July 2024

Top 12 Ways Consciousness Brings Greater Happiness

by Elizabeth Saigal

Happiness is a complex and multifaceted emotional state characterized by feelings of joy, satisfaction, contentment, and fulfillment – the presence of pleasure and the absence of pain. Let’s take a look at different views of happiness.

Biological perspective: happiness is often linked to the brain’s reward systems. Neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, and endorphins play key roles in regulating mood and the feeling of happiness.

Sociocultural perspective: happiness is derived from success at what is valued in that community.

Psychological perspective: Positive psychology identifies several components of happiness, such as positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishments (often summarized by the acronym PERMA). In research, happiness is measured by subjective well-being, which includes cognitive evaluations of one’s life (life satisfaction), as well as the presence of positive emotions and the absence of negative emotions. These elements are often ascribed to having a meaningful life.

Spiritual perspective: happiness is associated with a connection to a higher power or the divine. This connection can bring a profound sense of purpose, meaning, and fulfillment.

by Elizabeth Saigal

What if we did not judge things as negative or positive? Is there a way to experience freedom from “bad”?

Every interaction has the potential to be interpreted as negative or positive, influencing our physiology and overall vitality. When we encounter situations that align with our desires, we experience being energized and positive. Conversely, situations that don’t meet our expectations can leave us feeling depleted.

These experiences can result in fears associated with being depleted and not getting the results we want.

The Impact of Fearful Mindsets

These fears paradoxically bring additional stress to everyday interactions. This suffering is usually unconscious and unintentional. Shirzad Chamine’s Positive Intelligence framework characterizes these fearful mindsets as “Saboteurs.” For those with a more positive, or “Sage,” mindset, interacting with someone in a Saboteur state can feel draining, like being around an energy vampire.

These fearful and judgmental mindsets can also be contagious, and any similar saboteur programs we hold can be activated. Think of it like exposure to an infection that you can inoculate yourself against—a cure you can then share with the affected person.

by Elizabeth Saigal

When you become deeply immersed in the moment such that there is no experience of time you have entered into a state of flow. This occurs when you are not identifying with any aspect of the experience you are just being with the experience. It is a place of space and stillness that is deeply alive.

In our modern hustle, many of us are caught in a cycle of constant activity, squeezing tasks into every available minute. This perpetual busyness often prevents us from being present, as we focus on what’s next rather than the current moment. There’s a common belief that inactivity equates to wasted time. However, beyond our concept of time when in a place of flow there is also no concept of wasted activity.

Interestingly, 99.99% of your body is space. Atoms, which make up everything, have nuclei that are 100,000 times smaller than the atom itself. Additionally, electrons, which orbit these nuclei, can be considered waves that occupy zero space! This spaciousness holds all that is manifested in form.

July 2024

Top 12 Ways Consciousness Brings Greater Happiness

Freedom from Negative Thoughts

The Impact of Fearful Mindsets

Creating Space and Stillness