Meditation On Happiness

Happiness is such an elusive and subjective concept. It can mean different things to different people. For some, it's about moments of joy and laughter. For others, it's a sense of contentment and peace.Each day, we wake up with choices to make. We can Choose to be in a bad mood, or we can choose to look on the bright side of things. Join me for this meditation that is based on my live session of November 5th. Music by Chris Collins. #86

Transcript

Welcome,

And I hope that each one of you will come to find peace within yourself.

Today I want to talk a little bit about happiness,

And this meditation is based off of a live session I did earlier.

Happiness is such an elusive and subjective concept,

And it means different things to different people.

For some it's about moments of joy and laughter,

And for others it's a sense of contentment and peace.

But each day when we wake up,

We have choices to make.

We can choose to be in a bad mood,

Or we can choose to look on the brighter side of things.

Making choices isn't always easy.

That's the thing about making choices,

And making choices wisely.

I think that true happiness often lies in the small,

Everyday things.

Listening to children laughing as they play,

Watching birds at a feeder,

Seeing squirrels scamper along a branch,

Maybe it's a good cup of coffee,

Or a call with a friend,

Or a walk in the park.

So many people think that things will make them happy,

That accumulating more stuff will satisfy them and make their life better.

But because of that,

So many people work too hard to acquire too much stuff,

And then find out that they aren't happy,

That they are held captive by all their stuff.

For myself,

I found that the times in my life when I had the most money,

And when I had the most stuff,

Is when I was least happy.

I worked hard,

I worked a lot,

And I spent less time with my family and more time working.

Now I have very little,

I'm poor,

And yet I'm happy.

I'm at peace within myself.

I get out of bed every day after I meditate,

Get dressed,

Go have coffee,

And every day I'm happy just to be here,

To experience everything that life has to offer.

Close your eyes now,

And let's get in touch with our breath.

It doesn't matter if you're sitting,

Standing,

Or lying down.

The only thing that matters when you meditate is that you're comfortable and alert.

So just breathe normally,

Set your own pace.

Let's scan our body as we begin to relax.

Relax your face,

Unfurl your brow,

And unclench your jaw.

Relax your neck and your shoulders,

Common places of tension in our world today.

Relax your arms and your hands,

And let go of any tension in your chest and belly,

And try to feel yourself getting heavier with each and every breath.

Relax your legs and your feet,

And as you begin to relax,

Let's focus even more on our breath.

Our breath is like a river as it flows in and flows out.

Just inhale slowly and gently exhale,

And try to notice your breath as it flows in.

Notice where you feel your breath in your body.

Maybe a cool sensation in your nose,

Or the movement of your chest and belly as the breath flows in and flows out.

Just continue to breathe at your normal pace,

And don't force anything.

Just let your breath move in and move out.

Let your breath flow like a river,

Sure and tranquil and calm.

And thoughts are just a part of us.

They're a constant part of our world,

But you needn't concern yourself with them when you meditate.

Just let them go.

They're like clouds in the sky or waves on a lake.

And if you hear sounds in the room you're in,

Just let that go as well.

Just continue to follow your breath and listen to my voice.

We're just breathing in and breathing out,

One breath at a time.

I'm going to pause here for a minute,

And you can just breathe and think,

And then I'll be back.

Now just continue to breathe and listen to my voice.

Happiness is about finding gratitude and joy in the present moment,

Rather than always chasing after something bigger or better.

I'm 75 years old,

And I've been doing this meditation thing for almost 55 years.

So I have a lot of experience,

And one thing I can tell you,

That thing you want won't make you happy.

Money will not make you happy.

Another person cannot make you happy.

And that's because happiness resides within us.

We can be happy with another person only if we are happy within ourselves.

It's that same idea that's the origin of my phrase that every day is a good day if you're there to appreciate it.

Because if you're only going to be happy when the sun is shining,

You're going to have a lot of unhappy days.

And if you're only going to be happy when it's not windy,

You're going to have more unhappy days.

It's better to be happy with the day just the way it is,

And then you'll have many more happy days.

Happiness isn't something that just happens.

It's a choice that we make every single day,

And it's influenced by our attitudes and our perspectives more than it is by our circumstances.

Ultimately,

Our life is a reflection of our attitudes and actions,

And we have the power to shape our experiences and create a fulfilling life regardless of our circumstances.

Now here I'm going to pause again for a minute and let you just breathe and think,

And then I'll be back.

Now just continue to breathe and listen to my voice.

I've told you before that words and thoughts have power,

And that's because they do.

It's been proven by science.

The things we think and the things that we say have the power to change our life.

If you believe you can do a thing,

You most likely can.

And if you accept the day for all that it is and all that it can be,

Then every day will be a good day.

I have a quote from Martha Washington,

The wife of first president George Washington,

And she said,

I am determined to be cheerful and happy in whatever situation I may find myself.

For I have learned that the greater part of our misery or unhappiness is determined not by our circumstance,

But by our disposition.

Wise words.

And then the Buddha said,

Happiness does not depend on what you have or who you are.

It solely relies on what you think.

And again,

That all goes back to what I said about words and thoughts have power.

We have the power to change our lives.

Just breathing in and breathing out one breath at a time.

Now I want you to just keep breathing.

And as we breathe,

I want you to imagine a warm golden light that's gently enveloping your body,

Starting from the top of your head and gradually moving down.

This golden light is engulfing your body and this light symbolizes happiness.

And it's filling every part of you with a sense of peace and contentment.

Just allow it to wrap around you like a comforting blanket of happiness and love.

Now if you can,

Think of a moment of joy.

The birth of a child,

A time you felt truly at peace,

Whatever it might be.

And just think about that moment for just a little bit.

And as you focus on this moment,

This moment of joy from your life,

Allow the feelings of happiness to spread through your body.

Imagine these feelings radiating from your heart and spreading warmth and joy to every cell.

Now I want you to think about all the things you're grateful for.

Reflect on the people who bring joy into your life,

The experiences that have enriched you and the little things that brighten your day.

And just allow a sense of gratitude to fill your heart.

And if you feel good doing it,

I'd like you to repeat a few positive affirmations.

You can say them out loud or to yourself.

I'll say each one twice.

Happiness is within me.

Happiness is within me.

I am worthy of joy.

I am worthy of joy.

I attract positivity and peace.

I attract positivity and peace.

And now just continue to breathe and think about life.

Think about happiness and realize that we make our own happiness.

It resides in all of us.

We just have to recognize it and set it free.

Now as we come to a close,

Open your eyes and come back into the room,

Wiggle your fingers and toes and stretch and feel how good it is to be alive.

How good it is to be in this moment,

Just breathing in and breathing out one breath at a time and then the next and then the next.

And that is the present moment.

Happiness resides inside you.

All you have to do is set it free.

I hope this has been a beneficial and calming session.

Till next time.

Reviews

Just a reminder that we should appreciate small things

Thank you 💛 A wonderful track to come back to every morning 🌈

A lovely meditation to start the day.
Thank you so much 🙏🏻