How Do You Feel?

Most people think that what we feel is based on what is happening in the world around us. 

In simple terms, if things are going well for us, we can feel happy. If things are not going so well for us, we can feel unhappy. 

However, most of us have also had times where, despite things not going the way we want, we still feel happy. And vice versa.

This leads us to realise that our happiness is not simply based on what is happening around us. 

There are many other factors which people believe can have an impact on our feelings, such as our state of mind, our previous experiences, our social conditioning, our culture, our environment - the list goes on. 

With so many factors involved, it seems almost impossible to know where to focus to ensure we feel as happy as possible, as often as possible. 

However, the truth of how we feel is a lot more simple than most of us know. 

In fact, what’s really happening is that our feelings are based on our thinking about what’s happening, in the moment. 

Yep. That’s it. 

No matter what, you only ever feel what you are thinking about what’s happening, in the moment that it’s happening.

This simple yet fundamental truth explains why you’ve ever felt the way you’ve felt about anything before and how you’ll feel about anything that happens in your life from now on. 

Sounds too simple, right?

Try it now - without using thoughts or images, how do you feel about something that’s happened in your past? 

If a feeling starts to appear, become aware of the thought or image that has crept in, despite your best efforts. Once your mind is clear, try again. Keep trying, over and over again, with your utmost focus on having ‘no mind’ when you do it (you will find this slightly easier if you have practised mindfulness or meditation). 

Unless you’re cheating, or kidding yourself, you can't feel anything because it’s not possible. 

The implications for us all are enormous. 

We now know exactly how our happiness, or unhappiness, is being created. 

What we do with this truth is up to us. 

How many ways will this change your life?