To get up each morning with the resolve to be happy… is to set our own conditions to the events of each day. To do this is to condition circumstances instead of being conditioned by them.
(Ralph Waldo Emerson)
Are you ever overwhelmed by the amount of information at your fingertips? Do you find yourself wishing for more time to watch, read, and take in inspiration? I have been thinking a lot about the balance between consuming vs. doing actual work. For everyone there is a point where “the rubber meets the road” and we have to start living what we are learning.
This idea of taking in information and putting it into action is at the core of our mission at Happy Living. We research, study, collect, and share best practices for health and wellbeing so you don’t have to do all the legwork. These posts with our Kindle Clippings share pieces of books that resonate with us.
Of course, we would love if you went out and started reading the books we recommend, but that isn’t the point. Our hope is that you can take some insight or knowledge and apply it to your every day life.
Let it go.
I am someone who has a tendency to “white knuckle” my way through life. I had a boss once suggest that I loosen my grip, because I was trying too hard to control every possible outcome. These days, I am trying to learn that I am not in control of much. Getting caught up in the illusion of control just distracts me from the things that are most important.
“The truth is that most of life will unfold in accordance with forces far outside your control, regardless of what your mind says about it.”
– The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer
When I get caught between thinking about things that have already happened. Or worrying about what’s around the corner, how do I bring myself back to reality? I take deep breaths and focus on my physical space. I pay attention to my senses, concentrate on the task at hand, and let go of my need to control.
“Let the world unfold without always attempting to figure it all out. Let relationships just be, for example, since everything is going to stretch out in Divine order. Don’t try so hard to make something work—simply allow.”
– The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer
Let it be good.
What are the benefits of letting go? Gaining distance from worries. Releasing “shoulds” and “coulds” or expectations and labels. Finding simplicity and joy in our days. Simply put, letting life be good.
“It is actually possible to never have another problem for the rest of your life. This is because events are not problems; they’re just events. Your resistance to them is what causes the problem.”
– The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer
In the The Swerve, author Stephen Greenblatt references a poem written by Lucretius in the first century BC, called On the Nature of Things. (Click here for a great review from the NY Times.)
“What human beings can and should do… is to conquer their fears, accept the fact that they themselves and all the things they encounter are transitory, and embrace the beauty and the pleasure of the world.”
If we can release our fears and need to control, there is no telling the happiness we might experience. By letting life be good, we can find the magic in the mundane. And we can be ok with just being ourselves.
“Joy comes to us in moments—ordinary moments. We risk missing out on joy when we get too busy chasing down the extraordinary.”
– Daring Greatly by Brené Brown
… I couldn’t put it better myself!
If you want to check out the books mentioned on Amazon, click the images below. They have inspired us and we hope they inspire you.
Are you reading a great book? Have a favorite to share? Send us a note or leave a comment below.
Image via Death to the Stock Photo
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