This quote extends the idea from the previous quote about the Buddha's view of suffering. Both are promoting the idea that you can always be happy and that what you need to do in order to reach that happiness is let go of your preconceived notions of what you need in order to be happy, and realize that you can be happy now, not only when you attain some lofty goal.
I brainstormed what notions I think I need to be happy:
To have a healthy body, free of aches and pains. To never be sick or have a chronic illness. To bring home a substantial paycheck so that we can live comfortably and pay off debt. To have someone to love me and be there for support.
These are all great things to have, but I can still be happy if I have a sore back or if I have a job that pays less than I currently make, etc. I just need to work on releasing the negative thoughts/ideas that fulfillment of these goals is what will bring me the happiness I ultimately want. A practice I can do in order to begin to release the belief that I need these things before I can be happy is to say to myself the phrase "I am willing to let go of...(the idea that I must always be 100% healthy, etc). I am happy as I am." The idea is that if I take away that constant quest to make something better or to get to something that I don't currently have, I will release some of the pressure on myself to be different as well as the pressure of time and having too much to do. It helps to free up the moment to just be and to free your senses and mind to instead look around you and take in the moment. I am not saying that goals are bad, just that you can have them and also still be happy right now while you are on the journey towards reaching them. If you are always thinking you are unhappy until you get somewhere or someone, then you miss out on a lot of life's daily pleasures.
I brainstormed what notions I think I need to be happy:
To have a healthy body, free of aches and pains. To never be sick or have a chronic illness. To bring home a substantial paycheck so that we can live comfortably and pay off debt. To have someone to love me and be there for support.
These are all great things to have, but I can still be happy if I have a sore back or if I have a job that pays less than I currently make, etc. I just need to work on releasing the negative thoughts/ideas that fulfillment of these goals is what will bring me the happiness I ultimately want. A practice I can do in order to begin to release the belief that I need these things before I can be happy is to say to myself the phrase "I am willing to let go of...(the idea that I must always be 100% healthy, etc). I am happy as I am." The idea is that if I take away that constant quest to make something better or to get to something that I don't currently have, I will release some of the pressure on myself to be different as well as the pressure of time and having too much to do. It helps to free up the moment to just be and to free your senses and mind to instead look around you and take in the moment. I am not saying that goals are bad, just that you can have them and also still be happy right now while you are on the journey towards reaching them. If you are always thinking you are unhappy until you get somewhere or someone, then you miss out on a lot of life's daily pleasures.