If we don't know how to be happy, what's the point of being free? What good is it to live in a free society, in a free country, or a free world, if we are so emotionally crippled that we are incapable of enjoying it? Why would we struggle to escape the oppression of police, parliaments, and presidents, if only to remain enslaved to fear and insecurity? Many of us would assume freedom should lead to happiness, but that does not correctly describe the relationship. The way most of us understand freedom and happiness is backwards. Happiness is not the result of freedom. Happiness causes freedom!
Do we need freedom to be happy? Most certainly not! Happiness is not pursued, captured, beaten over the head with a club, and hauled home to be enjoyed for ever and ever! It is often pointed out that money can't buy happiness. Money can "buy" happiness only to the point at which money can no longer buy independence, but even that independence is based on an illusion of external conditions. The most successful people, by any measure, are as prone to misery and depression as anyone. Looking at the modern world and antidepressant consumption, we might conclude that wealth causes depression! Even a brief examination of the human condition reveals that happiness is not a pursuit, as much as a choice.
True mental freedom is empowerment to choose your state of mind. If the only happiness you ever know is dependent on external factors, you will remain a slave to circumstance and never be truly happy. You can only swing between happiness and fear, knowing deep down that if conditions beyond your control change, you won't be happy. What a sad state of emotional servitude and vulnerability! A crude animal in such a primitive state is dangerously prone to manipulation. While you will never control the challenges that life presents you, and you may never master your animalistic reactions, your mood and your frame of mind are YOUR CHOICE! This is the unique gift of human consciousness. This is the great beauty of human nature. This is the foundation of our capacity for love and connectedness . . . and thus freedom!
Being happy is as simple as changing your mind! Of course, this speaks to a range of mental states we can choose. With true mental freedom, we can choose to be determined, thoughtful, compassionate, patient, loving – but beneath all that, why would we ever choose to be any less than perfectly happy? While it really is that simple and it really is that easy, it is a discipline of happiness.
Emotions serve an essential role for survival. Fear and the "fight or flight" response have saved countless lives, but such hardwired responses often take over our evolved brains and keep us from fully using them. Rational fears become anxiety and insecurity. Disappointment becomes depression. Hostility becomes anger and hatred. The discipline of happiness is separating these reactions from how we deliberately choose to live our lives. It is the practice of living well. This empowerment liberates us (as individuals and as a species) from all past misdeeds of our primitive nature. Living well is not just the best revenge, it is the only revenge worth having! Happiness is the ultimate measure of success. But if you choose to dwell in fear, disappointment and hostility, and choose to be unhappy . . . then you’ll be unhappy.
We are programmed to fear death, but wouldn't you rather face it rationally? Calmly? Happily? Fear not only makes us vulnerable to manipulation by those who would oppress us, it also tempts us to become oppressors. The tyranny of democracy encourages the broadest participation in fear-based oppression. Every politician's pitch is based on some version of, "If you give me power over you, I can make you happy and take away your fear." In the act of voting, we are not choosing leaders for ourselves, we are trying to impose our choice of leaders (and fears) on others.
Instead, we should seek to be the alphas of our own lives. Someone who is truly emotionally free has no need for imposed external authority. The people who are the driving force behind statism are not happy, and truly happy people are not very political. The freedom movement is not a political movement. It is an anti-political movement! A truly happy person can appeal to the better nature of fellow human beings, can meet them with peace and persuasion and displace coercion with voluntary relationships and self-government based on self-ownership.
A person who knows their own capacity as a free, beautiful, independent person will never say, "But what will people think of me?" A person who can be happy in any situation will never say, "But what if I lose my job?" A person who knows self-discipline will never say, "But what if the sacrifice is too great?" The compassion of a truly happy person will say, "How could I possibly not share my joy and let some poor victimizer continue in the misery of oppressing others?" Only a mental slave will hate their oppressors. A free mind will pity them, and seek to share joy with those who are deficient in love. We should not "fight" oppression, or “struggle" for liberation, but rather empower those who have succumbed to mental slavery.
The greatest weapon against tyranny is a mind that refuses to submit to manipulation. If we want to be warriors for truth, soldiers for justice, and champions of freedom, we must first attain the discipline of happiness and a great capacity for living in love. Be the master of your own mind. Choose your demeanor at all times. Never meet a fellow person with force or coercion. Strive to live by reason. Smile because you're alive. Remember, HAPPINESS is the ultimate act of defiance.
I am the author of FREEDOM!, a book endorsed (I mean banned) by the US Department of “Justice.” You can get a copy here. I’m running for Not-President in 2020 on the platform of the peaceful, orderly, and responsible dissolution of the United States federal government. You can find out more here. You can find an event near you here. Whoever has the top comment on this post after 24 hours can claim a free signed copy of FREEDOM! by sending me a message with their address.
great stuff
Thanks for sharing this with us really..hapiness is really important and a key for a healthy life.
Thank you for affirmations it’s been two weeks since I lost my job , l don’t feel depressed or lost instead l feel enlightened and awoken to complete conviction of divine abundance thank you for the affirmations l feel relaxed and aligned to with ever perfect motion/revolution of the universe “ l not left behind but the universe is taking care ‘ of all people in world synchronized abundance of spiritual blessings l grateful and blessed thank you for the affirmations
Really true! I like how you connected various of aspects of life in a one really deep theme.
There are a lot of people who are not happy and don't appreciate their things and they don't even think about those who doesn't have food, water or anything of vital importance.
Be happy with what you have. Love people arond you and what's more important SHOW them love. Everyone loves to be loved and everyone loves to be happy. Give your best to make yourself happy first, and beautiful things will happen in your life itself.
If you have a roof above your head and everyday food and drinking water you're rich!
Appreciate your things and find positive side in all aspects of your life. That's the secret of a rich, beautiful life.
Have a nice day - @tonac :D
the point . Money can "buy" happiness only to the point at which money can no longer buy independence " most right actually we should learnt the concept of happiness! those external factor which accur and change our mode or somethime it make us happy so it not happiness its pleasure happiness is what we want from and does not depend on external factor!
Really, i agree with you,We got freedom but did not learn to use independence. How to use it. Today the meaning of our independence has been reversed. Do not overdo it. Stay here till today....
........................keep it up.............................
i literally was just composing something with this similar sentiment you expressed here: "True mental freedom is empowerment to choose your state of mind. If the only happiness you ever know is dependent on external factors, you will remain a slave to circumstance and never be truly happy. " i am grateful for your continuing contribution to freedom and happiness for all. You are in fact, an anarchist bodhisattva! For a bodhisattva understands this noble truth you expressed about happiness never being determined by outer circumstances. Ultimate liberation is in the mind.
Happiness is the key for a healthy person. And Everybody want it.
This is a powerful and breath taking write up kudos. But why was your work banned, everybody love to be happy but not everybody that can live in that state of mind, according to the author Keith Harrell, attitude is everything .
I haven't been following you for that long, but wow did this article hit me with a strong positive vibration! "Happiness is the ultimate measure of success" I felt like you were talking directly to me in some parts of this post. You are an incredible writer. I am promoting this article as much as I can. This is a very important message. Your writing in this article has helped me immensely, i cannot even put it into words so I will just say THANK YOU!
This is why I'm an Outlet, and nomad :)
<3
Sending some love :)
I love it! Thank you for sharing part of the book Adam! Great stuff indeed. Personal happiness is something that many forget is right in front of them! ha, that may not always be the case literally but in the modern world it's hard to imagine happiness far away for anyone even in distant parts of the world away from Amerika.
Many cheers!
Thanks for sharing. Changing your mind is the key. :). Joy