<img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/creed-community.appspot.com/o/images%2F0.49405824429971371628614727299%2FGrounding%20through%20Art_Aashiqa_1.webp?alt=media&token=f58cb8e9-af1a-46c2-a803-98365faa2176" alt="" width="477" height="716" />You wouldn't feel anxiety if you were indeed in the present moment.&nbsp;"If you feel anxiety or depression, you are not in the present. You are either anxiously projecting the future or depressed and stuck in the past." &ndash; Tobe Hanson, Performance Coach and Author of 'The Four Seasons Way of Life.'Consider a ball of yarn. When let a little loose from one end, such that the yarn can roll out as a single strand, the ball continues to release more free thread with every turn it takes on the other end. The strand does not take a singular straight path. Some parts of it fall upon others, looping and piling at times until the whole ball disappears &ndash; into a messy pile of yarn. It is cumbersome to roll it back into the ball it was before the fall. To bring it back to exactly like it was &ndash; impossible!How are our minds any different from such a ball of yarn? It's not uncommon to find ourselves zoning out at times, imagining scenarios that do not help our inner peace. All minds don't react the same way; many factors could have swayed an individual's growth and development, influencing the mind. Some minds are more stable than others and co-operate reasonably to regain the lost focus. Some minds tend to slip ahead, strand out quicker and more easily than the others, making it difficult to recollect the misplaced focus. The latter is how the minds of anxious people work.&nbsp; Their thoughts and feelings add up, one upon the other, similar to a string, forming a heap that's disturbing as well as indiscernible.Some people have to keep doing something 'efficient', which captures their focus because their minds are like slippery and quick-rolling balls of yarn that clutter, when let even a little loose. When the mind goes abuzz with such overwhelming chaos, the breath goes out of rhythm and continues to remain so until the person finally notices his jaws clenched and shoulders tensed. A heavy sigh follows, trying to get the breath pattern back. Imagine this happening every day, multiple times even. Isn't it hard when we take a long time to realize that we need to get ourselves back to the present? Well, the damage would have been done already.<img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/creed-community.appspot.com/o/images%2F0.49405824429971371628614727299%2FGrounding%20through%20art_Aashiqa_2.webp?alt=media&token=79f3f276-bcbe-4cc3-8e74-f3e0aa8a548b" alt="" width="763" height="508" />It gets easier to tackle this problem through 'grounding.' What is grounding, and what can you do to ground yourself?&nbsp;In simple words, grounding refers to activities, at times, as simple as breathing, that help coax your mind to realize that you are in the present and be aware of your surroundings, the environment, and your feelings within. There are a variety of grounding techniques that professionals suggest. One of them is Therapy through Art!Art and Grounding:Our minds are naturally searching for creativity and ways of expressing. Art is synonymously associated with creativity and hence is indeed a medium of grounding. It has been practiced professionally and proven to be a valid grounding route, introducing a whole field called 'Art Therapy' that integrates the disciples of Art and Psychology.&nbsp; It is now widely accepted and implemented worldwide in schools, hospitals, military bases, and personal therapy plans.As a therapy method, Art Therapy is considered the most convenient of all, since one can practice it regardless of age, without needing any licensed guidance. The goal is to be more aware, satisfied, and to find joy in the process.Following is how Art helps the mind:<ul> <li> It calms the nervous system:</li></ul>One of the most impressive benefits of art therapy is an instant feeling of calmness. From what could be because of patterns, colors, swirls of paint, and synchronized hand movement, the noise inside the mind quiets down, lightening the muscles in the body and syncing one's breath and heartbeat. We attain clarity of thoughts consequently, allowing one to take in the reality of their situation, resolve inner conflicts, and to be free of any worries.<ul> <li> It increases Self- Awareness:</li></ul>When we offer an outlet to one's vulnerability, self-awareness follows. Often while painting, drawing, or engaging in any Art, one's creativity is exhibited in such a way that it is associated with their emotions. What is expressed without finds its roots within. This way, by focusing on creativity, one focuses on their subconscious feelings and discovers new aspects of their character.<img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/creed-community.appspot.com/o/images%2F0.49405824429971371628614727299%2FGrounding%20through%20art_Aashiqa_3.webp?alt=media&token=fcfe5b33-662f-48c9-aa88-a276e344e9a3" alt="" width="764" height="502" /><ul> <li>&nbsp;It encourages creative Self-Expression:</li></ul>For those who struggle with anxiety, understanding feelings, or handling emotions, Art can serve as a safe platform to express things they may otherwise find extremely hard to share. Whether done individually or with a therapist's aid, the artist will find compassion in the process for themself to express constructively and creatively. Expressing in this manner would help them feel deeply, acknowledge and inspect their various emotions.The next time you feel like you may slip into unnecessary thinking, grab a book, some colored pencils, paint, or markers. Unleash whatever your mind proposes. Embrace the inner child in you, and grant credits to your mind, body, and soul for being able to produce your hidden self so beautifully. You'll look at your hands, find them messy and yet, smile.

