From the Desk of Murray Lincoln: Happiness equals “the fullest exercise of our faculties” and “the fullest realization of the world in which I live”

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Happiness equals “the fullest exercise of our faculties” and “the fullest realization of the world in which I live”

“The happiness that is genuinely satisfying is accompanied by the fullest exercise of our faculties and the fullest realization of the world in which we live.” ~ Bertrand Russell

Wow! What a great reflection of the thought of happiness.

As I read the words that Bertrand Russell gave us, I realized that real happiness is only a moment away.

There they are – the Moments.

A moment to walk through our yard and look at the flowers. A moment to listen to the soft sounds the passing river makes as it flows by me. The moment that the birds are singing early in the morning. All of these moments that are around me.

I needn’t be doing something… I need to be sitting or standing still and savouring the moments.

My moments of pausing are so important in this screwed up world around me.

More information flows my way from the abuse of an elderly person – or maybe it is just neglect. More information comes from another couple in crisis and a family about to split in two. Still more information comes from some folk that are battling serious, life threatening sickness. Their bodies are failing and the family crisis is huge.

Then there is the news that floods my mind by way of printed pages, TV News and Radio News.

The Mayor of Toronto, Rob Ford, and his brother will not really speak the truth – at least that what all of us outside the story are thinking. Rather than come out and deal with any possible problem, they attack others. They throw boulders not stones. They seem to be in the last throws of their last days as leaders. Attack! Attack! Attack!!

Then there is Turkey and the uprising of youth (or the population) against the decisions that have been made to build a business place/mall on top of a treasured piece of historical property… refusing to listen to the population’s concern. Attack! Attack!!

Further to all of that our own Government in Ottawa is in turmoil. Attack after Attack has happened when the exposure of the corruption has taken place in the Senate. Attaaaack!!!!

One week’s does of News is enough to sink almost anyone’s perception of “happiness”.

Russell said, “The happiness that is genuinely satisfying is accompanied by the fullest exercise of our faculties and the fullest realization of the world in which we live.”

Sadly the leaders that are in the News all the time could not possibly be living in happiness with the turmoil surrounding them at this time. They have to be far, far, far away from any Kingdom of Happiness.

My question as I face the World out there is – “How do I preserve and build on my own happiness?”

Look at it again – “the fullest exercise of our faculties”. What are my faculties that are present in my life to be used today? Am I using them all?

And “the fullest realization of the world in which I live”. My world is not Toronto and the Ford Families. I am not in Toronto politics.

I am not in Turkey. While I feel deeply for the people of Turkey – I am not there. I listen and learn but can do nothing to help… other than hope that a Politician or two there would see that they are not in the fullest realization of the world in which they live.

And as to our own Ottawa and the Federal Politicians that make huge decisions, bury bad things and deny most other things… they may have once been happy… but at present how could anyone working in that stuff know “the fullest exercise of our faculties” and “the fullest realization of the world in which I live”???

Yesterday we rose late… after sleeping in. We had brunch and then lulled around for an hour or two before heading to a local park. While at the park we stopped to have coffee and the wonderful cookies that the coffee shop has available.

I sat sipping my coffee and munching the cookies… and listening to the birds sing outside the open air restaurant. I watched the beautiful river move by. I felt the puff of the breeze and felt the odd rain drop as a storm overhead passed steadily.

Truly at that moment we were feeling “the fullest exercise of our faculties” and “the fullest realization of the world in which I live”. The rest of the ridiculous world way out there – was far, far, far, far away!!

I need moments like this after spending time reading or listening to news of today.

Maybe a good formula is to spend 10 minutes of time with our flowers to every one minute of time I have spent taking in the media. A 10:1 ratio would be good for my health in every way.

10:1 would be good in the work place as well. After a 15 minute coffee break and listening to all the stories that my fellow workers lay on to me… I need 150 minutes in a garden. 30 minutes of bad stories and tough life – would need 300 minutes in the garden – or 5 hours!!!

I think that is a winning formula… and it works for me.

But there is another answer as well… never take in the Media… walk away and enjoy what you have… “the fullest exercise of our faculties” and “the fullest realization of the world in which I live”.

~ Murray Lincoln ~

www.murraylincoln.com

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