Forward This book is a work of tactical dancing. In writing these words, I am dancing upon the keyboard of this instrument. In everything I do, I am seeking to hear the music of the universe, to move with eternity in such a way as to create more harmony, beauty, joy, laughter, learning, and wisdom. At times I may even seek to create healthy tears and screams of passion and power. Yet, I promise you, I am not doing this to feed myself or my ego alone. I create for us, you and me and all our relations. Let us share the wonders of the world and the universe. Let us share the resources of the world so that we might fashion a future together. Is it really that complicated a task? Is it really so hard to be a part of that path and stop being an obstacle to that vision? Listen. Listen to the people around you. Just listen. And then, when the time is right, speak your truth from your heart. The moment you start doing that, the world will start to transform around you. It all begins right now- right at the center of your heart and soul. Rise up my friends. Rise up and claim your power and then let us share that power to craft a better world. The time is now. The time is always now. - Matt Ready, 10/24/2016 Introduction Summary “Happiness” is the word I use to describe the ultimate goal of all life because it is the best word I have found. All beings naturally seek a better life for themselves, yet in so doing I believe they ultimately seek a better world for all. Creating a better world begins with the world within us, the world of our minds, emotions, and consciousness. The work required to find that inner peace and clarity can only be done by you. Yet, the work will not end there. To seek a better world is to seek it everywhere. Are you happy? This is one of the most important questions you can ever ask yourself. Don’t ignore the answer. If you are not happy or not as happy as you wish to be, then this book can help you through sharing the practices of meditation, mindfulness, and mindful action. Meditation is the practice of being still. Mindfulness is the practice of being aware. Mindful action is wise action taken from a place of calm open awareness. Rewrite notes: A little too long a philosophical discussion of the word happiness. If this how to meditate section becomes a pamphlet, then this introduction must change the description of the book. Or perhaps it can refer to this “series of books!” It is a recipe for living a happy life…it shares one subject/practice helping others find a happy path…but not really a full cookbook. Introduction My name is Matt Ready and I am a seeker. I have lived the bulk of my life striving to figure out what is worth living for and how then to do it. Along the way, I’ve made a lot of mistakes, fallen into some deep stagnant ruts, and occasionally wallowed in what seemed to be inescapable traps. Yet, through the course of this journey, I have also learned a few things. One lesson I learned on my journey is that not all paths in life are equal. For a time I dabbled with the existential attitude that life is absurd and nothing matters, and indeed, there is something to learn from exploring this way of seeing. Yet, it is not where I landed in the end. Some things do matter. Some conditions are better than others and are worth seeking, promoting, and nurturing. Another lesson I learned was it is helpful to have some words to describe the paths in life that are preferable. For many years I would use a variety of words in my personal writing to describe the preferable paths in life. I test drove words like happiness, salvation, enlightenment, fulfillment, self-actualization, and even utopia. Yet, as I attempted to discuss these topics with others, I found different words triggered different assumptions, often leading to a debate about the best word to use, rather than a discussion of the substance of the problem. So then I sometimes tossed out all such words and simply used the clunky phrase: “that which is worth seeking in life.” That didn’t last long. Eventually, I decided “happiness” is the best word available- and I simply define it for myself and my writing as “that which is worth seeking in life.” Hopefully, you can live with my use of the word happiness as it frequently arises in this book. Some people may object to the elevation of the word “happiness.” In college, a philosophy graduate student at the University of Maryland once said to me, “There are many things far more important than happiness. If I wanted to be happy then I might simply find a way to do cocaine and be high all the time. That’s not the life I want to live.” My response to such objections is that if it is not the life you want to live, then it is not happiness. For me, a happy life is synonymous with a life I want to live. On the other hand, happiness to me does not necessarily imply survival. Valuing your happiness does not mean you value your life above all others. I can imagine countless situations in which I would sacrifice my life without hesitation to attempt to save or help people I care about. In fact, I’ve risked my life for people I have never met before. And if I die as a result of making such choices, I will die seeking happiness. Happiness is not selfish. To seek a happy life does not mean to seek only for oneself. For those who idealize the idea of “selflessness” or of service to others, are you not simply seeking happiness for others? If you wish another being well, then you wish them happiness, do you not? But then, how can you help others be happy, if you yourself are not happy? How can you help other people find something you have not found? To help others find happiness, I believe you must first seek to understand what happiness is- otherwise how could you possibly help someone else find it? Some may believe the key to happiness is found by valuing the happiness of others over their own. I believe there is some truth to this, but the nature of that truth can only be understood through your own trial and error. There will always be limits to how much one person can truly touch the life of another. Moreover, the person in this world you will always and forever have the most power to love and influence is you. And so this book will begin with an exploration of happiness, your personal happiness. It begins there because that is where life begins for all of us. Who are you? Why are you here? What do you live for? How do you decide what to do with life? These questions will take us on an exploration of meditation, mindfulness, and mindful action. As you will see through the course of this book, my quest for happiness has taken me through meditation and mindfulness into the world of political activism and politics, endeavors that may seem rather incompatible. Yet, mindfulness and activism are beautifully connected. For perhaps what we are all seeking should simply be described as “a better world” for ourselves and all life on earth. I suppose my truth is that creating a better world begins with the world within us, the world of our mind, emotions and consciousness. I believe every person has the right if not the duty to attend to that inner world, for that world needs care and attention. Moreover, there is inner work to be done, that only you can do. And yet, that is not where the work ends. To seek a better world is to seek it everywhere. With that said, let us begin this literary journey together on our mutual quests for a better world. Let us begin with you, your life, and your happiness. Are You Happy? Are you happy? Do yourself a favor and don’t rush your answer to that question. It’s important. Are you happy? Stop reading right now and ask yourself that question. Most likely, no one is watching you at this moment, so no one is judging you for your reaction to that question. The only being that is passing judgment on your reaction to that fundamental question is you, so the least you can do is answer the question as honestly ...
