The Joy Of Being

Eastern Wisdom
 zenhabits
breathe.

The Pause Upon Which All Else Relies
by Leo
9 Feb 2012 at 8:56am
Post written by Leo Babauta. There is one little habit I’ve learned that has changed everything else in my life. The pause. When we fail, it’s because we act on urges without thinking, without realizing it. We have the urge to eat junk, and we do it. We have the urge to check email instead [...]
The Thousand Cuts Fitness Program
by Leo
6 Feb 2012 at 10:43am
Post written by Leo Babauta. I’ve trained for marathons, triathlons, 10Ks, a 13.5-hour challenge, Ubanathlons, and more. But my favorite fitness program isn’t one where you train for a major event. It’s where you get fit by a thousand little actions. When the actions are tiny, they are easy. You have no excuse. You can [...]
The Two-Headed Beast of Successful Habit Change
by guest
2 Feb 2012 at 9:20am
Editor’s Note: This is a guest post from Tyler Tervooren of Advanced Riskology. I used to have a lot of bad habits. I still do, but I used to have a lot more. Here?s just a small sampling: I woke up late and went to bed early. I procrastinated on my most important work. I [...]
Create the Habit of Meditation, & the Zen Habits Premium Membership
by Leo
31 Jan 2012 at 3:03pm
Post written by Leo Babauta. It’s something I should have created a long time ago: the Zen Habits Premium Membership, and a mini-course that’s included with it called Create the Habit of Meditation. The membership is a monthly subscription of $19.99, but really it’s a commitment to changing your life, and the tools needed to [...]
Creating Silence from Chaos
by Leo
27 Jan 2012 at 3:20pm
Post written by Leo Babauta. We are often afraid of silence, because its emptiness feels idle, boring, unproductive, and scary. And so we fill our lives with chaos, noise, clutter. But silence can be lovely, and therapeutic, and powerful. It can be the remedy for our stress and the habits that crush us. If we [...]
The Habits That Crush Us
by Leo
23 Jan 2012 at 11:26am
‘Don’t panic.’ ~Douglas Adams Post written by Leo Babauta. Why is it that we cannot break the bad habits that stand in our way, crushing our desires to live a healthy life, be fit, simplify, be happier? How is it that our best intentions are nearly always beaten? We want to be focused and productive, [...]
Learning to Sit Alone, in a Quiet Empty Room
by Leo
17 Jan 2012 at 1:49pm
‘All men’s miseries derive from not being able to sit in a quiet room alone.’ ~Blaise Pascal Post written by Leo Babauta. Think about some of the problems of our daily lives, and how many of them would be eased if we could learn to sit alone, in a quiet empty room, with contentment. If [...]
Life as a Conscious Practice
by Leo
13 Jan 2012 at 9:15am
‘Everything is practice.’ ~Pele Post written by Leo Babauta. When we learn a martial art, or ballet, or gymnastics, or soccer ? we consciously practice movements in a deliberate way, repeatedly. By conscious, repeated practice, we become good at those movements. Our entire lives are like this, but we’re often less conscious of the practice. [...]
Your Top 10 Clutter Questions, Answered
by Leo
11 Jan 2012 at 11:33am
Post written by Leo Babauta. Decluttering is a skill that you learn with practice, just like any skill. And just like other skills, there are many little questions and problems you need answered and solved as you get started. Those of you taking the Clutterfat Challenge this month are facing these problems, and I’m here [...]
Clearing Your Life for a New Year
by Leo
9 Jan 2012 at 12:55pm
Post written by Leo Babauta. Every January, people rush out and get a gym membership, set a list of goals or resolutions, and get ready to take on a new year of frenetic activity. Unfortunately, we don’t often clear space to make room for all this new stuff. The beginning of the year is a [...]
The New Contented Little Baby Book: The Secret to Calm and Confident Parenting
by Gina Ford
Amazon Price: £6.87

Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking: Be a Happy Non-smoker for the Rest of ...
by Allen Carr
Amazon Price: £4.94

The 18 Rules of Happiness: How to Be Happy
by Karl Moore
Amazon Price:

Instant Confidence (Book and CD)
by Paul McKenna
Amazon Price: £6.04

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
by Stephen R. Covey
Amazon Price: £8.12

Jo Frost's Confident Toddler Care: The Ultimate Guide to The Toddler Years: P...
by Jo Frost
Amazon Price: £10.19

I Can Make You Thin - Love Food, Lose Weight: New Full Colour Edition (includ...
by Paul McKenna
Amazon Price: £8.84

How to Do Everything and Be Happy
by Peter Jones
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Steve Biddulph's Raising Boys: Why Boys are Different - and How to Help Them ...
by Steve Biddulph
Amazon Price: £6.71

Control Stress : Stop Worrying and Feel Good Now !
by Paul McKenna
Amazon Price: £6.92



