Are You As Happy As You Should Be?

How about, are you as happy as you could be or would be? Ah yes, would of… could of… should of… This post is somewhat of an extension of my last post, Keeping Birthday Happy. That’s fair enough seeing as how much of life we spend seeking happiness, one way or another

The answer to any of those questions hinges on expectations, i.e., what you think. No wonder chapter 71 says… Not to know yet to think that one knows will lead to difficulty. One problem we have with ‘finding happiness’ stems from how easy it is to imagine some circumstance that will make us happy, either a few moments from now, tomorrow, or perhaps when __(you name it)__ happens. I suppose the thrill of the chase convinces us that success in the pursuit is possible.

One of life’s greatest ironies is how letting go happens to be the only way to truly have. This principle is expressed in chapter 81, Having bestowed all he has on others, he has yet more; Having given all he has to others, he is richer still. Christ also alluded to this when he said, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it“. Not surprisingly, these teachings can be hard to swallow when taking it literally… so don’t!

Literally bestowing all one has on others, or losing one’s his life for any sake, will only upset the balance of Nature. Zealots are too blind by their passion to be concerned about such unintended consequence. What about sane people though? How can one keep to the spirit of these teaching rather than to the word?

I find that letting go of expectations is more than enough to do the trick⁽¹⁾. Admittedly, this takes some vigilance, for expectations continually rise up from emotion to tug at thought. Once you forget, and believe what you think, the thinking will drag you off to the land of would of… could of… should of…

⁽¹⁾ How do I let go of expectations? Realizing its biological origins helps tremendously. Biology can fool me once, even fool me twice and thrice, but again and again? The hunter gather instinct is a siren’s call that good things lie just ahead, just over the next hill. In the days when we were actually hunters and gatherers, that is how we found our next bite to eat. Circumstance have change; also the instinct remains! It is simply a matter of biting the bullet and accepting how thoroughly nature hoodwinks us by the illusion that happiness is just over there. It isn’t; the less we look over there, the more we can find it right here and now. Finally, this is not something you need to take of faith, unlike the belief that happiness lies ahead. Fortunately, it is something that can be tested.