Analogy
Today it was very cold – 11 degrees Celcius. After waking up, I took shower and spent two hours on my desk. After those two hours I was freezing cold.
A quick thought came to my mind, taking another shower would make me cosy warm. Showering is an external source of warmth. As I always do, I heeded the advice of my mind. I went straight to the bathroom. I took a really warm shower. I took longer than usual in the bathroom in order to allow enough time to fully warm myself.
After the shower, I followed the ritual of drying my self and dressing up again. However, I realised something really funny. Although my aim of taking shower was to warm myself, I started feeling cold again.
It prompted me to think. Certainly if I wanted to keep warm I have to be taking shower every other hour. Surely this is not possible, I told myself.
Unhappiness is like feeling cold, we look for external sources of happiness instead of internal ones.
Then I thought again, if I took some heavy breakfast with some fatty food it would help keep myself warm. Viola it worked. This is an internal source of warmth
Real life
Unhappy life is like feeling cold. It is undesirable, It is draining feeling, it robs us the joy. Unhappiness makes you feel you deserve better, you feel you need to have some joy, a smile, some laughter, some spontaneity.
Life might be throwing all the tantrums at you which make you unhappy. With your clever mind you device all external solutions that you think will make you happy. For me, I thought shower would make me warm. These external sources are temporal; they are passing clouds, they not long-term, they are for a season. Like my shower they will make you warm for a short while after which you will feel cold again.
Some of these short-term sources of happiness include our valued earthly possessions such as; Mr/ Mrs right, good job, big education, earning a lot of money, investing in property or shares, buying land, going for a holiday, having children.
Since all these sources of happiness are short-term, we need long-term sources of happiness.
Long-term source of happiness comes only from within, comes from inside, comes from the inner-being. My warmth came from eating heavy and fatty food. The warmth was from inside. It kept me going. Similarly happiness that can keep us going need to come from inside. Needs to be grounded inside our values and beliefs. It should not be wavering. It should not be dependent on financial circumstances or how others view us. It must be an inner conviction.
Inner source of happiness
Inner sources of happiness are baptised with different names. Christians call it salvation or believing in Jesus Christ, scientists call it discovering, other religions call it awakening, enlightenment. All these are sign posts pointing to one thing -inner source of happiness.
The inner happiness comes from acquiring a liberating knowledge. A new knowledge that helps you to be enlightened. Knowledge that helps us move away from happiness derived in material wealth. Knowledge that creates an insurmountable inner peace. Knowledge that is shared by others with equivalent inner peace. Knowledge that creates calmness in the middle of storm.
Various authors have written books that provide knowledge that point us to the inner source of happiness. The books that I have used and delivered stellar results in my life include:
1. The bible
2. The power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
3. New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
4. Four Agreements by Don Miquel Ruiz
5. I need your love-Is that true?: How to stop seeking love, approval, and appreciation and start finding them instead by Byrone Katie
I would recommend any of these books. If you need any of them and cannot afford it please email me. My email:joshua.arimi (at)changeyourt (dot) com.
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{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
@Alice, sure happiness should never depend on the circumstance or whats happening, or your financial, education, social standing but a inner character
thanks alot i have had that kind of feeling but when i realised my happiness need not be dependant on other factors i feel that whatever situation im facing is only a passing cloud.
@Robert, Paps, Sal, Silvester, mercy, thanks for your comments. I also enjoy your writings. Actually some ofyour writings inspired me.
Very inspiring indeed Joshua! Still reading the ebook i downloaded but still wondering whether i cud get an mp3 version of the same. Cheers
Thanks for this Joshua. I will definitely try to get the Eckhart Tolle's books.
This is really great stuff. Thnx
Powerful Bro. Keep up the spirit!
@Derrick,Thanks, Bible remains the mother source of all. For more specific issues in life, there are equally authoritative books out there. Look around.
@Muchai, thanks
Thanks for the deep thoughts and more important listing The Bible as the first source of knowledge.I'm yet to come across another book which is as authoritative as the Bible
Very nice for today and many days to come
That's a gold mine in letters bro.
Wow! Im pleasantly surprised that someone i know follows the principles in The Power of Now! Just known about it for like a year now. Currently trying to study about Psycho-Cybernetics. Your self-help stuff is pure gold, brother..
Thanks Mutua, all books and videos of Eckhart Tolle are for sure wonderful. Psycho-cybernetics is claimed to be the foundation of all self-help material currently available in paper or electronic media. I wrote abot Psycho-cybernetics here http://www.joshuaarimi.com/2009/06/30/book-recommedation-to-my-fellow-africans-wishing-to-change-the-way-they-thinkk-for-better/
Thanks Mutua, all books and videos of Eckhart Tolle are for sure wonderful. Psycho-cybernetics is claimed to be the foundation of all self-help material currently available in paper or electronic media. I wrote about Psycho-cybernetics in other blog http://www.joshuaarimi.com/2009/06/30/book-recommedation-to-my-fellow-africans-wishing-to-change-the-way-they-thinkk-for-better/