Grounding through Art – In search of the present

<img alt="" src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/creed-community.appspot.com/o/images%2F0.106371827230216321636142948157%2Fimage3.webp?alt=media&token=f22dfe36-43eb-49d8-b681-1257a100da82" > A Happy Meal&nbsp;&ndash; A hamburger, a portion of nuggets, regular-sized french fries and a tall glass of an aerated drink. What can be happier than this? One of my friends asked on Instagram after uploading a picture of the happy meal. Her foodstagramming immediately gave me a surge of hunger, and to satisfy my impulsive craving, I felt like I needed to order a happy meal. However, something caught my eye. Her other comment said, &ldquo;A happy tummy makes the mind happy&rdquo;. It made me think. Is your tummy really happy? <h2 class="c2" id="h.9v9nfepbyzst">Effects - Short and Long</h2> A happy meal is a concoction of saturated or trans fats, sugar and salt. Its immediate effects are on your digestive system due to high amounts of fat, sucrose and sodium. Stomach discomfort and lethargy are the short-term effects that some of you might experience after having such a humongous meal. According to Medical News Today, constipation, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart diseases are the long-term effects. They also suggest that a &quot;happy meal&quot; diet may also raise the risk of Alzheimer&rsquo;s disease and Parkinson&rsquo;s disease. Obesity seems to top the list of long-term effects. World Health Organisation (WHO) has also stated on their website that 1.9 billion adults were overweight in 2016, and 650 million obese. Another staggering study conducted on 100 adolescents by the European Journal of Molecular &amp; Clinical Medicine showed that 90% of them consume fast food. Furthermore, out of all the effects of fast food consumption, 37% of the participants had trouble sleeping, 24% had worrying nature or fatigue, 17% had undergone depression, 14% had emotional distress, and 8% showed violent behaviour. In conclusion, a study made by European Journal of Molecular &amp; Clinical Medicine concludes that impact of fast food leads to depression. Therefore, in the long run, fast food affects not only your body but also your mind. <h3 class="c1 c10" id="h.1gsg56sjbdd5">Did you know WHO had challenged food industries in a report on diet and health?</h3> As per a journal from the National Center for Biotechnology Information, WHO had called on the food industry to reduce amounts of certain types of fats as well as salt and sugar in snacks and processed foods. They had also criticized the food and drinks industry for &ldquo;heavy marketing practices of energy-dense, micronutrient-poor foods.&rdquo; The last statement made me question the marketing tactics used by the food industries and I started digging deeper. <h2 class="c2" id="h.v9l2o3oz42d2">How Food Marketing Works</h2> Take the example of a happy meal. The word &ldquo;happy&rdquo; used in the advertisements is quite misleading as it does not necessarily keep your stomach healthy. Still, your mind looking for temporary joy will make you buy the happy meal without a moment&rsquo;s thought. Furthermore, the fast-food companies&rsquo; advertisements typically show a family eating at their chain and a kid enjoying a burger with a smile on his face. They also offer a bunch of toys with the meal making the kid excited and wanting to visit again soon. Happiness is the key focus in these advertisements. These companies make you believe that families are enjoying their time at the fast-food joints without regard for what harm it can cause you? But we know the truth now. It made me question the ethics of the advertising world. <img alt="" src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/creed-community.appspot.com/o/images%2F0.106371827230216321636142948157%2Fimage1.webp?alt=media&token=d0412453-fc06-488a-8d24-a9054e8d5d27" > <h2 class="c2" id="h.l5b9y6jinmwk">Ethical vs Unethical Advertising</h2> <h4 class="c1 c10" id="h.dglgg7npd0ks">&ldquo;What is the difference between unethical and ethical advertising? Unethical advertising uses falsehoods to deceive the public; ethical advertising uses the truth to deceive the public.&rdquo; &ndash; Vilhjalmur Stefansson</h4> Yes, it is a confusing quote. I had never thought that truth could be used to deceive, yet this quote made sense. Take the happy meal advertisement as an example again. The truth is that the consumers are happy after having a meal. Families do enjoy their time dining at the fast-food joints, and it cannot be denied. Hence, it is ethical advertising as it shows the truth. But what makes our mind happy is not necessarily the same for our tummy. So, the deceiving here is, not mentioning in the advertisements - the high amount of fats, sucrose and sodium levels that fast food contains and the side effects and long-term effects of the food on our body. <h2 class="c2" id="h.hc31krrseuk8">So, do we just switch to healthy food?</h2> Though you know the ill effects of fast food and how the food industry advertisements are wired to your mind, it is still not easy to stay away from unhealthy food. Your mind wants instant gratification, and so it depends on material things like food to be happy. Marketing professionals are shrewdly aware of this concept, and the advertisements are always there to get you. To deal with this, you need to make a conscious effort to fight the urge to make your mind happy with the food. Ask yourself these questions the next time you want to have a happy meal: <ol class="c15 lst-kix_i3v6b4gmn81l-0 start" start="1"> <li class="c1 c6 li-bullet-0">Will a happy meal make me and my stomach happy?</li> <li class="c1 c6 li-bullet-0">Should I invest in food that is going to make me unhealthy?</li> <li class="c1 c6 li-bullet-0">Is the temporary joy of fast food greater than the long-term illness caused by it?</li> </ol> These questions will make you focus on the larger consequence and help you curb the need for instant gratification through food. Eating healthy is a dire need not only for your body but also for your mind. <img alt="" src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/creed-community.appspot.com/o/images%2F0.106371827230216321636142948157%2Fimage2.webp?alt=media&token=01a851e7-7ce2-4fbb-8ffe-dc653d3d38a0" > Don&#39;t forget that what makes you happy does not necessarily make you healthy. So, how do you avoid unhealthy food? Share your experience with us.

What Makes You Happy, Does it Also Make You Healthy

<img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/creed-community.appspot.com/o/images%2F0.0321242839774038561628072884185%2FLed%20Lighted%20Sun_MattheusBiermann_1.webp?alt=media&token=401251ed-e2fa-4375-84ed-ded865f7880c" alt="" /> Social media has an immense influence on the world. It is a gift, but that doesn&rsquo;t seem to be so self-evident. With the Greek myth of Icarus, it is possible to understand why the advantage of social media is not so clear and how we can use it for our benefit. The myth is one of the most famous ones telling the story of Daedalus and his son Icarus, both trapped in a maze until Daedalus, an ingenious craftsman, has the idea of creating wings out of feathers and wax. He successfully develops the wings. However, knowing the dangers of the same, the craftsman warns his son: &ldquo;Take the middle way because the moisture will weigh down your wings if you fly too low. But if you go too high, the sun will scorch them.&rdquo; Ignoring his father&rsquo;s warnings, blinded by the graciousness of flight, Icarus flew too close to the sun and fell to his death. Although the wings were well built, their poor use led to a tragedy. The same is true for social media. With the creation of a digital space where people from all around the world can interact, humanity should be connected and happier since we are social beings. However, this is not the case. The led lights on our smartphones are almost like the sun, shining bright and capturing our attention, falling in love with the notifications of someone liking our photos; we got addicted to the images and forgot the real purpose of those inventions.&nbsp; This forgetting is dangerous since a tool can become a weapon at the moment the purpose of it is changed. And with social media, the danger is the merchandising of happiness, as if while scrolling down or upon our phones, we may find sparks of joy. We do get those sparks. &nbsp;Harvard University researcher Trevor Haynes wrote an article exploring the relation between pumps of dopamine and several tools on the internet, such as posting a picture on Instagram and the notifications we receive on our smartphones. When an individual receives likes, the same is rewarded with a small dose of dopamine, reinforcing that behavior to be anxious if he doesn&rsquo;t receive the likes and &ldquo;happier&rdquo; if more people like the picture. That&rsquo;s basically how any drug works, with those pumps of dopamine reinforcing a habit, and for that matter, Social Media Addiction is a real and serious problem that requires attention. <img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/creed-community.appspot.com/o/images%2F0.0321242839774038561628072884185%2FLed%20Lighted%20Sun_MattheusBiermann_2.webp?alt=media&token=e8be00cb-fa96-4513-adad-59cb2758a50b" alt="" width="763" height="486" /> The solution is not to abandon technology and return to a primitive state because that wouldn&rsquo;t be the middle way. It would be &ldquo;flying low&rdquo;, which can also be a problem. However, the understanding of the social media mechanisms is crucial to developing better use of the platforms. Most importantly, one must be cautious not to fly too high and fall for being blinded by the unreal, superficial, and addictive dangers that lurk in social media.

