We bring all these different teachers and practitioners together in this series in the hopes that each of you will find someone or something that resonates, that gives you that "yes, I can do that, that feels right to me" feeling. In her book, she offers a multitude of tools and ideas with the same intent. I hope you enjoy our conversation, and find at least one thing that says "YES!" in your heart. Check back here after Tuesday for more thoughts, and feel free to share your feedback and ideas as well.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Marci Shimoff on Happiness
Marci Shimoff is the opening speaker Tuesday when the fall series begins. Her book "Happy for No Reason" is a beautifully crafted piece of work; insightful, empowering and full of simple tools to shift your perspective on life and happiness. Marci and I spoke about our mutual philosophy that there is no one right way, no one perfect path to happiness, health or anything else! We share a belief in the uniqueness of each person, and the importance of finding the path that is right for you.
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I thought this call was great! I learned a lot from the interview. The only problem I had was when the techniques were being described and you were asked to remember a good time, to feel that good feeling. Every time I would recall a time when I felt happiness I had a voice inside discount it. So I could never really feel that good feeling without that negative voice ruining it. Any suggestions?
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ReplyDeleteI so am glad you enjoyed the call. There are some great techniques for dealing with those negative voices, like EFT and other meridian tapping techniques and Byron Katie's "The Work." If you are not familiar with these, try having a conversation with the voice. As Marci and I discussed, when the voice comes up, ask it, "is that true? How can you know it's true?" That simple question can be very powerful.
ReplyDeleteWhen our negative voices say, "Oh, that wasn't really a good time, remember all the bad stuff that was happening at the same time..." Is that really true? Does the fact that something else is happening negate the joy? No, it doesn't. If you are with someone you love, your dog, your grandchild, a good book, does the act that it's raining or cold or there's a war or anything else negate that?
Being happy for no reason involves holding many things simultaneously, and connecting to an inner state of peace. When clouds pass in front of the sun, the sun doesn't stop shining. I think this is about the deep knowing that the sun is always shining, maybe we can't see it right now, maybe it's shining on the other side of the world, but it is shining. And that's enough reason to be happy.