Monday, July 12, 2021
I believe that humans are meant to fully engage with the world without being held emotionally hijacked by experiences and the behaviors of others. The three tenets of joy are the key. The first is becoming active. We are not designed to be sedentary beings. Energy, inspiration, relief, and motivation don’t come to you, you have to generate them. The key is in the effort you put in (the first step). If going to the gym is a chore, remember that the easy part is putting on your gym shoes! The benefit of being active outweighs anything you could get from watching television, or mindlessly scrolling through social media. Move your body – it’s so much fun!
The second is being interactive. The world is a huge, hands-on laboratory ready for exploration. Life is here for forming strong relationships with people, for creating, for coming up with new ideas, and for enjoyment. Life is not meant for us to be isolated, pinned up inside and “experiencing” it, virtually. If we keep to ourselves, we miss out on all the magic of experiential learning. Curtail your virtual experiences and get out and enjoy real ones more.
Finally, there is what I think is the hardest – becoming non-reactionary. Non-reactivity is taking sole responsibility for your sense of wellness, in spite of your experiences. Non-reactive people simply witness circumstance and remain neutral. Non-reactive people don’t suppress negative emotion, either. They simply are more aware of when negative emotions arise. Non-reactive people are not held emotionally hostage by the “happenings” of their lives.
The tenets of sanity are enjoyable! You can learn to have things, but not be possessed by them. You can engage with others without being emotionally unbalanced. You can be active, without being worn out or dread the effort that it that it takes. But all of this requires you to see the unparalleled benefits of these principles. Keep practicing the tenets of sanity and joy. Over time, you’ll get better, and life will truly become more peaceful, enjoyable, and rich!