The Connection Between Social Media and Happiness

<img alt="" src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/creed-community.appspot.com/o/images%2F0.321155603259925871636393495345%2Fimage1.webp?alt=media&token=d7a2c47e-a605-43fb-9fae-91a9b09eb5e7" > We must not chain the people in our lives. If we love them for who they are, we must accept that we are only a tiny part of it. There are multiple facets, roles, interests and responsibilities to a person. For them to remain wholesome, they must not be limited to one person or one roIe. If you clip a few feathers of a bird you love to make it fly only in one direction, you will render the bird unable to fly at all. You will lose the essence of the person that you wanted to keep for yourself. Birds look a lot better when they fly, and metaphorically so do humans. When you love someone, you want to be the centre of their universe. You want them to spend all their time with you, and you want them to give all their attention to you. You want them to hang out, eat, sleep only with you, and talk to only you. You feel jealous and betrayed when they spend this time with someone else or put up boundaries to keep that time for themselves. It is not limited to romantic relationships, but it is about any person you come close to, a cousin, friend, or a parent even. You feel like you want to put them in a cage and not let go so that it does not fly away. The intention is noble. You promise to reciprocate all of what they do and give. You give them your time and attention. Even then, you are still caging them. The difference is that the cage is a shiny golden one. We all do this. Sometimes knowingly and unknowingly at others. Take, for instance, how situations change after two people get married. Their personal and social lives shrink, they don&#39;t go out as much, their friends and hobbies take a back seat. They don&#39;t spend as much time alone as they used to. But people fail to realise that everything they did before marriage added to their personalities and made them appealing to their partners in the first place. Take those away, and you hear people saying, &quot;You have changed.&quot; It shouldn&#39;t come as a surprise. If you think that after being with you people have changed, notice the difference in the things they used to do before. If there is a stark contrast, you have your reason. Maybe they used to have a lot of solitude to process a lot more and be more articulate. But now they are so busy with you that they hardly ever get the time. And hence, they don&#39;t register as much or don&#39;t articulate as well. &quot;If you make someone&#39;s life all about you, you will lose them. If you make your life about all someone else, you will lose yourself.&quot; <img alt="" src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/creed-community.appspot.com/o/images%2F0.321155603259925871636393495345%2Fimage2.webp?alt=media&token=5147eedf-282c-4f2b-a807-26ef4be007b7" > Take the case of a parent that devotes their life to their kids. They give up everything they want to raise the child. They stop reading because they are always running after the child and stop going out since the child does not do well socially. They stop going on road trips they loved because the child gets claustrophobic in cars. In this process, they trade their identity as an individual for being a parent. But they deprive the child of the thing they deserve most, their parent. It is not to say that they don&#39;t get pleasure from raising their kid as best they can, but is it all there is to their life? Let&#39;s switch boats and think about the child. It is commonplace for the parent to get burned out. But they don&#39;t have a place to vent. They can&#39;t take a breather, so irritability, lack of patience, and uncontrolled temper start to fester. The parent might also begin to resent the child. Picking up on that irritability and anger, they become the child&rsquo;s default. By now, the child is also used to getting their way and being the centre of attention. Narcissistic tendencies start to develop. They create a sense of entitlement in their lives. Connect the dots. You have a child with narcissistic tendencies, irritability and anger as their default. Not a pretty picture. The parent destroyed the very thing they set out to build and nurture. You now understand the power of caging and clipping feathers. It can cause a lot of harm, even when it comes from a place of appreciation and love. But things are not always so sombre. Suppose the people you love are in the wrong circles, which is ultimately detrimental to them. In that case, you can use selective caging to protect your bird from metaphorical pollution. It is what you do with your children to prevent them from hanging out with the wrong peer group. If loving does not mean you should cage people, it also does not mean they should have free reign to do as they please. Balance is key. Have you ever caged the people you love, or have you ever been caged? Share your story in the comments.

Why Cage the People We Love?

<img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/creed-community.appspot.com/o/images%2F0.169789187694630471638958360820%2Fimage1.webp?alt=media&token=a1895264-6d7f-4efd-bcb2-ddde75d5f999" alt="File preview" width="700" height="466" /> Throughout this day, you will probably encounter numerous works of art. It may be a photograph on Instagram, poetry on Twitter, or just a piece of music you will listen to while cleaning the dishes. If you stop to think about it, art is all around us, and what&rsquo;s more, art is playing a central role in our lives, in such a way that if you were asked to imagine a world without art, you might not even be capable of doing so. We must be grateful for people who create art. But there isn&rsquo;t such a person because art has never been created. It was only perceived and expressed. We can barely rely on the definition of art because the concept itself is vast and abstract, and what one finds beautiful seems dull to another. Well, since art hasn&rsquo;t been created, when did we start to perceive it? How did we get here, in a world whose infrastructure depends on artistic thinking? The first form of art we know of is rock art, and it took place in the caves of prehistory. The moment where one decided to print its hand on rock using coal and other materials as &ldquo;paint&rdquo;. The first breath of art came with the thought: I exist, I&rsquo;ve been here, &nbsp;and that was an act of rebellion against death itself because to be remembered is to also be alive in other people&rsquo;s minds. Time passed, we as individuals became more sophisticated and judgmental, like a fire that may change its flames but will not fail to keep warm, and most importantly, it won&rsquo;t allow darkness to take complete control of us. We have passed through the greek sculptures, the Mona Lisa, literature, forms of dance, movies, architecture, and even science. &nbsp;All those forms of art, though different, share one thing in common: They give a different meaning to our existence. It&rsquo;s not just because the piece is either amazing, beautiful, or provoking. Still, it resides in the idea that we, as mortal beings, can bring such wonderfulness to existence. <img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/creed-community.appspot.com/o/images%2F0.169789187694630471638958360820%2Fimage2.webp?alt=media&token=493204c0-1879-4344-93f8-771201c1540b" alt="File preview" width="700" height="466" /> However, art should not only be seen but also lived. The graffiti in the next corner looks out for each one of us as a reminder of the ancient artists. Despite being more vulnerable to life&rsquo;s dangers, they knew the importance of art, the appreciation of existence and the importance of authenticity. So a good exercise is to consciously look at art differently. It may be something simple as &ldquo;this landscape would give a good photograph&rdquo; or complex as &ldquo;well, this person looks like it came straight out of a play&rdquo;. The goal is to sharpen our minds so that we don&rsquo;t ignore the details around us and remember that we exist and are here. How has art reminded you of your existence? Share your story with us in the comments.

