The Ministry of Happiness

Happiness and Anger

Posted on June 18, 2012 by Michael Kane

Happiness and Anger

You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger ~ Buddha

Today I want to write about anger, there are few things more destructive to your own personal happiness than anger. It’s easy to get angry and it’s an emotion that has, in limited instances, some usefulness. However it can easily become something that is overly expressed and have a very negative impact on your life. I’m reminded of a friend, a pretty mild-mannered guy, who terrified me the first time I ever got in his car with him. As we were driving along he was driving aggressively, screaming at other motorists and pounding on his dashboard. It seemed inevitable to me that his anger would someday lead to an altercation, an accident or even a stroke. Additionally, anger breeds anger and when someone screams at you your natural reaction is to scream back and this, is not good for anyone. This type of activity also creates isolation and leads to a lack of consideration and compassion for our fellow-man further adding to the complications and aggravations of our lives.

Turning to one of my favorite sources, here are a couple of quotes from the Dalai Lama, first on the personal anger and second on anger at a much larger level:

The first drawback of anger is that it destroys your inner peace; the second is that it distorts your view of reality. If you think about this and come to understand that anger is really unhelpful, that it is only destructive, you can begin to distance yourself from anger.

If each of us can learn to relate to each other more out of compassion, with a sense of connection to each other and a deep recognition of our common humanity, and more important, to teach this to our children, I believe that this can go a long way in reducing many of the conflicts and problems that we see today. ~ Dalai Lama

Hopefully friends your anger is not an issue, sure we all get angry occasionally, but hopefully it is not at a level where it impacts your life to any major degree. I think it would do us all good however to reduce the level of anger in our lives. I found a great piece from the Mayo Clinic that contains 10 tips to help you control your anger, it’s a great article, have a look and as always, have a happy day my friends ~ Rev Kane

Happiness and Father’s Day

Posted on June 16, 2012 by Michael Kane

There is a reason every year that my mother get’s a Father’s Day card from me, quite simply, she’s the person who did the job. She was not the prototypical father, she didn’t take me hunting or fishing, or play catch with me in the yard. But she was the only parent I had day in and day out, so for me it’s a simple equation, do both jobs, get credit for both.

Although I really object to the whole greeting card industry holiday paradigm, do we really only need or want one day to tell our parents, grand parents or lovers that they are special to us? Shouldn’t we be doing that every single day? These holidays are at least a good reminder of one thing, we need to remember to let the important people in our lives know that they are important to us. We need to do that now, because quite simply tomorrow, no matter the circumstances can easily be too late. So have a Happy Father’s Day my friends whether you’re a mother, a father, an uncle or a friend. ~ Rev Kane

Posted in personal happiness | Tagged family, father's day, gratitude, happiness, happy, holiday, mother, thankful | 11 Comments

Deng Ming-Dao on Purpose in Life

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Michael Kane

Deng Ming-Dao on Purpose in Life

Suddenly, things snap into focus.
I’ve been pursuing unity all of my life,
But could only glimpse the monstrous vision in fragments;
It has haunted me for years.

Each time I sighted it, I struggled to make it concrete.
At first, it seemed I only had a sculptor’s yare of unfinished figures –
Then it slowly began to make sense,
Gathered from glimpses and inferences.

More and more, the mysterious life comes together.
It may take years to reveal the whole.
That’s all right.
I’m prepared to do the distance.

One’s life’s destiny is not easily revealed. It’s too big. You may certainly set your sights early, but you will still have to make changes and adjustments as your true purpose is clarified. When it does begin to come together, there is a tremendous feeling of assurance.

Then with each step upon the path of Tao, your certainty rings from peak to peak.

Posted in Deng Ming-Dao | Tagged blog, happiness, inspiration, life, tao, taoism | 1 Comment

Deng Ming-Dao on Outlook

Posted on June 1, 2012 by Michael Kane

Deng Ming-Dao on Outlook

I haven’t posted anything from Deng Ming-Dao in a while so here’s one of my favorite bits of his wisdom ~ Rev Kane

Spawned from a mountain cataract.
The long river surges to the sea.
Its torrents savage its igneous bed.
Yet one blade of rock twists it tightly.
Angry waves plow stone furrows into a maze.
And boats find it difficult to maneuver.
From this point, one man held off an entire army.
And poets found inspiration among the nests of eagles.

Along the Yangtze River is a high cliff. The space for the river narrows dramatically at this point, and the water must backed up into a large bay before plunging through the difficult passage. Rocks underneath are treacherous, and even today boats find it difficult to negotiate this stretch.

