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Spreading
happiness throughout the world TM |
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Copyright 2005 by Julian
Kalmar. All rights reserved. (509 words) Happiness actions are the physical and mental actions
that naturally and automatically create a sense of well-being in us. They
work because there is a certain something within us—our internal wiring—that
responds to these actions. Although there is some variation between people,
many happiness actions are shared with just about everyone. For
example, most people will feel good after doing physical exercise. Likewise,
the mental activity of learning a new skill can be tremendously gratifying. The
most powerful happiness actions involve
both mental and physical activities, and have astounding personal effects.
Gardening is an excellent example. Providing it’s not overly strenuous,
quietly tending a garden can create an enormous sense of tranquility. You get
in touch with the soil and plants, and most importantly, your own thoughts. To
get your hands in good soil, quickly puts you in communion with nature. There
is nothing like filling a pot with soil, and patting it down with your hands.
Making a little hole, putting a seed in it, and covering it over, brings an
excited sense of anticipation. The magic of a little water and some time
brings forth new life in a way that never gets old. Every day thereafter,
there are visible changes in your little plant that are captivating. With
a larger garden, there is even greater involvement. You quickly become part
of the soil and plants. All your stresses melt away, and you lose yourself in
the quietude of the experience. (When was the last time you got so carried
away?) Suddenly you’ll completely lose awareness of your problems with
family, work, or the economy. Your biggest concern becomes, finding the
critter responsible for eating the leaves of your tomato plant. Getting lost
in “bug hunting” takes you back to earlier days when you were completely in
touch with your real life. Then
there’s that good tired feeling you get after spending hours in the garden.
You sleep more soundly that night, since…you can’t remember when. A day or
two later you start discovering muscles you never knew you had! Every
movement brings with it an ache that reminds you of your gardening
accomplishments and you feel good as you relive your experience communing
with the spirit of your garden. Next
comes the impossibility of passing by your garden
without stopping to admire it. With that comes one of the highest things you
can do for your sense of well-being. You bathe in the appreciation of beauty.
Is
it any wonder that centuries ago it was discovered that people recovering
from illness and injury recovered faster if they tended a garden? You cannot
help but put something of yourself into the soil, the plants and the
environment. As you cultivate your garden, so it cultivates a certain
something upon your soul. Indeed,
gardening is a spiritual experience. It connects us to the One-ness that is,
to the oneness of where we truly are. We lose our I-ness, and unconsciously
integrate into the flow of the universe. We fall into perfect harmony and
finally arrive home. Biographical
Information
July 12th, 2005 Copyright 2005 by Julian Kalmar.
All rights reserved. |
