Buddha says we create the world with our thoughts. Many people suggest consciously controlling our thoughts and filtering out the unnecessary, meditating by honing down what we focus on. What about opening the mind to a more full awareness of everyday experiences?
Excerpt below from longer full article at hackspirit
“In mindfulness one is not only restful and happy, but alert and awake. Meditation is not evasion; it is a serene encounter with reality.”
Thich Nhat Hanh says that many of us have the wrong idea about what happiness is. We believe that we have to be positive all the time, but the truth is, happiness is more about being mindful of the present moment.
“Our notions about happiness entrap us. We forget that they are just ideas. Our idea of happiness can prevent us from actually being happy. We fail to see the opportunity for joy that is right in front of us when we are caught in a belief that happiness should take a particular form…Peace can exist only in the present moment. It is ridiculous to say “Wait until I finish this, then I will be free to live in peace.” What is “this”? A diploma, a job, a house, the payment of a debt? If you think that way, peace will never come. There is always another “this” that will follow the present one. If you are not living in peace at this moment, you will never be able to. If you truly want to be at peace, you must be at peace right now. Otherwise, there is only “the hope of peace someday.”
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