At the crown of the cliff is the Temple to the White King, in honor of a man from ancient times. Numerous historical events took place her. In medieval times, a famous strategist was able to defeat an entire army with a much smaller force. Later, famous poets found inspiration from the high view of the river and the mountains. In more recent times, the high cliff served as the headquarters for a warlord.

There are places in nature that can give people great power, but the character of the individuals determines whether the power is used for war or peace. It is not enough to struggle for vantage points. Position must be used with wisdom.

Posted in Deng Ming-Dao | Tagged deng ming-dao, happiness, inspiration, outlook, perspective, tao, taoism | Leave a comment

Happiness and Coming Home

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Michael Kane

I’m writing this as I sit in Dublin Airport, a wonderful couple of weeks spent in Ireland. I spent time in Galway, cycling the western coast and Connemara and a couple of days at a world heritage site, the Giants Causeway. But I sit here on a five-hour delay for my flight to Chicago writing this post. I know some of you are having a sudden sense of deja vu, didn’t I just write about a 5 hour delay and a flight to Dublin, yes I did. This time on the other side of the pond on another 5 hour delay.

When last delayed I took to the time to reflect and write about patience and attitude and how the impact of the delay really related to your own personal attitude and what you make of it. This time however my thoughts are understandably focused on home. Those who know me well know that I’m a bit of gypsy. No single place seems like “home” to me, home is where I am, where my head and heart have taken me, as such, I’m always home. However even as a gypsy I have to admit there is comfort and happiness in the familiar. In returning home there is familiarity, comfort and most of all your own bed. I know I’m supposed to talk about coming home to the people in my life but my family genetic and selected are spread all over the world and so my focus today, what will bring me the greatest happiness once the odessy of flights I’m on today are completed will be sleeping in my own bed and of course, a pizza.

The bigger issue around coming home though is the concept of returning. It is important in our lives, no matter what we do or where we go, to always return to the calm center of our lives. For some this is home and family, for others it is a place in our head and our hearts, perhaps time alone to meditate and reflect. It will be another 20 hours before I find myself on my meditation pillow, returning and not much longer than that back to my own bed.

So I hope today you will consciously take the time to return, physically or mentally to that calm center and embrace the peace of that place. This will take you just a bit further toward having a happy day. ~ Rev Kane

Posted in personal happiness | Tagged happiness, home, inspiration, meditation, sleep, travel | Leave a comment

Dalai Lama Interview

Posted on May 17, 2012 by Michael Kane

I’m not a big fan of Piers Morgan’s interview show on CNN, but it’s rare to find a link to a video of a full interview with his holiness the Dalai Lama. He’s a joy to listen to in these, great sense of humor and always very thoughtful and wise, enjoy ~ Rev Kane

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwddg-Mh9S0&feature=share

Posted in Dalai Lama | Tagged dalai lama, happiness, inspiration, interview, kindness, news, piers morgan, taoism | 2 Comments

Happiness, Patience and Balance

Posted on May 13, 2012 by Michael Kane

Happiness, Patience and Balance

How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours ~ Wayne Dyer

One of the things I’ve come to understand in my life is that the universe requires balance. This is also talked about in terms of karma, or more commonly what comes around goes around. The frustration most people have with this process is that it seems that sometimes the wheel of karma turns way too slow for people who do things we don’t approve of in life. However I believe that this balance always occurs and yes, I have seen it take decades, but trust me my friends, it comes to pass.

I have not always been the most patient of folks, it is something I have certainly worked on over the last few years and I’m getting better. So today, the universe decided to check on my progress, I’m scheduled on a flight overseas that was supposed to leave at 6:30, once I arrived at the airport it quickly changed to 11:30, this turned a 16 hour travel day into a 21 hour travel and of course all on three hours of sleep.

This became a practice what you preach moment for Reverend Kane. So after the shock and utter disbelief started to subside I settled in. I got a snack, paid for by my American Airlines $12 snack voucher, (apparently my time is worth $2.40/hr to the airline), found an outlet, plugged-in, made some calls and am used the time to catch up with you my friends and others.

I didn’t get upset or frustrated, I verified everything I could and although my travel plans were delayed I wasn’t going to get stuck anywhere because of missed travel connections or services. I had a great book to read and I certainly had plenty of time for a nice dinner at the airport.

