tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302107831896769514.post6303652278005046780..comments2023-11-03T06:56:05.537-07:00Comments on 10 Steps to Finding Your Happy Place (and Staying There): Happiness is the WayGalen Pearlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10189831838630645863noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302107831896769514.post-34187937010800347302010-12-27T13:26:52.546-08:002010-12-27T13:26:52.546-08:00Mrs4444 -- Yes it is easier for some than others. ...Mrs4444 -- Yes it is easier for some than others. It is not something that came naturally to me. I had to learn it. I think that is why I am enjoying writing about this and teaching it at retreats and in discussion groups.<br /><br />Karen S -- What an interesting comment about deserts. I had not thought about that before, but of course you are right. Jesus went into the desert to pray, for example. And there were the desert fathers. I have never really been drawn to the desert. I am more of a mountain person. But I am going to ponder what you said. Thank you for sharing these thoughts, and thank you for your nice words about the blog.Galen Pearlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10189831838630645863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302107831896769514.post-81661752616039639782010-12-27T09:21:28.662-08:002010-12-27T09:21:28.662-08:00This post is the reason I am following your lovely...This post is the reason I am following your lovely blog. It touches me deeply. It gives me pause and the need to share this for you... It's strange how deserts turn us into believers. I believe in walking in a landscape of mirages, because you learn humility. I believe in living in a land of little water because life is drawn together. And I believe in the gathering of bones as a testament to spirits that have moved on. If the desert is holy, it is because it is a forgotten place that allows us to remember the sacred. Perhaps that is why every pilgrimage to the desert is a pilgrimage to the self. <br />"There is no place to hide, and so we are found." So true. Terry Tempest Williams in Refuge....it is a true gift in life to visit places like this.21 Witshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00071361755673253230noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302107831896769514.post-62275482924863004312010-12-26T23:09:52.211-08:002010-12-26T23:09:52.211-08:00I agree 100%. That said, choosing happiness is so ...I agree 100%. That said, choosing happiness is so much easier for some people than others. I feel sorry for some of my students, who just don't have the reinforcements for choosing happiness on a regular basis. Still, I keep trying... :)Mrs4444https://www.blogger.com/profile/06426176094895489541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302107831896769514.post-11263719310708498592010-12-26T19:00:09.581-08:002010-12-26T19:00:09.581-08:00Manzanita -- Thanks to Bernie, and welcome! Glad ...Manzanita -- Thanks to Bernie, and welcome! Glad you like the blog. You are right about #9. As you can see, many of the steps overlap. For example, if we are grateful, we are more likely to be compassionate and forgiving.Galen Pearlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10189831838630645863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302107831896769514.post-40002967697384448532010-12-26T18:30:15.040-08:002010-12-26T18:30:15.040-08:00I came to visit on the suggestion of Bernie from O...I came to visit on the suggestion of Bernie from One Mixed Bag. Great positive blog. Isn't it a pity that many people live on the other side of happiness. I like your 10 points, especially #9. the grateful one. If people used just the grateful one, they would find their happiness. I am your new follower. <br />I know your day was "Happy." :)<br />Manzanita <br />Wanna buy a duckManzanitahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06467261212623663365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302107831896769514.post-400942840690289652010-12-26T09:28:31.981-08:002010-12-26T09:28:31.981-08:00Thanks for a positive post. Often the feat for me ...Thanks for a positive post. Often the feat for me is to practice all items in the moment when the moment is a negative emotion (#4). I am getting better at it. :-)Su-sieee! Machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12515318972570669414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302107831896769514.post-86512897367057621942010-12-24T10:49:34.275-08:002010-12-24T10:49:34.275-08:00Alexia--Thank you for adding this quote. I love t...Alexia--Thank you for adding this quote. I love the part "know the place for the first time." I'm reminded of Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, learning that everything she really wanted was at home.<br /><br />JJ--Thank you for adding your wisdom. One of the things I really appreciate about Buddhism is the belief that we have "an innate great perfection." Although I belong to a Christian faith community, I find that I incorporate much from Buddhism into my own faith. (As you have said, it is not inconsistent.) There are those in the Christian faith who believe that we are in essence flawed, tainted by original sin. I prefer to think of us all (of any faith or no faith) as in essence pure and perfect light, wondrously loving and beloved, one with each other as a reflection of our oneness with the divine.<br /><br />onemixedbag--You are a sweetie! Your comments are giving me such a positive outlook! Thank you!Galen Pearlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10189831838630645863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302107831896769514.post-85428190556076524682010-12-24T10:04:54.413-08:002010-12-24T10:04:54.413-08:00I swear your posts are giving me such a positive o...I swear your posts are giving me such a positive outlook for the upcoming year!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302107831896769514.post-24178616877034110832010-12-24T06:40:37.233-08:002010-12-24T06:40:37.233-08:00Galen Pearl: I have studied Buddhism for many year...Galen Pearl: I have studied Buddhism for many years, and the closest I have been able to come to understanding it is my recognition of the fact that I travel through life without knowledge. Buddhism is not really a religion, although in the Western world we tend to need a classification. It is a fascinating <i>way</i> of life that actually works. We all have an innate great perfection, and happily attempting to identify with it daily makes our lives much more fulfilling. If we learn how to listen in order to understand, we become happier. We should listen without prejudice, judgment, or reaction. When we do, we automatically alleviate a great deal of pain in the person to whom we are listening. <br /><br />I have enjoyed blogging with you very much, because you <i>happily</i> search for answers. Happiness <i>is</i> the way.JJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14692103477055483000noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3302107831896769514.post-22481808585981933362010-12-24T00:50:38.754-08:002010-12-24T00:50:38.754-08:00"We shall not cease from exploration
And the ..."We shall not cease from exploration<br />And the end of all our exploring<br />Will be to arrive where we started<br />And know the place for the first time."<br />- T S Eliot 'Four Quartets'<br /><br />Peace to you and your family, GalenAlexiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15405656530899442354noreply@blogger.com