Basically, these are the things I don’t believe in anymore:
1. Things, substances and even people will make me happy
This is a tricky one because this one can still sneak up on you if you’re not paying attention and freak the shit out of you.
2. Mistakes
If you believe that something you’ve done is a mistake, you are only hurting yourself. Mistakes = Regret. We make choices. If the choices don’t turn out like you want, they become learning experiences. Figure out what you have learned rather than regretting what you’ve done.
3. Expectations
We can never control or predict what people will do so, for me, having expectations of people or situations only leads to disappointment and frustration.
4. Problems are unique
My problems are the world’s problems. They are not special. I like to think of us like a bunch of ants being looked at through a scientists telescope.
5. Anything will lead to my ultimate happiness
I only need to act on my passions so my life follows an unknown path with twists and turns and hills and valleys and so my life is an adventurous journey of a million miles rather than trip around the block to the 7-11.
6. I know the answers
What’s right for me is not always right for anyone else. What’s right for someone else, depends on their own experiences and perspectives.
“I don’t believe in Beatles, I just believe in me” ~John Lennon
25 Jul 2010 at 12:30
Leslie
Happiness, Laughing
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So many things have been on my mind these days. People, places, passion, love, hate, career, kids, future, present, past, friends, happiness.
What’s important? I’ve had several conversations with friends lately about passion and the consensus is that the way to happiness is to have passions in your life. To find what you feel personally passionate about and take every opportunity you come across to allow you to live out that passion. It seems, if we have a passion, then we have an identity, we have a goal or a purpose, we have a love that can’t die. I think a lot of people use relationships to have passion in our lives. But as we all know, the passion in relationships eventually dies out and that leaves us without a passion.
It seems, those people without passions in their life are almost dead inside. They’re lost.
“The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning.”
I’ve noticed that as I shed layers of crap that has weighed me down for too long, I become more and more passionate about all kinds of things. This is exactly why we must nurture ourselves before we can do anything worth while in this life, like take care of those important to us.
Right now, for some reason, I can’t learn enough about religion. It started with an interest in Buddhism but now is reaching farther beyond just that. As I researched deeper into the religion, I became more and more interested in where all religions came from and why they are necessary for people. It seems that religion is not just some belief system but that it stems from people seeking something. Seeking salvation and direction and answers and guidance in life.
I’ve also come to realize that pretty much all religions have the same basic principle. Be a good person. Now, whether or not every person in every religion fully understands what this means, is a different story.
I used think I didn’t need religion. I used to think that I know how to be a good person and don’t need any rules written down or told to me in order to be a good person. But, now I am realizing that I do want and need religion in my life. Not to tell me how to be a good person but to help me grow more and more as a good person. To remind me on a daily basis that people are good deep down and they deserve good, too. To remind me that I am not perfect and that there is always room for improvement. To give me tools to use when I am confused, frustrated or emotional. To remind me that I am a good person and encourage me to help others in every way I can. To realize I have nothing to complain about. To keep faith in my heart that everything will be ok.
I don’t know that I will ever settle on one religion. I do have trouble entrusting and attributing my life to one ‘being’ and I do think of religion more of a philosophical and psychological thing but appreciate it as more than that. The more I learn about Buddhism, the more I feel it’s a part of me but I am going to keep my heart and mind open to anything and everything. I’ll keep you posted on what I find.
“Once we shift from seeing self to seeing openness, we become truly appreciative of life and fully become a grace for others.”
“When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.”
By the way, I am working on my own religion for me, so I’ll keep you posted on that, too 