Gelong Thubten: A Monk’s Guide to Happiness
If you could develop a superpower, what would it be? Although most people would pick a power you find within the comic books, one which is rarely thought of but could be very impactful is the ability to have on-demand happiness.
This potentially life-changing ability would help people deal with any adversity, and help them stay calm in some tumultuous times.
- Audible Audiobook
- Gelong Thubten (Author) – Gelong Thubten (Narrator)
- English (Publication Language)
- 08/11/2020 (Publication Date) – Macmillan Audio (Publisher)
What if this super-power were readily available to you today?
Thubten’s makes the case that this super-power is achievable today, in his book, “A Monk’s Guide to Happiness,” there are three main points we will explore:
- Happiness is a feeling of fullness and freedom in the present moment
- If we look for happiness outside of ourselves, we’re headed for unhappiness
- By practicing mindfulness in everyday situations, we can turn it into a habit
Lesson 1: Happiness is a feeling of fullness and freedom in the present moment
When you are asked what happiness is, how do you answer? It’s essential for you to have this definition in mind, as you can’t find something if you don’t know what you are looking for!
There are typically three components of happiness, which include Contentment, Anchored in the Present, and Freedom.
Contentment, in this sense, means we are not longing for something we do not have. This could be anything in life, whether it’s a job, a house, a car, or even a circumstance. If you are content, it means you are satisfied with what you have.
Anchored in the Present means, we do not dwell on events in the past, which could cause us to have some self-doubt. You also don’t think about the future and any anxiety which might come with this thought process. Just focus on the current moment
Lastly, Freedom is literally a feeling unshackled from any sources of unhappiness. Freedom is not letting ourselves become depressed from any negative thoughts and emotions.
Lesson 2: If we look for happiness outside of ourselves, we’re headed for unhappiness
When we look for pleasure or satisfaction from an external source, something we may not realize at the time is nothing lasts forever. No matter if you are dealing with a material item or a relationship, it might bring you happiness initially.
However, over time, happiness could diminish, and because you are using this as your source of joy, you will tend to attempt to control or hold onto it longer than you should.
Once this external source of happiness has failed, you will start dealing with anxiety and behavior, where you will continue to see yourself as a failure.
If you continue to look for an outside source for your happiness, you tend never to be satisfied with your current surroundings, which will only push you further into isolation.
Lesson 3: By practicing mindfulness in everyday situations, we can turn it into a habit
Practicing meditation every day can help anchor you to the present. Meditation gives you the freedom to only focus upon the things which make you internally happy. This is not something, though, which can happen overnight.
As with any skill we have, one must practice this on a semi-regular basis. Meditation is a three-step process that consists of three easy to understand but hard to master steps.
Step One is to focus on the present. This means you should focus on something very tangible, like your own body or an object in the room. This is setting your mind to an anchor.
Step Two is to catch yourself when your mind starts to drift away from the anchor point.
Step Three is to bring your attention back to your anchor once you have noticed it is adrift.
Once you have started to conquer this technique, you can then begin anchoring your thoughts to almost anything in your life, especially something which brings you happiness within yourself.
The more you practice this concept, the sooner it could become your reality, and you’ll be able to utilize this peace and mindfulness in dealing with any life situation.
Download The Book On Audible For Free
🤙 Your Next Step… 🤙
Head across to one of the following pages for more goodies
🍕 Read our Blinkist review and become a member of Blinkist. Read or listen to 3000+ full version quality summaries!
🍕 Read our list of the best business books of all time
🍕 Read some more of our book summaries
🍕 See our top book summary apps