happiness is removal
Happiness is about removing things. I’m camping in New Hampshire for 3 days. A detox with the kids now that the school year is done.
I was on a lake yesterday and was struck by a quote I read by @naval in a book of his. It was something along the lines that happiness is less about external conditions being right. Rather, it’s more about removing those attachments, and focusing on whatever is left. Specifically, examine the default mode when you get away from the grind. Ideally, it’s something close to being present. I think this is right.
Really the hardest thing (for me) is to even get to a place of noticing that my mind has wandered into the future. So getting present can sometimes feel like a bunch of words from afar, since I’m trying to get present from the future. For some of us the present and the future are closely linked. It can be weird to NOT think about the future. It’s like saying I want to be on the beach in Kauai while shoveling snow in my driveway - just another thought.
So, getting present requires a few steps in a specific order; like a chemistry reaction. It’s something like:
recognize attachments (hard!)
Set them to the side (less hard, but usually a context switch helps)
Be present with what’s left