The Joy Of Being

Here is your Sunday STORY on: THE LOVE OF WISDOM: What is preventing you from success? Your mind! In wisdom success is always attributed to money, but to other such successes such as achieving love and happiness. Yet whether we live in a world of wisdom or not the controller of our destiny is our own little self. We follow actions suggested within our mind. So ultimately the controller is our mind. We are all too well aware that TWO people or more exist within our mind; no one individual runs the whole show. It almost appears as if we have two opposite ends controlling all of our decisions, a GOOD GUY and a BAD GUY. In WISDOM the attempt is for the one true self to run the mind; we need to limit the effects of the others. The others may be referred to as the EGO, INNER TALKING, SELF TALK, CONVERSATIONS within the mind or many other weird and wonderful names various countries around the world give to them. Nevertheless if we want success we need to have some control of our own mind, we need to eliminate the bad and poor decision maker. Today's story is an illustration of how a strong and active mind can overcome difficulties. MY STORY I have a dream, and I will stay determined, work hard, and do everything in my power to make my dream a reality. Growing up, I had a lot of negativity in my life, and just recently, I experienced a success that I consider, a significant step towards my dream/goal for life. During my elementary/middle school years, achieving straight A's was never an easy task due to a mild learning disability. My disability lead to low quality test taking ability, which affected me a lot with the SAT's. However, during high school, I achieved almost all A's in which I am very proud of. The SAT's of course was the only thing holding me back from getting into the school of my choice. The school of my choice is located near Los Angeles, CA, the home of the entertainment industry. Working in the entertainment industry is my goal/dream, and just going to school in the same area was something to strive for in itself. With a mild disability in Reading Comprehension, the SAT Verbal Section was really to my disadvantage. I applied for extra timing numerous times, and got turned down each and every time. When I got a letter from the school, which was not a solid rejection, saying my SAT score did not reach the minimum for allowable admission, I began to lose hope. I started crying, hating myself, my life, standardized tests, among other things. I called up my admissions counsellor in tears when I received the letter and asked him nicely if there was anything else I could do to improve my application packet. My counsellor was one of the most understanding, kind, and considerate people I have ever met. He gave me a second chance to improve my scores and gave me suggestions of how to really prepare for the SAT. So, I purchased an 8 inch thick SAT prep booklet, and drilled away for 3 hours each day, during the 2 week period I had before the test. The book really stressed me out and I thought I was gonna die, trying to retain all of that information. Well, I finally took the test, and remained utterly nervous and scared for the 4 weeks prior to receiving my scores. I finally received my scores, and was ecstatic to see that I increased 50 points. My counsellor told me that I needed a 50-60 point increase for consideration. I was so happy! My admissions counsellor was very happy for me too, and sent my application packet to an appeal committee, convincing them that I really have the drive to go to their school and am determined to do well. My grades were stellar, which was a total plus. Just shows that a simple test score doesn't mean anything when it comes to measuring a person's intelligence and potential. After 3 weeks of waiting around for a decision, my counsellor called me and said "Congratulations Julia, you have been admitted." That literally made my year! I was so happy and excited, I wasn't in a bad mood about anything for a long time. I was so determined to make it into that school, I did anything to get there. No matter how rough the seas may get, never give up. If all the doors are closed, open one. If opportunity runs out, make more. If the storms get rough, they blow away, not you. My advice to anyone with a dream is to always believe in yourself, believe in the universe and you will for sure see good results. The path to any success, big or small, may get rough, and when it does, take charge, never settle for less than you are determined to get. The human being can do amazing things, and if the mind really dwells upon something, the body will react. Follow your dreams and never give up, because it's the losers that say success is only "luck". For an update on me, I just finished my first semester at Chapman University in Orange County CA, having earned a 3.7 GPA. My major is Communications, however I am switching to Theatre Performance. I am breaking into the modelling industry which I plan Television and Movies to follow. UCLA is in mind for transferring to as an undergraduate and/or future schooling. To everyone who took the time to read my story: God Bless every one of you, and may all of your lives shine like stars. (Julia Barys) QUOTE: 'It is hard to fight the enemy who has outposts in your head.' (Sally Kempton)


