About this blog

'When life hands you a lemon, then make lemondade' Dale Carnegie 'How to stop worrying and start living' 1948

This blog is about happiness. It's also about alchemy. 

You will learn how to transform your seemingly 'ordinary' life - characterised by the usual see-saw of happiness followed by unhappiness - into an 'extraordinary' life peace, fulfillment and happiness. Solid, stable, grounded peace.

Everyone wants to be happy. Every living being is searching for happiness, and moving away from the possible causes of suffering all the time. Moment to moment. That goes for everyone, from a tiny little ant right up to you. 

We might not believe that permanent happiness is even possible. We say 'That's life!', meaning things don't work out the way we'd like. 

If you are still searching for happiness, then it means you haven't found it yet. 

That is very illuminating.

So let's take a look at where we looking for happiness at the moment? We try to get the externals right, don't we? The right job, the right partner, more money, a bigger property, another holiday. The list goes on. 

There's nothing wrong with that you might say. No, of course. All of us need money, support, love ad good conditions in which to live.

The problem though is that things in the outside world are in a constant state of flux. 

They are changing all the time, that's the way the world is. So if you believe that you can only be happy with that person, or with that job, and living in a certain place, you have set yourself up for unhappiness. What if that person leaves, or dies, or you lose your job or your home. Any happiness we get from 'out there' can only ever be temporary. It is also momentary. That slice of cake you want. It is over very quickly. 'A moment on the lips, forever on the hips.'

So, things 'out there' can never bring you lasting happiness or joy, just temporay. This was the quest of the Buddha, 2,500 years ago. He wanted to know how people could be permanently happy, when everything out there was under the universal law of impermanence. Furthermore, all of us - despite how much money or power we have - will ultimately have to face old age, disease and death.

His answer was this: the only possible way any of us can achieve real, lasting happiness is from being in control of our reactions to whatever happens to us. It is all about being in control of your own mind, the container of your reactions to what happens to you. That is your power, and Buddha called that power 'Nirvana', or enlightenment.

Buddha realised that we can do little about what is thrown our way, but we can do something about how we react. We can choose our reactions, not what happens to us. He talked about two arrows, the first is the one that the world throws at us, and the second arrow is our reaction to that event or circumstance. 

He said he could help us with the second arrow. His teachings are fascinating and can still be used today. I've been studying Buddha's teachings, many different psychological and spiritual approaches to happiness, and I'd love to share those findings with you.

I have learnt how to use these tools to live an empowered life, how to build strength, wisdom and resilience. 

We shall be considering the words of the greatest masters across the ages, all of whom were on the same quest as you - for deep-seated, immutable happiness.