HAPPINESS & TIME - This has been the subject of a lecture I've been to lately. I'm really into philosophy and the questions "how can I be happy?" and "what is happiness actually?" are probably some of the most important ones in our live because finally it all leads to the question "how can I make the best out of the live I have?". So since I found the lecture really interesting, I thought I could tell you guys a little bit about it and share some thoughts with you.
Briefly summarized, it's all about living in the moment, the present, and not in the past nor future. Because when we think for example of the future, mostly we don't think about the things in the near future, the things we can actually influence, but the things we can't. We think "what if..." and worry about things that "could be when..." - all in all things we can't influence, that will happen how they want, no matter what we would like. So there's no sense at all to worry about things that won't happen - maybe. You see, "maybe" is not influenceable by us, the future comes how it comes.
A Spanish philosopher wrote a text about this (click here) which deals exactly with these thoughts we have and that we actually only should concentrate on the path we see and not on the things that might be after the next bend. Because before the bend, there’s the road without any bend.
So instead of thinking and worrying about the future or longing for the past, that was "so much better" - which is often not true since we tend to put like a golden filter over our memories so the past seems to be perfect and beautiful compared to now - try to live in the present. Logically, it's not possible to never think about tomorrow etc. but when you do, you should also try it in a neutral way: Ask yourself par example whether your worries are "appropriate" or whether they are only speculations.
If you become aware of the source your thoughts, it's easier to let go the ones that are "unnecessary". And even in our rushing world it gets really hard, try to take yourself time to concentrate on the present, to deepen in the moment now. You probably won't feel an overwhelming feeling of joy or so, but inner calm. In these moments, you can let go of everything and feel inside your body and root yourself in the earth. Maybe you can find your inner balance, your inner peace - happiness.