Art: A Friendly Reminder of Existence

<img alt="" src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/creed-community.appspot.com/o/images%2F0.29411008958638441634458556244%2Fimage2.webp?alt=media&token=3a4a079c-4d62-4984-a52a-06dbcba44806" title=""> War and peace, though opposite in principles, yet emerge from the same human mind. Our mind is one of the strongest forces of nature. History has shown that mankind has created, from time to time, some of the most ruthless rulers, tyrannical dictators, warmongers who wage war for unwarranted reasons. At the same time, it has given birth to saints, monks, religious and spiritual leaders, messengers of God, to counter the ill effects of war and preach about peace. But the biggest contemplating question is, is world peace attainable?&nbsp; <h2 class="c1" id="h.gqjfu0py7tr9">What is Peace?</h2> <h4 class="c4" id="h.y7er6n7pra8s">&ldquo;Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding&rdquo; &ndash; Albert Einstein</h4> &nbsp;Yes, understanding &lsquo;peace&rsquo; is vital if we yearn for world peace, as without understanding, it is difficult to find solutions. Peace in layman&rsquo;s terms is the absence of war. Sounds, simple right? But, we know it is complicated. Even though we have world organisations (such as the UN) and peace treaties in place, we feel that world peace is a distant dream. &nbsp; It is because we know the country that we live in already holds weapons of mass destruction aimed at other countries in the name of defence. The same is the case for those countries as well. As long as we have arms and ammunition, war is inevitable. Now, let us look at some solutions that can nudge us towards much-needed peace. <ol class="c11 lst-kix_c68h1nxiyv8-0 start" start="1"> <li class="c8 c10 li-bullet-0">Control of Arms</li> </ol> As easy as it may sound. It is an impossible solution. Read history books from any country, and it will show the progression of the weapons used by humans. From swords, arrows, horses to assault rifles, bombs, and battle tanks. War has evolved faster than humans. Humans took millions of years to evolve from monkeys, weapons took only a couple of hundred years, and they are still evolving exponentially. Trillions of dollars are spent on arms worldwide. An abrupt control of arms connotes an end to a trillion-dollar market, which is impossible. So, this solution is ruled out. <img alt="" src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/creed-community.appspot.com/o/images%2F0.29411008958638441634458556244%2Fimage1.webp?alt=media&token=dc0c18b8-1cbf-4a96-8596-b0a723ca31d8" > &nbsp; <ol class="c11 lst-kix_c68h1nxiyv8-0" start="2"> <li class="c8 c10 li-bullet-0">One World Government</li> </ol> Yes, it is a far-fetched and fictional solution. Let us go beyond our imagination to check if this works. One World Government sounds like a fantasy, but can it bring peace to the world? Imagine all countries choosing one Government and one leader. There will be no competition to develop and sell arms. Peace is guaranteed. &nbsp; I don&rsquo;t think this is possible even if my imagination runs wild. World Wars 1 and 2 have shown that countries ally with other compatible countries who have the same interest in developing arms in the name of defence. Dominating the world has always been the goal of few leaders. These leaders, to this day, will not allow the &lsquo;One World Government&rsquo; to be formed. Let&#39;s strike this off the list. &nbsp; <ol class="c11 lst-kix_c68h1nxiyv8-0" start="3"> <li class="c8 c10 li-bullet-0">Peace Treaties</li> </ol> The word &lsquo;peace&rsquo; does not sell as it is a loss of a trillion-dollar business. Peace is invaluable when war generates revenue. Hence, the treaties of 194 countries in our world are another fiction. Propagandists who make sure that treaties fail are more potent than the diplomats who play by the rules. It is another solution that does not work. <h2 class="c1" id="h.8f7mcdjt1j0d">Then, what is the solution? </h2> <h4 class="c4" id="h.olifscyd5ps5">&ldquo;Peace in the world relies in individuals finding inner peace&rdquo; - Dalai Lama</h4> From ancient preachers to modern-day religious leaders, inner peace has been the core subject of their teaching. Consider any religion, and it preaches love and peace, among other things; however, the keyword is peace in all faiths. The great philosophers and spiritual leaders had realised that inner peace is attainable, not world peace. We have failed to understand them and followed them blindly. <img alt="" src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/creed-community.appspot.com/o/images%2F0.29411008958638441634458556244%2Fimage3.webp?alt=media&token=2db024d8-ee9e-4712-84d9-1051c52e3e34" > Therefore the solution lies in us and not in our political leaders who we rely on for peace. In life, we have always been focusing more on war and unknowingly glorified them in our minds. In this instance, it is the war criminals. For example, there are hundreds of documentaries on Hitler. They are often the most-watched, but we seldom learn from the messengers of peace. The overabundance of religious texts and books teaches peace is the way of life, yet the stories of Hitler fascinate us. Next in line is the blame culture. We think that world peace is the responsibility of the world leaders, and when they fail (which they often do) - we blame them. We feel satisfied when we blame as we do not want to take responsibility, and we think that humanity deserves world peace. Such an ignorant attitude is the cause of romanticizing warmongers and leaders with no agenda of peace. As the Dalai Lama quoted on inner peace, we as individuals need to find inner peace first. Just as charity begins at home, world peace starts with us. We need first to change ourselves and find peace inside us. Follow peaceful content and practice methods to find inner peace. When we find inner peace, nothing else matters as we have won ourselves. So tell us, are you going to blame the government or change yourself to find inner peace?

World Peace: A Layman’s Dream or an Attainable Feat?

<img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/creed-community.appspot.com/o/article_images%2FLove%20and%20Let%20go_1.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=f2e91140-46c7-419c-bf2d-3fc16ef99a63" alt="File preview" width="740" height="490" />&nbsp; Someone asks you, what is love? And if you start humming in your mind‼ Oh, baby, don&rsquo;t hurt me, don&rsquo;t hurt me, no more‼; then you are born in the 80s or the 90s. The song &ldquo;What is love?&rdquo; recorded by Trinidadian-German Eurodance artist Haddaway from 1993, was a massive hit in at least 13 countries. The catchy lyrics and the nostalgic music of this song are still discussed when a question arises about love. We look at love in terms of happiness. We do not think that love can be risky. Our intentions and expectations are, &ldquo;To love and to be loved&rdquo; - yet in a relationship, we might not be loved back or receive all the love we want, but the relationship would have turned sour. So, what next? <h4>&ldquo;If you love something so much, let it go. If it comes back it was meant to be; if it, doesn&rsquo;t it never was&rdquo; &ndash; Albert Schweitzer</h4> Letting go is an abrupt answer but is it that easy? Considering the time invested in the relationship and the bond developed over the years, letting a relationship go when it turns sour causes extreme distress. Sometimes, giving it a chance does work. The difficult decision is when to give the relationship another chance and when to let it go. Love is a matter of the heart, not the mind. When a relationship goes south, it is time to use our intelligence instead of relying on emotions. Let us first learn about relationships based on the types of love. There are three: 1.One-Sided Love Love is blind; maybe this is why some fall in love mindlessly with someone who will not reciprocate. You may fall in love with a person and never express your feelings. Or you express but face rejection. In both cases, you continue to love the person. The reason for refusal could be plenty &ndash; another lover, not the right type, commitment issues, etc. nonetheless, the love does not recede once it catches on. We need to understand that this love is real, and so is the suffering of rejection in one-sided love. 2.Mutual Love A dream relationship is one where the love is mutual, an understanding based on the bond you develop, and respect for the other&rsquo;s personal - time and goals. Though it sounds so simple and easy, it is difficult in practice. The word &ldquo;personal&rdquo; does not go well with people who think they own their partners. This type of relationship requires the sacrifice of ego, possessiveness, and expectations. Nevertheless, this is the type of love for a long-living relationship. &nbsp;<img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/creed-community.appspot.com/o/article_images%2FLove%20and%20Let%20go_2.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=3bcf9885-5e58-4873-911d-1c90afcf4071" alt="File preview" width="400" height="508" /> 3.Toxic Love It takes two people to make a toxic relationship work. One partner will be selfless and will give everything to make the relationship work. The other is selfish to satisfy their insecure needs. In this love, the toxic person feels that only their needs are important. The other partner deeply cares and silently suffers without letting them go. <h2>When to let go?</h2> <h4>&ldquo;Some of us think holding on makes us strong, but sometimes it is letting go&rdquo; &ndash; Hermann Hesse</h4> &nbsp;In one-sided love, there is no such thing as letting go, right? There is nobody to let go of. So, what should you let go of? &nbsp;You expressed your feelings, and they rejected them, dreams shattered, despite that your love remains intact. You enjoy the melancholy of rejection and become an amateur poet; with the hope that someday that person will realise your love. You start seeing life differently - a life of nothingness; that nothingness can be seen in your behaviour &ndash; uninterested, unimpressed. Not healthy. &nbsp;You need to let go of the emotions of love and stubborn feelings. Forgetting is not easy, but the future awaits you. Living in the past does not help. Get over your hangover of rejected love and make an effort to move forward. &nbsp;Letting go in a mutual relationship. Why? Sometimes even a perfect relationship can turn bitter. It could be due to lack of time, misunderstanding, or loss of intimacy (all due to too much time and focus on personal goals). Couples get divorced even after more than ten years of marriage. Look at the recent divorces between the Bezos&rsquo; and the Gates&rsquo;. &nbsp;In this case, letting go is not the only option, but giving another chance will help revive the relationship. It may take years to fix the relationship, but it is an excellent option to give several chances as mutual love existed in the past, and the external factors causing problems can be fixed. Letting go should only be taken as a last resort. <h4>&ldquo;It is better to be healthy alone than sick with someone else&rdquo; &ndash; Phil McGraw.</h4> &nbsp;<img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/creed-community.appspot.com/o/article_images%2FLove%20and%20Let%20go_3.jpg?alt=media&amp;token=3efe483d-673e-444d-83b4-cb8304af65a7" alt="File preview" width="400" height="599" /> Awareness is foremost. A toxic person carefully chooses a partner who can tolerate the toxic relationship. That person confuses you with a strange behaviour - being toxic at times and then covering it with expressions of love. Their expressions sound so true that you tend to ignore the abuse and dishonesty (signs of toxic relationship) initially. You believe that the toxic person is the victim in this relationship, questioning your integrity.&nbsp; When the toxicity takes a toll on you, you decide to let go, but you cannot. You give several chances for the toxic person to set the relationship right. Nothing changes. It becomes unbearable, and the relationship turns into a nightmare.&nbsp; It is a predator and prey relationship. Giving another chance is not an option. They cannot change. They chose you for a reason, to use you as an emotional punch bag. Toxic people do not know if they are harmful, as they will never feel that their actions are wrong&mdash;no use in waiting for the person to change. If there were love, there would be no toxicity at any point in time.&nbsp;&nbsp; This understanding will help you push yourself to let go of the relationship. Remember, your happiness also matters and is the most important only for you. Relationships are complicated, and it all depends on the love and bond you develop over the years. Knowing when to hold on and when to let go makes all the difference in a successful relationship. Identify what type of relationship that you want and take action accordingly.&nbsp;

