Have you ever wondered why, in our modern times there are so many people who are unhappy? All around us, we see so many people who are achieving wealth and financial success, but are spiritually bankrupt. We see so many people who are achieving titles and labels, and having so many objects or things in their lives, but yet they are clearly lacking a sense of purpose, or a sense of meaning in their lives.
Today, I would like to cover a book called “The Book Of Joy”, by the Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu, which actually talk about eight pillars that they believe to be essential to achieving a life of joy and happiness. Four of those pillars come from the mind, while four of those come from the heart. Out of the four pillars that come from the mind, the first one is perspective, and it’s related to how we view things, or how we view events that have happened in our lives.
It’s Not What Happens To You, But How You Perceive It
I think we can all agree that how we perceive our World is how we are going to experience it. And because of this it becomes so important for us to start viewing things that happen in our life from a positive perspective. View life as a learning experience with a growth mindset instead of a fixed mindset.
This is not to say that the way to achieve joy and happiness is to never suffer. Most religions agree that suffering is a part of our lives and that we go through this roller coaster in our lives in order to learn, grow, and evolve. And the best way to achieve this is to come to the realization that it’s what happens to your life, but how you react to what happens in your life. For example, when you are on vacation, are you grateful that you are on this wonderful vacation relaxing and just enjoying the view? Enjoying where you are? Or, are you thinking about how dirty the room is, or how the sheets are not the right thread count? When at work, are you enjoying your task at hand or are you focused on the past or the future? To make it even more clearer, think about two people being involved in an accident and ending up in a wheel chair. One ends up being grateful for the opportunity to continue on earth, while the other does not see this blessing and instead chooses to interpret this as a curse. So you either perceive yourself as the the driver of your own destiny or a victim of circumstances.
Work On Your Inner Perception
This is why it’s powerful to understand that happiness and joy are an inside out job, so they don’t rely on things or experiences from the outside. You already have everything you need right now.
The good news is that changing your perspective is easier than changing your emotions. Emotions run deep down in our subconscious. They emanate from childhood experiences and are thus are more complicated. When it comes to perspective though, you can always learn to switch your perspective, into one that favors you more. This is why so many astronauts report having a greater perspective on our planet and life when they leave our atmosphere. As Wayne Dyer said, “change the way you look at things, and the things you look at will change”.
I hope this information will be helpful to help lift you up. Working on changing your perspective can really lift you up so I hope that you’ll choose the path to lifting yourself up every day.
Please remember to like share and comments on perspective…
Further resources:
Book of Joy by Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama
Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao by Wayne Dyer
