I was struggling for a bit over the last few weeks to complete my posts, which is fine, and I think a large part of it was being in a period of such fluctuation and lack of routine. When I’m in periods like this, it always reiterates to me just how important routine is to me, and just how important structure, process and the ability to have somewhat of a metric for evaluating my growth, and the feeling of forward momentum in my life.

Over the past 10 days I covered karma, “Can’t help myself” - which was an mechanical art piece displayed in the Guggenheim museum in New York City, sailing and our ability to maneuverer our minds through rocky waters, accepting that sometimes its fine to just be blank in our own mind. I also covered the directing of our attention, and it’s incredible influence on who we were, are, and will become. My thoughts and feelings of my wife and how important our partners are in contributing in our search for happiness. I finished this segment dissecting my perception of the importance of unlearning, intention, and action.

Karma - Karma, an intriguing concept that I find deeply meaningful, is a foundational principle by which we should live, understanding that every action has a reaction and contributes to the universal balance of energies that shapes our world and governs our happiness and lives, with the belief that the energy we project into the universe determines the energy we receive, regardless of whether it can be fully defined or explained, emphasizing that our own perception of life and surroundings plays a significant role in our search for happiness

“Can’t help myself” - "Can't Help Myself" is a thought-provoking art installation created by artists Sun Yuan & Peng Yu, featuring a mechanical hydraulic arm behind an acrylic screen that cleans up leaking red hydraulic fluid to survive, raising questions about societal confinement, predetermined structures, and the importance of embracing individuality and enjoying life within the confines of modern society.

Sailing - Maintaining a balanced and steady mind is crucial in the search for happiness, as it allows us to control our fluctuating emotions and navigate the battles within our own minds like a steady ship in rocky waters, foreseeing, recognizing, realigning, and adapting to maintain equilibrium and prevent being overwhelmed by the challenges we face.

Blank - The other day. despite feeling exhausted after a day at Wet n Wild, I realised that sometimes our pursuit of happiness involves completing necessary tasks even when we don't feel like it, as it builds a solid foundation for our goals and provides answers to questions we didn't know we had, making it an underrated contributor to our happiness.

Attention - In our interconnected digital age, the way we focus our attention has significant impact on our pursuit of happiness, as we navigate through communities governed by hierarchical structures that may not prioritize the collective interest. The large array of alternative avenues through which we are influenced can divert our thinking and even dictate our train of thought, leaving us blinded by comical and irrelevant items, and losing sight of what truly matters for our fulfillment in life.

Tanya - Throughout my journey in search of happiness, I have realized that explaining the profound impact and influence my partner Tanya has had on my happiness is a complex task, as our 13-year relationship has encompassed incredible experiences, shared memories, support through trials, deep conversations, and the formation of a family, ultimately leading to my personal growth and understanding of life. Tanya's contribution to my happiness is immeasurable, making her the mother of my children and an integral part of my purpose in life, and our spiritual connection is what truly touches my soul and contributes the most to my overall happiness.

Unlearning - Our lives are filled with routines, patterns, and structure that vary from person to person, but it's crucial to reflect on these aspects and consider how they align with our evolving selves, as unlearning certain habits or patterns can be challenging yet necessary for personal growth and happiness.

Intention - During the initial slow start of the year, it is important to set our intentions and embed them into our minds, as our happiness and success depend on our firm and unwavering intentions to achieve our desires.

Action - In the pursuit of happiness, focused intentions without action are meaningless, as they require the implementation of effort and dedication to transform them into tangible results and fulfill our goals and aspirations.

Our lives, thoughts, feelings, and emotions are the combination of so many different aspects of our very existence which can play what seems like somewhat small, yet are such incredibly significant roles in our lives. Learning more about these pieces of ourselves is such a fulfilling and profound experience and something I think as I get older I have begun to truly appreciate how it provides such a valuable and meaningful aspect of my life.

There are things inside of us that we may not even consider could be a portion ourselves, and through delving deeper into the unknown we can learn and develop aspects of ourselves that can contribute and create a vast depth of alternative avenues in our search for happiness.

Thanks,

Dean