My Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life

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June 10, 2012
7 Comment

“When Happiness Is Present, We Have Everything.”

“We must, therefore, pursue the things that make for happiness, seeing that when happiness is present, we have everything;  but when it is absent, we do everything to possess it.”

–Epicurus

Also ...

  • I always enjoy a visit to my friend Trent Hamm's blog, The Simple Dollar--"financial talk for the rest of us."

     

  • Would you like to launch or join a group for people doing Happiness Projects together? Get information here; you can download the "starter kit" for launching a group here. These groups have started all over the world.

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  • Prashhant Misra

    Totally agree.
    Great blog you have.
    Lots of useful information.
    I especially like the clean design of the blog as well.

    “For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness.”

  • Guest

    When we are not happy we find fault in other’s performance. When we are happy we’d barely notice those little, bothersome shortcomings.

  • Jenn

    Sounds like the Dalai Llama in the Art of Happiness…

  • Peninith1

    This is an interesting perspective . . . for Epicurus,  it seems the goal is contentment, and peace from ‘restless seeking’. This confirms my sense that we are best off when we have a concept of ‘enough’ in our minds, and the ‘enough’ is attainable, barring disastrous circumstances. For me, the contentment has come not only from material enoughness, but also from a good-enough resolution to some emotional issues so that I am not forever wishing today would be the day that everything would change. I’m busy enjoying here and now . . . but it sure took me a long, long time to get here. I know that old age and health issues will probably put an end to this happy time eventually, but I intend to gratefully savor it as long as I am able.

  • AnnGMorrone
  • Kamala

    Love this  quote and wanted to share this that I read this morning on another site:

    It is difficult to know what to do with so much happiness. With sadness there is something to rub against, a wound to attend with lotion and cloth. When the world falls in around you, you have pieces to pick up, something to hold in your hands, like ticket stubs or change. But happiness floats. It doesn’t need you to hold it down. It doesn’t need anything… Since there is no place large enough to contain so much happiness, you shrug, you raise your hands, and it flows out of you into everything you touch. You are not responsible. You take no credit, as the night sky takes no credit for the moon but continues to hold it, and share it, and in that way, be known.
     
    (Naomi Shihab Nye, 1952 – ) 
                                                                                                        
     

      

  • Faun

    Love your blog, thanks for all the great info! Btw, I enjoy Trent’s blog  too!
    -Faun

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