I am in the middle of a big move and sometimes I think the stress of it all it trying to kill me. I think my body is literally breaking down from the worry, so wouldn’t it be great if we could just learn to make ourselves happy? Matthieu Ricard may have the key to that secret.
A Buddhist monk, Ricard is known as the “happiest man in the world.” It’s not because he always has a smile for the postman or waves at everyone he sees, Ricard has had MRIs done to shows he physically has a large level of positive emotions. Since becoming a monk in 1972, Ricard has written several books including “Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life’s Most Important Skill.”
Ricard was asked by AOL’s Justine van der Leun what happiness was. He replied, “Happiness is a way of being rather than an endless search for experiences.” He pointed out that listening to even the most beautiful music can get annoying after 24 straight hours of it. Happiness, as he put it, is inner peace, inner freedom, and inner strength.
How does Ricard maintain his seemingly constant state of happiness? He uses meditation to train his mind. Meditation helps your emotional balance “so you are not a slave to impulses like anger and craving.”
Ricard wrote the book “Why Meditation?” in which he discusses how just 30 minutes of silence a day can make you a happier person. Studies have shown that after 3 months of meditation, stress levels are reduced as is depression levels. Ricard says, “Sitting for that precious 30 minutes modifies the quality of the other 23 hours and 30 minutes.”
Ricard admits that negative emotions, such as anger, may have a purpose, but the idea is to let it all out and let it die down. And, sadness helps us feel compassion. He points out that even those that are sad “can continue to do wonderful things.”
He mentions out something I’ve touched on in the Green Living blog – many people seek happiness in material things, but that becomes a cycle for them. The emptier they feel, the more they buy, but it doesn’t really fill the void, so they get addicted to buying and selfishness.
He says that if you are feeling unfulfilled, help others to find meaning in life. Those that help others usually flourish with happiness.
That makes sense to me. So I am going to remember when I am miserable due to all the changes in my life, I should first turn off the television, the computer, the iPod, and sit for 30 minutes. Maybe I’ll concentrate on how great things are rather than focus on the negative. And continue to do volunteer work to help others.