“I keep remembering one of my Guru’s teachings about happiness. She says that people universally tend to think that happiness is a stroke of luck, something that will maybe descend upon you like fine weather if you’re fortunate enough. But that’s not how happiness works. Happiness is the consequence of personal effort. You fight for it, strive for it, insist upon it, and sometimes even travel around the world looking for it. You have to participate relentlessly in the manifestations of your own blessings. And once you have achieved a state of happiness, you must never become lax about maintaining it, you must make a mighty effort to keep swimming upward into that happiness forever, to stay afloat on top of it. If you don’t, you will leak away your innate contentment. It’s easy enough to pray when you’re in distress but continuing to pray even when your crisis has passed is like a sealing process, helping your soul hold tight to its good attainments.”
~ Liz Gilbert, on “Diligent Joy,” p. 260 of Eat, Pray, Love
Senia,
GREAT QUOTE!
I also like the new pictures on your website… very bright and cheery!
Ready for Spring!
Your blog is a pleasure to read.
Keep up the good work.
Dave Wheeler
Thanks very much, Dave!
It’s totally great to follow your sites too! Merci.
Y
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No one ever told me that growing up. I now, through experience, know this to be true.
Great quote.
:)
I don’t know about the sealing process, but I find the rest of this quote inspiring. It is often a “mighty effort”, and never really is sealed. The only thing I think we can maintain is how ready we are for happiness. Like being fit, or being prepared for a speech, it helps to be ready for that mighty effort when it’s called for.
Nick, exactly! I don’t think many kids get told this.
Loofa, I think you’re also speaking about “psychological capital,” that reserve that we have inside us that we can call on – emotional reserves, mental reserves, self-discipline reserves, etc. Great. Readiness is key – good point.
Thanks, Nick and Loofa.