Secrets of Spiritual Happiness
Secret #39 -- Be Optimistic
By Sharon Janis
Secrets of Spiritual Happiness
Secret #39 -- Be Optimistic
By Sharon Janis
I intend to live forever-so far, so good.
- Stephen Wright
Possibly the number one secret of spiritual happiness is to be an optimist. Once you've attained true optimism, you will be spiritually happy, because you'll have absolute trust and faith. Optimism ultimately boils down to an absolute trust that everything is always, ultimately fine.
One way to create optimism is by interpreting events and circumstances through a positive worldview. This doesn't mean that we'll always to be able to come up with every possible positive explanation for each event in our lives. After all, every point of energy in this massive universe is a universe in and of itself. Life is big, big, big -- as the ancient scriptures say, bigger than the biggest.
Nevertheless, we can start by asking questions such as, "Why might this event have happened to me, and what shift did it create in my world?" "Why might I have lost this thing or gained another?" Just as we may have contemplated certain symbolic interpretations of our sleeptime dreams, in the same way, we can also learn to interpret the rich symbolism and brilliance that is inherent in our daily life. And, just as each object in our dreams may have several symbolic interpretations, in the same way, in our "waking life dream," many symbolic interpretations are also possible for the events and objects in our lives.
Optimism means to choose interpretations that lead to positive thoughts. For example, I've found the idea of detoxing to come in handy when I get a cold. Even while acknowledging the outer circumstances or habits that may have contributed to the cold, I'll usually visualize the cold helping my body to clear out some old, unhelpful residue of one thing or another from my body. I may assume that the fever, sneezing, coughing, and other symptoms are doing just that. This way, I am sending my own good energy intentions into the situation, along with a positive image of detoxing and healing.
Even while watching the leaders of my country sometimes pursue certain actions that I've disagreed with, I've also continued to visualize a positive result from those actions. I believe that a world filled with optimistic well-wishers can heal even large mistakes and create positive results from even questionable actions.
In life, certain outer events may feel terrible and traumatic, and we may experience anxiety about all that is going on during those times. However, if we can possibly rise into the spiritual realm, and also see those painful events from the realm of optimistic faith, then, along with the trauma and the grief of what we've experienced, we may also find a peaceful resting place amidst the storms of worldly tragedy. We'll enter the great and loving shelter of spiritual happiness that exists within and beyond the world of events and appearances.
Poke holes of optimism and faith through the veils of fear and illusion. Shift into a different way of viewing the world. Even though you may not have some of the worldly security nets that you might like, there's nevertheless a higher security -- a whole, bigger security that is beyond the worries of this material world. With this kind of faith and optimism, no matter what happens on the worldly level, your soul can remain resplendent and fulfilled in meaningful and powerful ways.
We all have challenging circumstances to go through in life, and we all have unrealized potentials and dreams to realize and achieve. Use the power of optimism to remain anchored in spiritual happiness no matter what. Find something positive in anything and in everything. Seek and realize the goodness in life. Allow your deepest aspirations to blossom forth, regardless of whether they are growing in a clear, pristine lake or in a muddy swamp. Trust that your challenges are coming to you for a blessed reason, and see if you can figure out some of what that reason may be.
A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
- Sir Winston Churchill
Always remember that everything is good, and let everything always be good. Remember, there will always be more. And when there is no more, there will be something else.
Even if you're complaining about something, know in your heart that it is ultimately good. Maybe you're just enjoying having a chance to learn the lessons that come from that particular scenario. Maybe you needed to have a good complaint session to relieve some stress or some tension, or who knows? Maybe your complaints are even meant to help someone else feel better about their life.
How amazing is the grand orchestration of this dance of life that moves through and as every one of us, individually, and as a whole. What a sport! What a play! What a grand and magnificent dance this life is.
Maybe you've had to experience the insensitivity of acquaintances to teach you to be more considerate of other people. Maybe your challenging experiences ultimately increased your awareness of your own actions, and have also increased your appreciation for all the good things you already have. Maybe your disappointments in this world are intended to bring your awareness to something even greater than this world.
Look for positive interpretations of things, and let everything be good. Just announce to yourself that every single thing is automatically and unfailingly good. Train your mind to think and accept that everything is good. Listen to your heart, which knows that everything is good. Then, part of the game is to figure out why everything may be good, and to come up with possible interpretations for how it is all good.
Nevertheless, even if you can't quite figure out how something can be good, you can still trust that - from an unknowable bigger picture - it must be good. This is the practice of intentional and unconditional optimism.
Drink in the joy of every moment.
- Ram Tirth
With the awareness of universal perfection, and a faith that covers whatever we don't quite understand or know, we rest in the spiritual happiness that comes with trusting in a benevolent universe. Trust that infinite benevolence in every situation, in every second of every day, in every circumstance, in every scenario, in every interaction, and in every moment of happiness, boredom, clarity, fuzziness, excitement, sorrow, and joy.
Maintain an absolute, unshakable, and incorruptible trust in divine, universal benevolence, and you will drink fully of the refreshing waters of spiritual happiness. You'll swim in the ocean of unearthly bliss. You will be living in heaven right here, even while you live on this earth.
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