Happiness is not something that happens. . .

“Happiness is not something that happens. It is not the result of good fortune or random chance. It is not something that money can buy or power command. It does not depend on outside events, but, rather, on how we interpret them” 

- Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Well, thank god for that! Imagine our happiness being entirely dependent on that which is outside our control… uhhhh, no thanks. Marcus Aurelius said it best some 2000 years ago in his personal journal, published today as Meditations: 

“You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realise this, and you will find strength” - Marcus Aurelius

But how exactly do we realise this power? What is one thing we can do to help us make the distinction between that which is within our control, and that which is not, and concern ourselves with only the former?

Yep. you guessed it: meditation. The BEST MIND technique is based on Vedic Meditation: An effortless practice almost 5000 years old; a twice daily sit-in that brings us closer to our deepest truth - that we are all, in essence, divine beings fully capable of shaping our interpretation of outside events.

“Happiness, in fact, is a condition that must be prepared for, cultivated… People who learn to control inner experience will be able to determine the quality of their of their lives, which is as close as any of us can come to being happy” - Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

And what better way to cultivate* the conditions for happiness, and work towards the control of our inner experience than to sit still with our mantra for 20mins twice a day and learn to see our thoughts and emotions for what they are? Passing clouds in the boundless sky: nothing to be attached to or defined by, no matter how stormy and grey they may be.

And whilst I’d never proclaim ‘meditation can make you happy’, I will say that it can help lay the foundations that enable one to build on and realise their potential, and to succeed in that which is of most benefit to both themselves AND the world at large.

“For success, like happiness, cannot be pursued; it must ensue… as the unintended side-effect of one’s personal dedication to a course greater than oneself”  - Viktor Frankl

If you feel charmed by the prospect of learning meditation and all its timeless wisdom, reach out and take the first step: I’d love to teach you the BEST MIND technique, one that keeps on giving with time. For it is through consistent, devoted practice that we start to release our resistance to change, to growth, to evolution - all three being the law of nature by which we are governed.

“Existence is like a river in ceaseless flow, its actions a constant succession of change” - Marcus Aurelius

Together, let’s surrender to the process; to the nature of the Whole of which we are all a part.

* I prefer not to use ‘cultivate’ in any context outside agriculture… but if Mihaly C. can get down with it, then goddamn it, so can I.