Love and Let Go

<img alt="" src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/creed-community.appspot.com/o/images%2F0.150594998139294671635529193347%2Fimage2.webp?alt=media&token=f2e57aac-6cb0-4f55-b205-423f95260c5e" > What makes your life different from the others? &lsquo;Circumstance&rsquo;- you might say. Yes, I do agree that circumstances shape lives. Your circumstances based on your life events are different from the others that make your life different. But, if you observe life as a concept, it is the same for everyone. It has a beginning and an end. It is filled with emotions, both joy and sorrow. There is the battle for the state of mind that switches between happiness and sadness. If you observe further, you will realize that your emotions are dependent on external circumstances and these circumstances are the same for everyone. This dependency on the circumstances controls your life, which is due to the lack of understanding of life. <h1 class="c4" id="h.oemslknv886t">Meaning of Life</h1> A plethora of definitions of life can be found in books or on the web if you do not read books. For centuries, many saints, monks, philosophers, poets have defined life in their way. Their divergent views may make sense or may not, yet it gives an insight into their perception of life. Perception matters the most in life as the circumstances are created by perception, not reality. Let&rsquo;s take &#39;the difference between the rich and the poor as an example to prove this. If you ask a rich person, how do they view this world? &ndash; &ldquo;I see opportunities everywhere&rdquo; would be the answer that you will receive. Ask the same question to a poor person - &ldquo;I do not get any opportunities, it is all taken by the rich&rdquo;, is the complaint that you will receive as an answer. Rich people see abundance in the world and work towards their dream, but poor people see scarcity and become indolent; living is a nightmare. Though they have the same eyesight, their perception differs; hence they have a different meaning of life Perception is important in finding the meaning of your life. <h1 class="c4" id="h.whil1l3owdt7">A look into Emerson&rsquo;s perception of life</h1> <h3 class="c0 c5" id="h.v3jv41sqdzj1">&quot;Life is a journey, not a destination&quot; &ndash; Ralph Waldo Emerson</h3> This cliched quote by Emerson has been making rounds on Facebook for the past five years, in the form of memes, posts, and cover photos. This profound quote was posted aimlessly by many netizens without giving credit to Emerson. The other netizens who have liked these posts have responded with awe. Nonetheless, the ones who posted and those who praised it did not give a concise meaning to the quote. Forwarding messages without knowing the inner meaning is a trend on social media. Let us discuss in detail if life is a journey or a destination. <img alt="" src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/creed-community.appspot.com/o/images%2F0.150594998139294671635529193347%2Fimage3.webp?alt=media&token=6fc72fb3-59b5-4aa4-b199-227d7ec2f0ae" > How can life be a journey? Humans are result-oriented. Everything you do in your life should have a meaning, and that meaning has to be manifested in the form of what you have achieved in life and what materials you have possessed. The material gain is a trophy of success. Inherently, life is measured by your achievements. Furthermore, to achieve anything, you must set goals that are time-bound and reach the target. Reaching your goal is nothing but a destination and, to some, destiny. Therefore, the destination or the destiny is clearly &lsquo;life&rsquo;, not the journey. But Emerson, the world-famous American philosopher, believed that life is a journey. He perceived life differently. So let us look at life from a different angle. <h3 class="c0 c5" id="h.ptuo6tsqn5xt">&quot;Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live&quot; &ndash; Norman Cousins</h3> <img alt="" src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/creed-community.appspot.com/o/images%2F0.150594998139294671635529193347%2Fimage1.webp?alt=media&token=6d2a81a6-31b9-49f0-8eda-5e4592c8c2b2" > I have taken another quote from an American author Norman Cousins which will give more insights into Emerson&#39;s beliefs. Humans live every day just to die someday. This is an inevitable truth. If you consider death, then the destination is death that makes life a &lsquo;journey&rsquo;. This substantiates Emerson&#39;s percept of life, giving a deep awareness and profound meaning. The word &lsquo;death&rsquo; makes everything else in this world seem trivial. The goals you have set, the people you do not speak to, the unnecessary anger and fear, and any other circumstances that may arise in the future, nothing will matter in the end. What matters is if your journey is filled with joyous moments. Be mindful of the fact that circumstances do not shape your life, but you do. You need to commit to living life to the fullest. After all, it is your life. Have you found the true meaning of your life? Please share your experience and thoughts on life.

