Happiness. It's surprising how powerful a driver pursuing happiness is. When we're pursuing the food we eat or almost any other activity, embedded in it is the idea that we'll feel better or happier as a result.
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When it comes to food and many other things we do, the "happiness" the experience brings is the result of getting a little bit of dopamine, the "feel-good" chemical in our brain. We've talked about the pleasure trap before and how high-calorie, salty food stimulates dopamine. Many other things do too, like exercise, being creative or achieving a goal. When we have positive social connections, receive praise, are in nature or go new places, our brain gives us a dose of dopamine. The list is almost endless.
If we look at it closely, happiness is often associated with finding it in something outside ourselves. And this, of course, is the source of all addictive patterns. But even when it isn't an addictive habit, when we associate our happiness as coming from things outside us, that happiness is short lived.
As much of our lives as we as we spend pursuing things for short-term enjoyment, it seems like there's a deeper yearning for a more sustained sense of happiness or fulfillment, too. You might say there's a difference between pleasure (from eating or doing something) and a state of happiness or contentment that's associated with a frame of mind that is present in whatever we're doing.
I wonder if this may be what the idea of "living happily ever after" refers to. We know we can't stay in a permanent state of pleasure, but Connie and I have begun to see that we can experience prolonged states of well being through which both pleasure and pain in our lives is experienced. It's like we can find a state of contentment with life through which all the natural turns of events that we go through are lived.
The nice thing that we've been discovering is that this deeper happiness comes from within us, not outside of us. It's within us because it comes with a state of mind and not a thing.
And, surprisingly, the way to access it is as simple as letting the mind settle. As simple as letting the mind relax. Like putting a snow globe down when we can't see anything but swirling snow, by setting it down, the snow settles by itself.
Like this, when we stop following a busy stream of thoughts swirling in our heads, and just relax, the mind settles by itself and we find there's a peaceful, content state under it all.
What we have been finding best takes the bumps out of our the road is seeing that there is a state of mind always available that provides a sense of contentment and happiness through which all the short-term experiences of happiness, pleasure and pain can be lived through.
If you would like to explore this more in your own life, leave us a note below in Comments and we'll connect with you for a free 30-minute session.
The recipe this week is a Tomato Potato Bake. It's one of those surprisingly delicious recipes that comes out of throwing together what we want to use up in the kitchen before it spoils. With winter coming, we have an abundance of tomatoes from the farm we volunteer on. This is what came out of the bags of tomatoes we brought home. We were delighted with it and think you will be too.
To your Amazing Health,
Connie and Bill
Tomato Potato Bake (Serves 4)
- 4 large tomatoes, cut in quarters or smaller slices
- 1 heaping teaspoon garlic powder
- 6 cups baby potatoes or cubed potatoes
- 1 medium onion, cut in slices
- 1 red or orange pepper, large dice
- 1 Jalapeño, small dice
- 15 ounce can pinto beans, drained
- 1½ cups salsa
- 2-3 medium tomatoes, cut in slices to top the dish
Preheat oven to 380º F.
In an 8”x 8” dish, place quarters or slices of tomato to line bottom of dish. Then add garlic powder, potatoes, onion, pepper and Jalapeño pepper.
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. If you want the veggies more roasted, you can cook it up to 30 minutes more uncovered.
Remove from oven and add pinto beans, salsa and sliced tomatoes to cover top of dish.
Cover with parchment paper and then foil or a silicon mat. Cook for another 45 minutes covered.
Serve and enjoy.