Sunday, December 1, 2013

Ways to a Happy and Fulfilled Life

Hi All,

Here some links to videos that I think are useful in finding your personal path to a happy and fulfilled life:

The Dalai Lama: Paths to Happiness
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOvDbJV-_60

Oprah Winfrey in Conversation with Thich Nhat Hanh (video):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ9UtuWfs3U

Deepak Chopra: The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success. (audio version of book):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfgt2M0r4bQ

Wayne Dyer, Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life (video):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqecaHjl73s

Eckhart Tolle: Spirituality and Happiness (video):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KopmSpe33Eg

Please enjoy - and share your comments and insights!

Thank you,

g





26 comments:

  1. I watched The Dalai Lama: Paths to Happiness, one thing which I found particularly interesting was the assertion that B.K.S. Iyengar made (about (10:31) that happiness has categories and that happiness does not depend on one specific thing. I completely agree, I believe you need to have a healthy balance in your life for true happiness. I think it is important to recognize the different aspects in our lives and work to find harmony between them. Personally, I find it difficult sometimes to find a good balance, especially around exam time. Like in another blog post, I think relaxation techniques and stress management are very important and are tied into our happiness. Having a balance in all categories of your life can be very hard to do, but the act of working towards it is rewarding and brings happiness with it.
    The John Lennon quote I find very inspirational. Happiness is something that I think is often not thought of as very important but I think it is one of the most important aspects of our life. Being happy causes others around you to enjoy life which I think is one of the ultimate goals of life.

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    1. Excellent comment, Madelaine! Balance is certainly extremely important! You are right, happiness is often looked down upon as not important. However, if you keep asking people WHY they want a good job or a house or kids or money, they usually come always end up realizing that they want whatever they want because they want to be happy….

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  2. Watching these videos really provokes a side of you whether you are religious or otherwise. There are a lot of things in our world that questions the validity of some schools of thought and as a student studying the sciences I have struggled with this debate quite a bit. One quote that really helped me differentiate between what we think we know and what we value and believe. It said: “Science can explain how but it can’t explain why”.
    I really enjoyed hearing how these role models conduct themselves even in emotionally-charged events. It’s easy to lose our peace when you feel like why are things so unfair sometimes and being in the moment and keeping yourself connected with the World will keep you grounded. That’s something I will try to do more of. It all boils down to your own way of thinking and values. What you value will be reflected in your actions and I think it’s so important to dig deep and find what is important to each of us.
    I’m really glad this topic is on the blog and want to take the opportunity to talk about one of my favourite lectures done by Randy Pausch. His story is really inspirational and makes people think about what is important in their own lives. He doesn’t present his story in orders of significant or accomplishment but how they led to one another and that really strikes me. To do this, one would have to know themself very well and it’s very apparent that he does. As he reflected back onto his life, there were a few particular childhood dreams that he wanted to achieve and as the story went on, it was clear how he got to them – positive attitude, humility, gratification etc. If you’re interested here is the link!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo

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    1. Thanks, Jenny, for sharing your excellent thoughts about the topic - and for going further than the blog topic! Thanks also for the link to Randy Pausch's talk. Yes, he is/was an amazing guy! (I also really like his lecture about time management.) You are right, it's really interesting to see how his childhood dreams came true….

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  3. Hey your first sentence is really thought provoking "whether you are religious or otherwise". Personally, I am not "religious" in the definition that we accept today, but perhaps that definition will soon change. Have you ever thought that maybe science is a religion in sense, try to explain "how" with "why", and "why" with "how", using limited variables to define reality. Science may be based on belief just as much as religion, as it requires you to believe that there is something 'out there' that can be measured with tools and concepts.

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  4. Happiness is usually a lifelong pursuit. Mandela died at his 95. Changing oneself is the first step as he says in the prison. When we see birds humming in the tree, we may feel relieve. Maybe it is something that is emotion-dependant. When beautiful kids are playing in the playground, we see ourselves in them. we see our younger selves.Perhaps when we turn 80 with no loco-mobility , we close our eyes and see the past us-- this is another kind of happiness. I am a Christian, everyday communicating with god is my daily happy routines. Playing basketball may be the happiest thing for Micheal Jordan. Winning a lotto may be the bliss for people who craves for money.
    Happiness bring you wealth; wealth can't bring you happiness. That's why so many people are still in confusion. money can only bring you materialism. Only happniess is our lifelong pursuit. I support to be happy, there is no fixed principle. To feel is to see.