What is life? Is it a journey or destination? A look into Emerson’s percept

<img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/creed-community.appspot.com/o/images%2F0.51449044368400791636535997234%2Fimage1.webp?alt=media&token=75ea5fe7-0329-448c-849a-8876eb6cba" alt="File preview" width="700" height="466" /> Equanimity is a foundational principle of Stoic philosophy. The ability to bear misfortune with an even temper and not let external circumstances disturb us is considered a sign of strength and character. However, I always felt like this principle was lacking something &ndash; as if a step of the equation still wasn&rsquo;t clear. The Stoic way of life always felt somewhat unbalanced to me. Years later, I came upon the missing link in the equation when I was introduced to the principle of non-attached appreciation. It is a very similar concept to equanimity, but it applies more to things in life we would like to approach&nbsp;rather than things we&rsquo;d prefer to avoid. The simple explanation of non-attached appreciation is this: when good things come into our lives, we can fully enjoy them and appreciate them for what they are. BUT &ndash; we should not become overly attached or get carried away by them. Practicing equanimity and non-attached appreciation can help us balance the challenging demands of life in a healthier way. We don&rsquo;t need to bear the strain of pushing away the pleasant things in life or rigidly maintaining an austere demeanour to find serenity in the face of happiness. But, while enjoying life, we shouldn&#39;t allow ourselves to become entangled with transient pleasures that will cause us to lose focus. So much of human motivation works on the cause and effect mechanism of operant conditioning. When there is a reward present, which can be symbolic or real, we become willing to perform various repetitive behavior(s) to obtain it. In this manner, we are conditioned (motivated) to pursue something in life that we feel is lacking. Furthermore, the schedule of how often these rewards are administered (how often we achieve our goals) significantly contributes to how much we enjoy them. When thinking about non-attached appreciation, I wondered what would happen if the schedule of administering rewards became inconsistent at times or was even removed entirely at others? The answer is extinction. No reward = no motivation = conditioned behavior ceases. The research that psychologists scientifically conducted in the mid 20th&nbsp;century effectively confirmed an observation about life that spiritual teachers made thousands of years ago. When the effects of the reward are removed, it leads to the extinction of craving or desire, and motivation must then take on a different quality. If there is no carrot dangling on the end of the stick, the donkey will stop dead in its tracks. Realizing this caused me to pause and consider the idea of non-attached appreciation on a deeper level. Since the practice of non-attached appreciation is supposed to help guide us along a path that leads away from suffering, is the elimination of suffering the only motivation to do it? Because non-attachment is a difficult path to practice and requires a significant amount of energy &ndash; especially at first. And human beings are biologically wired to conserve energy so that we can pursue the next reward that appears on the horizon. <img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/creed-community.appspot.com/o/images%2F0.51449044368400791636535997234%2Fimage2.webp?alt=media&token=fe3b1f37-f8b9-44b2-b9ba-d7ccb41d380c" alt="File preview" width="700" height="466" /> Often when we are in great pain, we will do almost anything to stop it. But when we feel fine, perhaps we seldom see the need to make such an effort. And when we are feeling pleasure, it&#39;s hard not to be controlled by the fear of missing out. So why might someone decide to pursue a path of non-attachment in life? I believe that these four insights can help us to discern the positive motivations behind this choice: <ol> <li> <h3>Duty</h3> We are compelled by a sense of personal obligation to commit to or refrain from certain behaviors because it is right and good and in holding with the higher principles that we choose to live by. </li> <li> <h3>Spontaneity</h3> A life that is primarily structured around a rigid set of duties quickly becomes static and unfulfilling. By learning to fully appreciate the small, spontaneous moments that occur each day &ndash; we find a source of joy that can often surprise us when we least expect it. This leads us to approach life with a greater sense of gratitude instead of just living for our expectations to be met all of the time. It can also help to restore our curiosity about life - which may have faded over time. </li> <li> <h3>Serenity</h3> The tranquility that comes from letting go of the constant pursuit of better experiences helps us feel rested and refreshed. The sense of contentment that arises from performing tasks well is certainly rewarding. And remembering the small joys that arise in life and taking delight in them helps complete us. Have you ever experienced a moment in life when you felt absolutely content and needed nothing? Do you recall what happened to your sense of motivation at the time? </li> <li> <h3>Freedom</h3> all of us are addicted to something in this life, however insignificant we believe it to be. Some addictions are more harmful than others, but they all cause some sort of damage. Non-attached appreciation helps us address the root causes of the state of dis-ease that nourishes these addictions. Practicing makes it easier to finally walk away from the destructive cycles of repetitive craving and suffering that we perpetuate in our lives.&nbsp; </li> Practicing non-attached appreciation can also help to motivate us in the negative sense as well. <li> <h3>Avoiding Entrapment</h3> Consistently practicing non-attachment also helps us not to get entangled in things that will eventually result in entrapment and stagnation. Many fleeting pleasures that we are constantly chasing in life often continue to extract a substantial cost from us, even long after they have stopped providing us with rewards. </li> </ol> Practicing equanimity and non-attached appreciation may seem like a sure way to miss out on all of the best that life has to offer. But it is unwise to think of the quality of life they help cultivate as being diminished or elevated &ndash; it is merely different. It&#39;s like comparing a rose bush to a pear tree. To continue with the analogy, the pear tree also cannot morph into a rose bush whenever it feels like it. Naturally developing and yielding its own particular fruit is what it does all of the time. Similarly, if we decide to refrain from practicing these principles regarding attachment only when things become difficult, we also tend to run into problems. It&#39;s like the difference between studying diligently for an examination vs furiously cramming the night before. Lazy practice will set you up for inevitable failure because you miss out on both&nbsp;the short-term benefits from always chasing your impulses (attachment) and the long-term benefits of non-attachment. <img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/creed-community.appspot.com/o/images%2F0.51449044368400791636535997234%2Fimage3.webp?alt=media&token=989b67ef-c001-44fe-9ca3-03a10b2d47d0" alt="File preview" width="700" height="466" /> Over time, I often find that my sense of motivation undergoes significant changes. The things that I previously wanted or cared about the most in life are not necessarily the same things that continue to motivate me today. It&rsquo;s good not to become attached to pursuing temporary rewards that often have a way of providing diminishing returns over time. One of the best parts about developing non-attached appreciation is that the best time to begin practicing is now. And this is still true whether you&#39;ve been practicing for three months or thirty years. By addressing the root causes that underlie your sense of motivation and examining your relationship with them, you can meaningfully change the quality of your life. And that&rsquo;s something to smile about.

