I was mentioning to a friend the other day that there are three ways to view any experience in our lives. There is the anticipation of a moment, the experience of a moment, and one’s reflection of a moment.
At times we think that how we felt in the past about something is how we should be feeling about something; often the feelings of anticipation or reflection for a moment can be more intense than our feelings of that moment while we’re even experiencing it. Why is that?
Anticipation is a powerful mover of emotion. We are often disappointed when something we had been hoping for days or weeks doesn’t materialize or when we actually taste/touch/experience the thing we’ve been pining after for so long we realize that its just not as good as I remember it… maybe there was someone we experienced it with, or somewhere we experienced it that was just special, or maybe we’ve just changed and who we were is no longer who we are and because of that what it is, is no longer what we thought it was.
Reflection is equally powerful. Call yourself to account each day right? But why? It may have something to do with the notion that it simply takes time to process something and place it into the proper perspective. It takes being away from something or someone to bring forth what that place or persons true value is. It also takes time to view your actions in a way where your thoughts aren't clouded by emotion.
I bring this all up for a couple reasons… among the most important being because the anticipation that we wrap around experiences keeps us from enjoying them, and in turn just being happy.
We have to not beat ourselves up when someone/something doesn’t meet our expectations. We have to not be upset if what we think we should be experiencing in a moment doesn’t materialize, or what we even hope to find in an individual or a place doesn’t become what we had hoped. We can maybe see a wisdom in things, but if we don’t that’s ok too, that’s where the spirit of faith comes into play.
Our happiness must not be based upon satisfying a need or desire in this world, it has to come from within and transcend pleasure or satisfying desire in this world. There is something deeper at play, a power, a love, a connection to a loving creator that loves us; love brings contentment, and contentment…brings happiness.
At times we think that how we felt in the past about something is how we should be feeling about something; often the feelings of anticipation or reflection for a moment can be more intense than our feelings of that moment while we’re even experiencing it. Why is that?
Anticipation is a powerful mover of emotion. We are often disappointed when something we had been hoping for days or weeks doesn’t materialize or when we actually taste/touch/experience the thing we’ve been pining after for so long we realize that its just not as good as I remember it… maybe there was someone we experienced it with, or somewhere we experienced it that was just special, or maybe we’ve just changed and who we were is no longer who we are and because of that what it is, is no longer what we thought it was.
Reflection is equally powerful. Call yourself to account each day right? But why? It may have something to do with the notion that it simply takes time to process something and place it into the proper perspective. It takes being away from something or someone to bring forth what that place or persons true value is. It also takes time to view your actions in a way where your thoughts aren't clouded by emotion.
I bring this all up for a couple reasons… among the most important being because the anticipation that we wrap around experiences keeps us from enjoying them, and in turn just being happy.
We have to not beat ourselves up when someone/something doesn’t meet our expectations. We have to not be upset if what we think we should be experiencing in a moment doesn’t materialize, or what we even hope to find in an individual or a place doesn’t become what we had hoped. We can maybe see a wisdom in things, but if we don’t that’s ok too, that’s where the spirit of faith comes into play.
Our happiness must not be based upon satisfying a need or desire in this world, it has to come from within and transcend pleasure or satisfying desire in this world. There is something deeper at play, a power, a love, a connection to a loving creator that loves us; love brings contentment, and contentment…brings happiness.
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