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    1. Thank you for sharing your very personal as well as insightful thoughts about this topic, Leon!

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  5. I watched the video with Oprah interviewing the buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh. I had never heard of him before I clicked on the video and the very first thing I noticed about him was how calm he was. Even Oprah comments on how his presence immediately made her feel less stressed. He speaks about many simple and beautiful ways to live happily. The main topic that he discusses is compassion. It was interesting to hear him speak about the importance of taking the time to communicate and listen deeply to those who are suffering and how he thought treating others kindly could bring you happiness. I think he is incredibly right. Humans are social beings, and our relationships shape a lot of our happiness. We don't want conflict, war and violence but instead we want to be listened to and understood and respected. If we are able to give these things to others, often we will also receive them back in return.

    In the video, the monk speaks about his popular book "Living Buddha, Living Christ." I am religious and a science student, and often I find the two aspects of my life to conflict each other. I think Thich Nhat Hanh's comparison or Buddhism and Christianity really reminded me of how my faith not only brings me happiness but also teaches me a lot about it. He talks about how mediation (an important Buddhist practice) and the gospel teach to live for today and not to worry about the future. The gospel according to Matthew says "Don't worry about tomorrow, tomorrow will take care of itself," and I personally think that is the key to an individual's happiness. Today's society is always so busy that most people forget to slow down and appreciate all of the happy moments that happen every single day.

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    1. Thank you very much, Carolina, for sharing your very insightful reflections about this topic!

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  6. I chose to watch the video, with Thich Nhat Hanh. Throughout this video, one of the sections that struck me the most was when he spoke about the monks that had sacrificed, just to make their voice heard enhanced the power of this message. Not the death of course.. but hearing that people have that much passion within the is truly inspiring. When he spoke of these incidents that in some eyes may be extreme measures, I found that when he related them to the acts of god, where it was act of love, showed the true selflessness of their belief which I found quite beautiful. Next when Oprah begins talking about smiling and laughing, Thich Nhat Hanh replies by saying that he smiles all the time. The simplicity of that reply made me realize the power of such a simple act. Making someone smile or laugh, can really brighten their mood for the rest of the day. When he begins talking about deep listening, this shows another small act, that can really do a lot for someone. If you can listen to someone, there is most likely someone else out there to listen back, and that is probably one of the healthiest things you can do for yourself. To be loving enough to listen to others, but to be courageous enough to talk for yourself as well.

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    1. Excellent insights, Christie! Thanks for sharing!

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  7. I did watch any of the videos but I want to talk about that quote by John Lennon that is posted as a picture. To me it is one of the greatest quotes of all time. We all want to be successful because we believe it is our key to happiness. However as a society we measure our success by our material gains more than anything else. No matter how successful we feel inside we feel the need to have material measures to show the world how successful we really are. I feel like there is almost this “fake” sense of happiness in society today. We all want to be what the world considers to be happy rather than to just be truly happy. We post pictures on Instagram of our great Saturday night at a party for everyone to see. We want to have the most “follower s” or “friends” as if it’s some way of showing to the world the amount of love in our lives. The reality is these are just numbers and they will fade and change. I am not saying everyone in the world is like this but it seems that the majority of society today is so concerned with seeming happy to the world we forget to be happy for ourselves. To me this is our biggest setback to becoming truly happy.

    We need to stop worrying about what others see as success and happiness because we are all different. We all have our own unique thing that make us happy and that’s what we should be focusing on. I know myself I still working on not being happy for society but for myself. One of the moments I felt the happiest and completely fulfilled was when I took an evening to myself and walked around Granville Island. I was so happy just walking around the shops that I felt like I was glowing. This was revolutionary for me because my friends would have thought of me as strange or loner for doing this. That’s why I decided to not share my experience with them. I didn’t want their negative opinions to ruin what was an amazing experience for me.