Discovering Stoicism’s Missing Link

<img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/creed-community.appspot.com/o/images%2F0.102809502103431431634384762413%2Fimage1.webp?alt=media&token=252ffbd9-e7e2-4c60-81eb-836f08101c52" alt="File preview" width="700" /> In one perspective, time could be easily seen as a homeless person: ignored, despised by some, where only the wise and the goodhearted pay attention and try to help. The result of a system that is too busy counting money and not caring about death because &ldquo;diamonds last forever&rdquo;. But time (as a homeless person) is on the streets, constantly showing us that there is something wrong with the world and that beyond all distractions, suffering still is the infrastructure of mankind. Time will stop you on your way to work and ask for just a spare change, and you may ignore it, but the uneasiness of being indifferent will stick with you, and you&rsquo;ll be anxious. Or maybe time can also be the soldier in the field, fighting against chaos and ensuring our liberty because time is what secures our present since even against all odds, existence somehow manages to thrive in a universe of uncertainty. It is also possible for time to be an artist on the street, ignoring the before or after, living in between. Because what is real can only be real in the present, what is in the past is merely a memory. And what is the future, if not only speculation?&nbsp;The artist, when playing his art, carries the wisdom of living according to existence. Often underestimated and seen as stupid or unimportant, however, with the flow of events the strokes of paint and the agressive hits at the Canvas that one day was foolish suddenly becomes what is called &ldquo;a masterpiece&rdquo; and finally taken seriously. In the same way, time flows constantly and wipes out entire empires. Time could be seen as the baker who gives us our daily bread, but it can also be seen as the cop that will throw you in a cell at the slightest mistake. (As we can see in people who spent years of their life with something they regret, and they can feel nothing on their deathbed but resentment) <img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/creed-community.appspot.com/o/images%2F0.102809502103431431634384762413%2Fimage2.webp?alt=media&token=37c8ba1b-df8f-49ce-809e-ab7d06574765" alt="File preview" width="700" /> The truth is that time is what you make of it, your ally, your enemy, bliss or a curse and the only thing known for sure is that it eventually outruns everyone and everything. The choices we make are responsible for building the persona that time will incorporate into our lives. Ten minutes of sleep may be minimal, but ten minutes of excruciating pain is unforgettable. And the reason why we should have that in mind is that, in the end, a desensitized life guided only by what is convenient and emptiness is arguably worth less than a single moment of virtue and authenticity. To make good usage of time is not only to be productive but to make every second count. Of course, in the 24 hours that a day has, we won&rsquo;t be able to make each second worth a lifetime, but unfortunately, the opposite is possible, and it is rather common: 24 hours can be easily wasted. In our last seconds, time serves as a judge and although the sentence is inevitably death&nbsp;the difference will be: The verdict of some will be a shameful one (for those who have completely wasted their life), and others will have glory as because they wisely lived while they could.

What if time was a person?

<img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/creed-community.appspot.com/o/images%2F0.101079484322736061639590416753%2Fimage1.webp?alt=media&token=e24a33d8-af14-4fde-aa89-49c15b0ddc7a" alt="File preview" width="700" /> When we hear the word peace, we associate it with ending a war or a nation going through a time of stability. We always look outward when looking for peace, but we forget to look out for ourselves. Are you at peace with yourself? Are you constantly troubled by past experiences or current predicaments? This article will serve as a guide to help you ascertain the importance of inner peace and the steps taken to begin the lifelong process of inner peace. Why is inner peace important? Inner peace keeps our mind and its negative thoughts at bay. It helps us view the path of life much clearer. A state of inner peace removes anxieties, the feeling of dissatisfaction and unhappiness. Instead, it is filled with confidence, inner strength, and understanding. Everyone essentially seeks out inner peace, just through different avenues, but the intended outcome is the same. Let&#39;s do a little exercise: as you read this, visualize the scenes I&#39;m about to describe; you are in your dream home, the air is clean, the house is clean, you fear nothing, you want for nothing. All you desire is in your possession or on its way. You have been through some tough challenges, but now that you look back on them, they are minuscule to the rewards they have reaped. You still face challenges, but it&#39;s nothing you can&rsquo;t handle. You are financially free, and all your relationships are flourishing. You can weed out the unnecessary and only attempt to change the things you can. Does that not sound appealing? Now let&#39;s talk about how to get that life you want to live and remember you are happy now and in that life you want. <h3>Goals</h3> <img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/creed-community.appspot.com/o/images%2F0.101079484322736061639590416753%2Fimage2.webp?alt=media&token=188ccc53-9282-41e8-803d-688ec09e1c4d" alt="File preview" width="700" /> Start by setting clear goals of what you want to achieve. Goals serve as a compass through the storm of life to get to where we need to be. Your daily actions must be in line with your goals, this is the beginning of the self-development stage, and you must constantly seek to develop yourself. You are your greatest asset and most lucrative investment. <h3>Relaxation</h3> Find a form of mental relaxation that works for you. Some prefer to go out on runs, practice meditation or prayer. Focus on things in the sphere of your control; when you worry, ask yourself, &#39;is there anything I can do to change this?&#39; If you cannot change the outcome, you&#39;d rather accept and move on to change things you can. <h3>Do Good</h3> Do good deeds, help out a stranger in need, or check on a friend you have not talked to in a while. They will feel appreciated, and you will feel better. &ldquo;When we leave this earth, we cannot take what we have accumulated but rather what we have given.&rdquo; Ask and don&#39;t make unfound assumptions; you can spend the whole day overthinking, usually the worst when you can easily ask and receive a straight answer. <h3>Emotional Budget</h3> <img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/creed-community.appspot.com/o/images%2F0.101079484322736061639590416753%2Fimage3.webp?alt=media&token=06c4424f-820b-4b50-aeb0-451d57f4ab19" alt="File preview" width="700" height="466" /> Evaluate those around you; are they adding to your life? Do you feel drained after spending time with them? If so, there is no need to subject yourself to that emotional torture. View yourself as a person on an emotional budget. Don&#39;t spend it on negative emotions. Spend time alone and quietly, French philosopher Blaise Pascal said, &quot;All of humanity&#39;s problems stem from man&#39;s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.&quot; Take the time to sort out your day, and you will realize you were making mountains out of molehills. <h3>Appreciation and Gratitude</h3> Lastly, practice gratitude for what you are going through and what you are not going through. Appreciation will lead you to happiness. Imagine deciding you will be happy or grateful when you&#39;re a billionaire, and only after working for years to reach that net worth do you realize you could&#39;ve been happy all along, and worse, you still aren&#39;t happy. Be grateful for the situations you are going through, good or bad. Be at peace with your past, leave it where it belongs and continue to work on yourself in the present and you will have no need to worry about the future.