If you were married, together for ten years, and he can't stop talking to his ex - your opinion, please?
So we've had our ups and downs over the years, as to be expected. I was probably too young when we got together and he's a bit older than I am. He drives a truck so he's gone most of the time but I've stayed faithful; I don't lie, do drugs or even go out partying. I've been working full-time through much of the relationship and I usually try to make sure the house is clean when he comes home. I make sure all the bills get paid and while we're not living the high life, we're doing okay. Throughout the years he's told me numerous times to get my stuff and get out, or that he would get his stuff and leave, but each time I find out later he was just bluffing or saying that to get his point across. He's toned that down some after I told him that it wouldn't be a thing to make that happen -- that if he doesn't want to be together, that's fine and we don't have to be. My point is that I'm not a complete pushover. I may not be the best wife, but I try. He may not be the best husband, but I believe he tries sometimes at least. Take a breath before this next part, it's like an f'ing novela. He was with his ex for two years before she finally got pregnant after running around with all sorts of other guys behind his back. He'd asked her to marry him at some point, but after this they separated. For the first several years I got compared to the Ex constantly; I was too young to know any better, had been raised in a very misogynistic family, so I took the criticism and tried to improve. And then, of course, I got tired of it and started sticking up for myself. I would tell him, "If anyone had *ever* treated me like this before I met you...." He could get away with more than I'd allow anyone else to -- ah, the joys of being in love. So over time we found a good balance of sorts, and he finally stopped talking about his ex. But he didn't stop talking *to* his ex. I found that out and pitched fits: "Hasn't she caused enough problems already?" A year ago, he finally agreed to stop talking to her. That if it "bothered" me that much, he wouldn't do it anymore. Okay, we'll look beyond years of verbal abuse and disrespect if he's willing to make an effort. Okay. Until she friends him on Facebook, prompting my leaving of Facebook. I finally sent her a message saying if she needed someone to talk to *that* bad, if she didn't have *anybody* else in the world, she could talk to me. I'm open-minded, and it would make me feel more comfortable because I've never lied to me about her, and he has. In a humiliating attempt at peace, I asked her to stop talking to him because it was disrupting our marriage, to which she replies, "I can't control him talking to me." That's the same answer I get from him: he can't control her talking to him. And so nowhere in this whole mess am I condoning their continued contact, not that that stops them: Since April of this year, nearly four months ago, they've talked on the phone for over 12 hours and his cell phone bill has doubled because of overage charges this month alone -- from July 14th to the 19th, they've spent almost four hours on the phone. From the first of this month, they've had 120 texts back and forth. And he keeps going on about how she just "needs help" and "doesn't have anyone else." He doesn't see how it's a big deal, and maybe you won't either. Am I being unreasonable? It bothers me to a point that they talk, but what really takes the cake is that he apparently can't *stop* talking to her. I realize this is a long question, and thanks if you've made it this far. I realize this is a difficult situation, but I'm not pathetic and he's not usually this much of a jackass. I would just really love an unbiased opinion on this one. Thank you again.

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What is the joys of being a young Christian woman?
in today's world...

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Do i tell my freinds how i feel?
So im 16 dealing with all the teenage drama and all the joy of being in high school and trying to prove my parents wrong. Im a semi popular girl at school i have a lot of close friends and i get along with mostly everyone but like most people i have problems not many but they are large in size and when i try and talk to any of my friends i can never get any of it out they always are comeing to me with their problems and looking for advice but when i need them i feel like i get tossed aside cause there to busy dealing with there problems im a good friend and no matter what i never ignor a friend or say kno when they wanna talk about something but its gotten to the point where i cant bear it any more that it feels like they just dont care.Do i say something to them or do i go on and let things be?

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The Joy of Being a Girl on Xbox

28 Jun 2010 at 7:34pm


Joseph Akins - Joy Of Being

21 Sep 2010 at 6:50pm


THE JOY OF BEING: A DANCE IN ETERNITY

5 Feb 2012 at 11:05pm



Next page: Happiness Theory


The Joy Of Being News


OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR; The Past Is a Foreign Country

27 Jul 2011 at 12:00am  Oslo A FEW days ago, before the bombing here and the shootings on Utoya Island, a friend and I were talking about how the joy of being alive always seems to go hand in hand with the sorrow that things change. Not even the brightest future can make up for the fact that no roads lead back to what came before -- to the innocence of childhood or the...

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Paid Notice: Deaths WINSTON, DAN

23 Jun 2010 at 12:00am  WINSTON--Dan, on June 21, 2010. Beloved husband of Suzanne, loving father of Diane and William, grandfather of Sara, Erin, Courtney, Isabelle, Jason and Leigh Ann and their children. Dan lived by the Camp Mooween motto "Seek the joy of being alive." His passion for life inspires the friends and family he leaves behind. Service Thursday, June 24,...

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LETTERS; Women and the Pursuit of Happiness

22 Sep 2009 at 12:00am  To the Editor: Re ''Blue Is the New Black,'' by Maureen Dowd (column, Sept. 20): Ms. Dowd, in her discussion of why women are generally unhappier than they were just a few decades ago, identifies an aspect of the ''feminist revolution'' that often goes unnoticed. Women have made tremendous material and emotional strides, but they feel torn among...

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Ready to Climb the Walls? Here's a Better Alternative

18 Sep 2009 at 12:00am  -- For three days last month I had a break from family squabbles and smart-alecky retorts. My adolescent children didn't tell me to ''wait a minute'' when I needed something done. Phones were shut off, for the most part, and neither a DVD player nor a computer was turned on. I was happy, and so were they. If you're guessing that we went on separate...

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