    We can’t let others or societies define what it means to be happy. We need to strive to be happy on our own measures. If we do this success will come in many forms that are not just material. We will be successful ways that are unmeasurable but so much more valuable then material objects. Learning to be happy for ourselves is the healthiest and most empowering lesson we can strive to learn.

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    1. Very important points, Desha! Thanks a lot for sharing!

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  8. I have watched the videos and they have really made me think about what is our goal in life? what makes us satisfy? what makes us happy?

    I always like to search for quotes to keep myself motivated, stay on track, and be thankful of what i have. these videos have made me think why are these elements of life that i am searching for mean so much to me. The quote by John Lennon has really caught my attention. Everyone wants to be successful because being successful is what people believe to be happiness. However, this is not always the case. Being successful does not always equal to happiness.

    The social media plays a huge role in sharing messages around the world in our society. Often times that the social media shares many false messages to the public. They show viewers what other have that they don't have such as money, nice cars, and big houses. these messages make people focus on achieving these external materials instead of focusing on something that are truly meaningful to their lifes such as family and friends.

    The society has changed our mindset of happiness. I believe it is time for most of us to stop and reconsider what we truly want in life, what actually makes you happy. Is it having a lot of money, being very successful in life so others would value us more? Or instead we should spend more quality time with your family and friends.

    We should define what happiness mean to each of us and not let society and the media affect our thought. This maybe very difficult because we life in a world full of judgments but when we can find the real answer and not let any external factors affect us, each of us will achieve true happiness.

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    1. Thanks for sharing your excellent reflections about the topic, Matthew!

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  9. Happiness is not measured by material wealth. A new car or television, a waterskiing boat or a three-level house does not equate to joyful feelings. They are status symbols, surely, and ones that make others assume a person is happy, but they do not guarantee a happy life. The clichéd phrase, “money can’t buy happiness,” is heard often… because it is true. People who have wealth can be unhappy, just as the poor can be living on cloud nine. Possessions can be gained and lost, and with that comes fear. And fear rarely leads to happiness.
    Success at the expense of everything else, for example, leads to the opposite of happiness. Life requires balance. And people that understand that there is a balance to work and play, strife and joy, are more in tune with the universe and, therefore, better able to achieve happiness. Life with a dose of humor is more pleasant. Comedians, compared to any other profession, live the longest because they understand that laughter adds the spice to life, and makes daily progress worth the minor tribulations.
    Being happy with who you are and what you have, is a decision that has to be consciously made. Goals can help lead to happiness. Finding laughter in life is important. But at the end of the day, a person needs to make a choice about happiness. They need to agree they want it, deserve it, and have it.

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    1. Excellent comments, Abhi! Thanks for sharing!

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  10. This reminds me of a Ted Talk video on “The Power of Vulnerability” by Brene Brown. Brown believes that vulnerability can improve our lives for the better and emphasizes the importance of fully embracing vulnerability. Now to everyone, it would be something that they would never do.There is a lot of fear embedded in our culture and it has trained us to hide our vulnerability — no one wants to feel shameful or be exposed of all their flaws. For example, when people experience heartbreak they may feel betrayed and ashamed. That begins to manifest as a fear of not being worthy of having a real connection. This is why some are afraid to commit in a relationship. To me, being vulnerable shows the authenticity and genuine character of someone. There are many people who may be considered “fake” and I believe it is because they are scared to show their true selves and not hide behind a mask. Embracing vulnerability is not supposed to be easy or comfortable, if that was the case, then we would not feel a sense of worthiness. The feeling of courage, compassion, the need to connect, and embracing vulnerability provides one with an overall deep sense of worthiness. We need to believe we are worthy of those values, when we don’t, it holds us back of all the amazing opportunities that we may have. The opportunities that we all deserve. Vulnerability symbolizes power, it is not about fear, grief, and disappointment; it is about what we all strive for: joy, creativity, faith, love, and spirituality. Those who are wholehearted have the courage to be imperfect, the compassion to be kind to themselves first, then to others, and this allows people to feel a sense of connection because they show authenticity. They are willing to let go of who society believes how they should be to allow them to be who they truly are. Those who have a strong sense of love and belonging, believe they are worthy. I believe Brown’s talk does not actually tell us there is any power in vulnerability, but it is the courage to be vulnerable. We can’t all be perfect and there is nothing wrong with that. Brown wants to make people realize that we are perfectly imperfect — there is no one you’d rather be but you. Life begins when you step outside your comfort zone.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvmsMzlF7o

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    1. Hi Nicole, thanks for sharing this important TED talks and your insightful comments about it! Excellent addition!

