Many people think excitement is happiness. But when you are excited you are not peaceful. True happiness is based on peace. At any moment, you have a choice, that either leads you closer to your spirit or further away from it. Letting go gives us freedom, and freedom is the only condition for happiness. If, in our heart, we still cling to anything – anger, anxiety, or possessions – we cannot be free.” ―Thich Nhat Hanh
This connected for me (most of Tich Nhat Hanh’s words do even though I am not a Buddhist).
Joy is something underneath happiness and excitement….. underneath anger and sadness… a constant that is always there only we get distracted by the emotions that are at the surface! Now if only I can remember this more often and by remember I mean remember the feeling of being underneath the roller coaster emotions, the ones we believe are true and so spend our lives avoiding or cultivating!
How do you live with emotions ?
Do you chase the wold and good ones and avoid the dark, heavy bad ones ?
Have you been in moments of calm joy ?
How do you practice getting to those ?
Do you practice emotions at all ? Or do you believe what most people do – that emotions come from outside and can’t be chosen ?