And I still endorse this approach.
But at the same time, we are more than our inner experiences; and sometimes these inner experiences, our thoughts and feelings, are simply not valid or reliable or based in fact or helpful. Sometimes that inner voice deceives us. Sometimes those feelings can’t be entirely trusted.
Personally, for example, I know for a fact that I have a fantastic life. But I don’t always feel fantastic. And my thoughts don’t always reflect that objectively fantastic experience.
If I ask myself whether I’m happy I could easily answer NO. If I ask myself whether, taking everything into account, I’m satisfied with my life I’d almost always answer YES.
So, is happiness inside or out?
Well, it’s both. But too often too many of us focus just on the former and not as much on the latter. You are NOT your thoughts and feelings. You are the one who observes your thoughts and feelings. And if you can observe them without reacting, without judgement, and keep them in perspective, then the outer realities might be allowed to have more positive influence.