Someone asked Buddha, “What is poison?” He gave a great answer; “Everything excess in life is poison.”
“Stop looking for roses and there will be no thorns.” — U G Krishnamurti
“The pursuit of happiness is the source of all unhappiness.”
Inhibition
A sense of trust allows us to connect with people and share intimacy of thought, which is key to happiness.
Most people are so closed that it bothers me; such as when I talk to a little girl and she does not answer, feeling awkward or hesitant likely due to the conditioning of her parents and friends about not talking to strangers or worse, being afraid of pedophiles. Such closed people may never be harmed by another person in their lifetimes, but they are certainly harming themselves on an ongoing basis, like dying a slow, painful death in anticipation of one’s death, rather than living one’s life to the fullest for however long one has to live. However people don’t realize this and spend their lives in pursuit of one special relationship with a significant other, to the exclusion of people at large, and then wonder why they feel lonely and disconnected in the absence of that one person.
People who are uninhibited spread joy to others who are similarly open to connecting with people. Beyond an open mind, radiate a warmth; initiate or respond with a smile, wave, handshake, hug or conversation; all work wonders to make us happy as a collective.
Student says, “I am very discouraged. What should I do?” Master says, “Encourage others.”
“You may think the grass is greener on the other side. But if you take the time to water your own grass it would be just as green.”
“If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present.” — Lao Tzu
“New beginnings are often disguised as painful endings…” — Lao Tzu
“If the love within your mind is lost, if you continue to see other beings as enemies, then no matter how much knowledge or education you have, no matter how much material progress is made, only suffering and confusion will ensue.” ― His Holiness The Dalai Lama XIV
“When you think everything is someone else’s fault, you will suffer a lot. When you realize that everything springs only from yourself, you will learn both peace and joy.” ― His Holiness The Dalai Lama XIV
“Consider how hard it is to change yourself and you’ll realize what little chance you have in trying to change others.”