Web of connectivity

Now that we understand connectivity and that the closer you are to someone the more connected you are with them, we can see how this connectivity effects everyone around us. We live in a spider web of connections. With individuals at each point of intersection, any perturbation of an individual will ripple through the web of connections and be felt most significantly by those closes to the disturbance. A positive attitude will have a positive effect on those closest to you. A negative attitude will have a negative effect. Be optimistic. Be positive. Be happy. And those around you will feel your energy ripple through them.

Connectivity

Since connectivity is the sharing of reality, one must understand reality before one can understand connectivity. Reality is how we define the truth as our life unfolds. The truth, however is determined by our perception. This is why many eye witnesses will have different version of an event. Perception, you see is based on previous experiences. Your mind automatically fills in gaps based on these previous experiences whether or not it actually happened. To better grasp this concept, think back on the last time you saw someone that you thought you knew and it turned out to be someone else. Your mind wants to make sense of what it is percieving and in doing so projects previous experiences. To summarize, connectivity is the sharing of reality. Reality comes from our perception of truth. Perception is the sum of our experiences. Therefore, connectivity is the sharing of our experiences with another person. As your relationship with another person grows, the more experiences that are shared, the greater the likelyhood the two of you will have the same mental projections of previous experiences. This is why a couple can know at times each other's thoughts or complete their sentences. A couple with this kind of insight of each other are involved in a very deep relationship that typically takes a very long time to aquire. However, connectivity is present at all stages of a relationship even from the first time you meet.

Foreshadow to connectivity

Connectivity is the sharing of reality.

Perception

Reality is based on what we believe is true based on our perception. Unfortunately, two people will never identically observe the same event since our perception is based on our past experiences and everyone's experiences are different.

Therefore everyone's reality is different.

Blue

Consider the color blue.
Is the color blue I see the same color blue that you see? Perhaps the color you percieve as blue is the color I percieve as your
orange. We both call it blue. I could say object A is blue and you would agree. However if you switch bodies with me and look at the same object you would say it was orange. Now since we currently have no method of switching bodies we will never be able to know how similar my reality is to your reality.

It's all about perception.

Consciousness

When one contemplates their own consciousness, the concept of self quickly
arises. Everything you think is self contained. You and only you are thinking about your own consciousness. It is very easy to believe the universe revolves around you. With this in mind, the selfish and unthoughtful actions of so many people makes more sense. They don't even realize they are this way because they are the center of the universe.

Be aware that you are not the center of the universe and that your actions have a much larger impact.

Messiah

I believe those that originally started a religion were men that had achieved
spiritual fullfillment and inner peace. They were good listeners, forgiving,
understanding, open-minded, accepting of change, and took a positive outlook on
even the harshest realities of life.

Unfortunately, this great wisdom was copied and hacked and modified and altered
by the bias of the original writers and later translaters until the great wisdom was deeply shrouded by rules oppressively enforced by a select few in organized religion. It is through inner peace and balance that spiritual fullfillment is achieved not through some literal interpretation. Therefore, organized religion has the emphasis on the wrong aspect of religion.

The emphasis should be on the ability of the human species to form connections
and the non-verbal communcation that arises from these connections.

Religion

Organized religion has never been able to fullfill my spiritual needs.
Spiritual fulfillment is the greatest driving force behind many religions.
However, many individuals practice religion for fear of the unknown. Some
relgions even abuse this fear to recruit followers. Many spiritually
unfullfilled unknown fearing individuals try to fill their spiritual void
by recruiting other unkown-fearing spirtually unfullfilled individuals in
what becomes a vicious cycle of ignorance and spiritual unfullfillment.

Now don't get me wrong, there has been a lot of good ideas that have come
out of religion and religion has helped many cope during difficult times.
Unfortunately, Religion has also been the cause of great harm and distruction. It is
the source of great ignorance. If an idea does not fit the narrow view set
forth by the religion then it without question MUST be wrong!

Understanding onself

Understanding one's position on some of the most controversial topics is
important to achieving inner peace.