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  11. I want to speak about this famous quote by John Lennon. This quote really touches me and it has ever since I first heard it as a little kid. John Lennon was an incredibly inspirational person. He didn't want the name or the fame or all the success. All he ever wanted to be was happy, the rest just followed.

    Many people strive for success and money and fame and the whole ordeal. The funny thing, however, is that when you talk to all the people who have reached success just for the materialistic aspect, they are not happy. As a matter of fact, many of them are depressed.

    Some people who aren't fortunate enough to have glamorous lifestyles feel as if they can only ever be happy if they have all the clothes and cars and electronics. But there are also certain people who have almost nothing at all, but couldn't be happier. In a lot of cases, these people have so much non-materialistic stuff that makes them feel wealthier than the richest man in the world. They have family and friends and love and they don't care about their clothes' name brand because they're thankful to have any clothes at all.

    Many people strive for success. They believe that if they are successful and they can have anything they want, they'll be happy, but this is obviously not true. I strongly believe that running after success does not mean happiness, and this is exactly was John Lennon was taught as a child. However, if you strive for happiness, success follows by itself.

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    1. Very true, Jasleen! Thanks a lot for sharing your excellent thoughts on this topic!

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  12. Everyone has their own happy life that they want to be able to achieve. I remember watching “The Pursuit of Happyness” starring Will Smith when I was in high school and that movie hit me. It let me see that everyone is on their own “pursuit to happiness” and everyone’s just trying to reach their goal. How I see a happy life is to just live the way you want to. Stop trying to please everyone and everything around you because sometimes there is only so much you can do. Money definitely does not measure the amount of happiness someone has. A warm and loving family can be dirt poor, but still be happier than that rich man who has no one in his house but himself. I feel that in order to be happy you just have to live life and go with the flow. Life is meant to have it’s ups and downs, so laugh your hardest during your happiest times and cry your hardest during your lowest times. With so many people in our lives telling us what to do and where to go, we sometimes lose direction in what we want to achieve in our life. I once read an article that was talking about the top 5 things people regretted not doing on their deathbeds. As I faintly recall, one of them was “I wish I let myself be happier and lived a more happy life.” and another was “I wish I took time off for myself and worked less hard.” I find both of these very important to living a happy life. Because of the demand that society and the people in society expect from us, we work super hard each day and expect for the approval of society. Sometimes we should all just take a break from what we’re doing and just sit back and relax. Work can never be finished in life and when we do finish it, then I believe your life is complete and there’s just no more purpose in it.

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    1. Excellent points, Philip! Thanks for sharing!

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  13. There is an old Chinese idiom that sounds like "Zhi Zu Chang Le," it means happiness comes from contentment. I think contentment really help people to develop a sense of happiness. When I think of happiness, I usually divided it into two portions. There is physical happiness and emotional happiness. Physical happiness comes from the satisfaction of physical pleasures such as buying something you want. Emotional happiness, on the other hand, involves feelings of love. One may seek emotional happiness through romantic relationships or having children.
    Being content helps people to be happy. If one lowers his expectations, then he will be satisfied with much less. A person with high expectations will not be happiness as often as someone who appreciates what he's got. A fine example would be some of the more well off. Studies have shown that rich people will spend much more time trying to earn money than the poor. I think sometimes, people feel lost, they become so attached to something that they forget about others. Sure, money can buy a lot of things. But there is so much more in life than buying whatever you want.

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    1. I very much like the Chinese saying! Thanks for sharing it as well as your interesting distinction of the two kinds of happiness!

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