Maintaining Inner Peace

<img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/creed-community.appspot.com/o/images%2F0.0142054683348544761631040060663%2FThe%20Non-Pursuit%20of%20Happiness_1.webp?alt=media&token=432a9687-e01d-48b4-8d14-45c85fd54726" alt="File preview" width="700" height="466" /> It doesn&rsquo;t take much looking around to find overly sentimental or simplistic quotes about happiness. Everybody seems to have something to share with us about the subject. Here are a few examples:&nbsp; <ul> <li> &nbsp; &nbsp; &ldquo;Don&rsquo;t let anything get in the way of your happiness.&rdquo;&nbsp;</li> </ul> <ul> <li> &nbsp; &nbsp; "To be happy, you must be your own sunshine."&nbsp;</li> </ul> <ul> <li> &nbsp; &nbsp; &ldquo;Whatever you decide to do, make sure it makes you happy.&rdquo;&nbsp;</li> </ul> <ul> <li> &nbsp; &nbsp; &ldquo;Life is full of choices. Choose to be happy!&rdquo;&nbsp;</li> </ul> <ul> <li> &nbsp; &nbsp; &ldquo;Doing what you like is freedom. Liking what you do is happiness!&rdquo;&nbsp;</li> </ul> <ul> <li> &nbsp; &nbsp; &ldquo;Act the way you want to feel.&rdquo;&nbsp;</li> </ul> Having my mind soiled by slogans like this used to infuriate me. Now I find them so ridiculous that they seem to take on more of a comic quality instead. It&rsquo;s not even the triteness of any particular message that I find so obnoxious; it's more about the overall condescending tone and not-so-subtle hints of bullshit.&nbsp; Happiness IS essential to us all. Silly quotes and toxic positivity aside, we need to manage our psychological health and well-being to derive some sense of satisfaction from this life. Or else why keep going on? If I had the chance to go back in time and share one idea about happiness with my younger self, it would be this: The concept of happiness covers a broad spectrum of meanings, and it&rsquo;s certainly not the same for all people. There is a big difference between constantly chasing an elevated quality of happiness based on always grasping for &lsquo;better&rsquo; or &lsquo;more&rsquo; versus letting your happiness arise spontaneously from a well-grounded and consistent practice of daily living. If I consistently strive for happiness and treat it as an end unto itself, then typically, reaching and sustaining it becomes dependent on meeting various external conditions, often beyond my locus of control. If most of my conditions for things to be 'good' are met, I will be happy. If just some of my many conditions are met, then my happiness will begin to fade. If few or none of my conditions are met, then I will be miserable. Time factors into the equation as well, since it&rsquo;s never quite enough just getting what we need right now to make us happy. We find that we will also always need more of whatever it is for the future. And so, there is always another carrot (reward) dangling in front of us that we must keep moving towards. &nbsp;Now we find ourselves on the hedonic treadmill of life, constantly pursuing some externally conditioned version of happiness. Economies rely heavily on it. Social relationships often build around it. Most of all, we are convinced that we need it to live, and if we don't get it, then the entire world is an awful place. The relentless pursuit of a conditional ideal of happiness has the potential to become one of the most significant sources of existential frustration and misery in our lives. It makes us regret the past, leaves us discontent with the present, and creates a sense of fear and anxiety about the future. &nbsp;The thing about life is that it goes on regardless of whether we are happy or not. I keep breathing, whether I'm ecstatic or dejected. The sun rises and sets whether I'm morose or elated. The universe is indifferent to our happiness or suffering. But to us, it seems essential &ndash; often the most important thing in our lives.&nbsp; &nbsp;If things tend to break your way a lot in life, if you are lucky, or won the genetic/birth lottery, so to speak, then it's often relatively easy to maintain a consistent state of conditional happiness. You had it all along, it was never really taken away from you, and you go along in life feeling quite satisfied with yourself. And there is nothing inherently wrong with living a basic or superficial life like that. If it makes you happy and you can get away with it, then, by all means, do it!&nbsp; &nbsp;The problem is, we also live in a universe that is impermanent and constantly changing. Statistically speaking, the odds of a person making it unscathed by some misfortune are fairly slim. Some &lsquo;lucky&rsquo; individuals seem to skate through life without a scratch &ndash; but most of us suffer at least a little, or sadly, a lot. <img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/creed-community.appspot.com/o/images%2F0.0142054683348544761631040060663%2FThe%20Non-Pursuit%20of%20Happiness_2.webp?alt=media&token=fe16337f-e2c8-4ae8-bb83-2450853e189e" alt="File preview" width="700" height="466" /> So how can we try to be happy then?&nbsp; &nbsp;First - Quit obsessing about it. Stop chasing after happiness like it&rsquo;s some kind of life goal to be achieved. It can&rsquo;t and won&rsquo;t be possessed or held by us forever. Happiness comes; it stays for a while, then it leaves. Hopefully, it returns in some new form or another, and preferably soon. It's essential to cultivate things in life that are likely to lead to long-term satisfaction. But they still generally follow the same pattern of coming and going, rising and falling over time. The sooner we make peace with the entropy that permeates everything around us and inside of us, the less time we will spend fighting in vain against the current. &nbsp;Second - Since we aren't spending our days and nights in the constant pursuit (obsession) over conditional happiness, what do we do with ourselves with all of our free time instead? The answer is that we take that time to build character and get to know ourselves. We cultivate the ability to withstand the bad times better when they come, learn not to waste energy clinging to the good times when they inevitably depart and develop a sense of gratitude for when the beautiful things in life do finally arrive. &nbsp;Easier said than done, I know.&nbsp; Because honestly, it seems like a lot more fun to gamble and play the game than to spend time doing the heavy lifting and asking difficult questions. Plus, it might make you seem a little different to others &ndash; perhaps even weird. Most people are already on a happiness treadmill of some kind, and they are convinced that you should be too if you want to get the best of what the world offers. The world is filled with dangling carrots. Quite often, nobody wants to hear about someone else who has disavowed chasing these types of prizes &ndash; and taking this sort of position amplifies the lack of common ground between them. &nbsp;I tried chasing happiness in my life for a long time. Some people that I have known have had much better luck than me, others far worse. But in the end, I found that the whole game was exhausting &ndash; and it often seemed rigged. So, I decided that I needed to explore some alternate pathways in life instead. And the greater amount of time that I spent away from the happiness treadmill, the less I found that I missed it.&nbsp; &nbsp;Because when your happiness isn&rsquo;t as dependent on conditional things, it makes it a lot harder for the world to snatch it away from you. And the low-hanging fruit in life often has a way of being the first to spoil - even when you manage to store some of it up. &nbsp;This choice isn't an all-or-nothing scenario. It&rsquo;s a balancing act. Your life choices will trend in one direction or another. You could shift the balance of your life's satisfaction to external and conditional things outside of yourself. Or you could focus on developing resilience and making peace with life on its own terms. Either way, you choose a path daily, and you have to keep walking it. &nbsp;<img src="https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/creed-community.appspot.com/o/images%2F0.0142054683348544761631040060663%2FThe%20Non-Pursuit%20of%20Happiness_3.webp?alt=media&token=33769263-9481-4a61-8edc-848dec0def93" alt="File preview" width="700" height="466" /> &nbsp;It&rsquo;s important to understand from the start that it&rsquo;s unlikely you will ever arrive at some fixed destination in life where you suddenly release all of these conditional attachments to happiness and gain enlightenment. But you can start by taking care of one thing in your life at a time, do it to the best of your current ability, and then move on to the next thing - similar to weeding a garden. This process of releasing long-held goals to root around in the dirt of the self can be pretty painful at first, but in time, you will grow more accustomed to it. Considering these ideas today, I&rsquo;m not entirely sure if my younger self would have fully embraced them or laughed at them and tossed them away. The dangling carrots were both plentiful and far more novel back then. At this point in life, I suppose I'm just content to be fortunate enough to have done my time on the happiness treadmill and still had a chance to jump off and look for something different. &nbsp;I&rsquo;m just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round. I really love to watch them roll. No longer riding on the merry-go-round, I just had to let it go. - &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; John Lennon

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