Insights into coping

This blog is an exploration of the mind. It is a journey of the past and the present. Although I consider myself to be a healthy, good spirited person, I have had my share of turmoil, a bout of saddness and depression. All healthy, all for good reason. Exploring these feelings of the past I have come to the following conclusion.
Everyone deals with difficult times differently. I believe as long as the path out of depression and chaos does not harm too many people too severly that what ever it takes to climb out of the pit of dispair is not only normal but healthy.
What is too severly? I believe everyone is allowed bad days and good friends will forgive them a bad temper now and again or a cynical sarcastic morbid humor on occasion. And this allowance of mistreatment toward your friends is extended in times of need. When such behavior would otherwise be deemed very inappropriate, in some circumstances is very healthy. I definately do not condone the abuse of such allowances but guilt should not follow from the realization that your behavior may have caused some individuals discomfort when you are finding your way again.

Although cliche, changing behavior is difficult. Finding inner peace is difficult. It is easy to slip into more negative patterns. My sarcastic sense of humor has for a while now taken on a cynical overtone and very frequently borders on the mean rather than the ironic. This is of course something that I discovered more recently in my understanding of myself. Speaking of understanding an inner peace my mind has been very clear as of late. Everything seems from my perspective to come very easily. It is as if a cloud has been lifted. I can not find any single cause for this sudden increase in clarity--less stress, more sleep, caffeine, excercise, all appear to be likely culprits. I however, like to think it is through this quest for inner peace. That the act of struggling to find oneself has made everything else easier. So not only do I feel more at peace with myself but the struggle made me stronger.

inner peace upkeep

It is important to maintain your inner peace and to keep your foundation firm. I find being alone in a quiet place that I can meditate releases a lot of undue stress that forms during difficult times. Othertimes, a good work out, a long drive, or a walk in nature can be rejuvenating.

I have been seeking refuge to meditate more frequently as of late. And when people ask me what I am doing or joke about meditation. I tell them outright that yeah that's exactly what I am doing.

I carve my own path through life and try to be influenced by society only in ways that promote well being or encourage my greatest potential.

Self-Introspection

I have found that tramatic events can cause great introspection. Great, as in a large quantity of introspection. Everyone handles tragedy or missfortune differently. This may be the result of not properly addressing the problem. When something solidly rocks your foundation it is important to re-explore your foundation and rebuild it more strongly than before. I have seen in others and myself that this is not always an active process. It should be. I have in the past tried to deal with pain or depression without addressing the underlying cause. Or worse yet, make assumptions about the undelying cause and persue a less meaningful avenue of escaping the pain. Sometimes, with enough time, the pain is lessened and perhaps the problem forgotten. This only sets a person up for an even more difficult event the next time this problem arises.

Be yourself happy

How does one obtain inner peace?

Inner peace is not spoken of frequently. When it is spoken of, thoughts of monks, and devotion to an austere life comes to mind.

This is just not the case. Inner peace is your center. It is the foundation of who you are and what you stand for. If you know who you are and what you stand for another person with a different center a different perspective will not be able to knock you off your foundation with a few thought provoking questions. In fact, if such a discussion did arise the conversation should strengthen the foundation of both individuals.

This state of well-being of course is not easily achieved. I find myself constantly discovering that I have not defined thoroughly enough my foundation. It is this self-introspection that can be painful and depressing if ignored.

Through introspection inner peace can be achieved.

Redefine starting philosophy

Happiness is too generic. The original post is fundamentally correct but with the following clarifying colloraries.

Be yourself happy.-----------------------------Obtain inner peace.

Bring fourth happiness in those you love.----Maintain inner peace in those you love.

Encourage happiness in strangers.------------Reduce the stress and discord of strangers.

What is happiness?

Perpetual bliss is not happiness.
The closest experience to perpetual bliss is that of very young childhood before societal pressures and prejudices. It is a time when ignorance is paramount and thought a reflex.

Pleasures of the flesh is not happiness.
Whether it be that of food, sex, thrill, music, drug, or other. While important for living a full life, it is only provides superficial gratification.

This leaves inner peace.
The state of being mentally or spiritually at peace, with enough knowledge and understanding to keep oneself strong in the face of discord or stress.

Starting Philosophy

Happiness is the purpose of life.

Be yourself happy.

Bring fourth happiness in those you love.

Encourage happiness in strangers.