As we have talked about often, we determine our own level of happiness. I could have sat there in the airport like several others I’ve witnessed, angry, frustrated, railing at people who had no fault or control of the situation, but instead I chose to roll with it, even enjoy it as much as possible, it makes for a better day and quite frankly, I think it will help me live longer. So Happy Mothers day to you that applies to, thank you to all the rest of you who may not be parents but are just as valuable and who also help us raise our children. Here’s hoping your day has progressed more predictably than mine and as always, have a happy day my friends ~ Rev Kane

3 Steps to Happiness

Posted on May 10, 2012 by Michael Kane

3 Steps to Happiness

A positive attitude from you tends to produce a positive attitude toward you.
~ Deborah Day

This post comes entirely from one of my favorite places on the web, Zen Habits and it is a post describing 3 steps to having a happier day and then of course, day by day, a happier life, enjoy, and have a happy day ~ Rev Kane

A Powerful Three-Step Algorithm for Happiness

Post written by Leo Babauta.

Today I’m going to share a really simple secret that can make your day instantly better. If you’re feeling down, it can make you happier, all day long.

It’s something I’ve been trying myself, with great results.

It’s three steps, and anyone can do them. This is an algorithm that can be repeated over and over, all day long. It starts with a basic assumption: that we are all human beings capable of goodness, of love, of pain, of broken hearts and passionate love. That we all have bad days, that inside our jaded exteriors is a person who just wants love.

It is based on my observation that we take other people for granted, and that we judge others and become irritated with them for almost no good reasons, and we expect everyone to make us happy or at least behave the way we want them to, and if they don’t, our day is ruined. That’s crazy. People are living their own lives, and aren’t trying to please us or act in accordance with our expectations, and once we accept that, we can be happy.

Here are the three steps. They might sound silly to some of you, but I urge you to give them a try. For just one day. Even just an hour. They are powerful, and they work.

1. Think “I love you, and I’m thankful for you” to every single person today. This sounds kinda silly perhaps, but it works. Seriously, try it. Look at each person you pass or encounter today, and think to yourself (as if you’re talking to the person you’re looking at), “I love you, and I’m thankful for you.” Try to say it with feeling. Mean it! Even to those you pass on the street, in the elevator, while you’re driving (you might only see them for a split second, from a distance).

2. Smile at that person, and look them in the eye. Many of us are used to not looking people in the eye, avoiding contact. But looking someone in the eye is acknowledging their existence and human-ness, and establishing a connection. Smiling helps pass your happiness on to others. Obviously you can’t do this if the person is far from you or driving past you, but when you can, apply this step.

3. If you feel comfortable, say it aloud to that person. Say, “I love you and I’m thankful for you.” You’ll probably only say this to people you know very well (though the bold among you might say it to strangers!). If you’re not comfortable with that, try to say it with actions instead of words. A simple hug, doing something nice, spending time with someone while treating them kindly, doing a favor without expecting a return favor, just being thoughtful. Obviously you can’t do this step with everyone you pass, but the more people you apply this step to, the better.

Try these steps, please.

Also know that I love you. And I’m grateful that you’re alive.

Happy Wednesday!

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Michael Kane

Happy Wednesday!

A couple of quotes and images to help your Wednesday go a little better, have a happy day ~ Rev Kane

Appreciate the moments

I prefer to be a dreamer among the humblest, with visions to be realized, than lord among those without dreams and desires. ~ Kahlil Gibran

Happiness

Be Content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you. ~ Lao Tzu

Be the happy one in the crowd

The Dalai Lama on motivation

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Michael Kane

The Dalai Lama on motivation

The quality of everything we do: our physical actions, our verbal actions, and even our mental actions, depends on our motivation. That’s why it’s important for us to examine our motivation in our day to day life. If we cultivate respect for others and our motivation is sincere, if we develop a genuine concern for others’ well-being, then all our actions will be positive. ~ Dalai Lama

Posted in Dalai Lama | Tagged dalai lama, inspiration, life, motivation, philosophy, taoism | 1 Comment

The Ministry of Happiness

Happiness and Anger

Happiness and Anger

Other Posts You Might Enjoy!

Happiness and Father’s Day

Deng Ming-Dao on Purpose in Life

Deng Ming-Dao on Outlook

Happiness and Coming Home

Dalai Lama Interview

Happiness, Patience and Balance

Happiness, Patience and Balance

Other Posts You Might Enjoy!

3 Steps to Happiness

3 Steps to Happiness

Post written by Leo Babauta.

Other Posts You Might Enjoy!

Happy Wednesday!

Happy Wednesday!

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The Dalai Lama on motivation

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