Sometimes things go our way, and sometimes they don’t. It’s starting to become clear to me that life is never going to progress on a straight line. And if it were, how mundane and boring that would likely be. I’ve already experienced various ups and downs in my life, and I know that this will continue throughout its entirety.

Allowing ourselves not to be consumed by either side of the fluctuation is a fundamental mentality we must maintain in order to create balance within our minds and happiness within our souls. Even though happiness, too, is part of the fluctuations.

Throughout my search for happiness, three significant religious-type influences have impacted me - Buddhism and the Buddha, Taoism and Lao Tzu, Stoicism and the Stoics, mainly Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius. Each of these disciplines shares several common traits, one of which is the importance of maintaining emotional stability. The Buddha teaches us to remove materialistic attachments and allow our minds to be free. The Stoics express that there is enjoyment to be had within all facets of life, but never allowing it to control our minds. Lao Tzu teaches us to maintain a flow state, like the flow of a river, never allowing a bend or turn to jeopardize our momentum and cause us to become stuck.

The lessons from these profoundly influential figures in the history of humanity have guided me somewhat toward a common goal. We must maintain a steady mindset. However, we must also understand that the flow of a river twists and turns, rises and falls, moves faster and slower. Each attribute corresponds to different aspects of our lives, yet all are important. It’s within developing an understanding of our individual ebbs and flows, and rising or lowering with the tide, that we can strongly contribute to our search for happiness.

Thanks,

Dean