Being Happy/aware In The Present, A Paradox?

[OhHiMark]

They say to be happy in the present with what you have and who you are and not to save happiness for reaching a specific goal, earning a certain wage or losing 30lbs of fat but don't we all reach a stage where happiness just becomes natural i.e a meditation teacher who is happy because they are self actualized (for  example) wouldn't have necessarily been happy before in his 9-5 office job. Or the bikini model who who does yoga 5 times a day who used to be depressed because she was overweight but now is happy with the universe.She needed to reach a certain stage to realise certain things.

Are we telling people to live in the moment, don't wait for the future or material things to be happy/grateful et al but are we giving this advice from a place of our own higher place of happiness. I'm in good shape, should I then tell somebody who's not in as good shape to be happy with what they have? Would my old self agree?

Or are we saying once you have the knowledge and tools then make your own decision?

Didn't sound as confusing in my head.

Edited January 9, 2017 by OhHiMark

[ajasatya]

@OhHiMark the teaching is about telling people to use wisely everything they have at their disposal right now instead of crying over things they don't have and doing nothing about it.

Edited January 9, 2017 by ajasatya

[Alicja_]

@OhHiMark  I think if one is in some sort of bad emotional, physical or whatever shape, it is good to have a vision in which you are a better, happier, more fulfilled version of yourself. And then with this vision stuck in your head, you go mindfully along your life, at peace with the process which leads to your actualization. Well, if pain is in the way, be it. That's the cost. 

This does not mean that you are just here and now, forbidden to dwell on the future or the past. The glimpses here and there are beneficial as they deepen your understanding of who you are  and where you're heading  to. Compromise. 

It's how I see it. Not always easy to stay on path, still, worth trying. 

Edited January 9, 2017 by Alicja_

[eskwire]

@OhHiMark Hi, Mark.  Yeah, this seems at first like a paradox but it's not. They are the same.

Jung says to change, you first must accept yourself. Why? Because if you don't accept yourself, you are going to continue doing the neurotic stuff that got you the bad results you have now.

If you are mindful, like truly mindful, you will eat better. You will feel how good yoga feels. You will be conscious of how dumb tv is and turn it off. You will read a room, understand situations, and have influence among your peers because you will see what is needed with more accuracy. Also, if you are mindful, you will feel happier. 

Being mindful, accepting, and happy will result in change. 

[OhHiMark]

Thanks guys, insightful as usual.

[Leo Gura]

Ironically, to be happy in the present moment takes decades of work.

Those who claim otherwise, are incapable of it, or have already put in their decades of work and conveniently forget to mention it.

If you can be happy right now, do it and live happily ever after. But you probably can't, can you? Sooner or later (probably very soon) someone's gonna piss in your soup, and you're gonna come crying. At which point we tell you to roll up your sleeves and get to work. Or keep lying to yourself that everything is okay.