Barry Rollenfitch
Because I am presenting myself as a teacher of meditation and there are no widely accepted qualifications for that role, I believe you deserve to know more about how I came to believe and teach what I do.
Teachings
Most of us have heard variations on quotes such as “happiness comes from within” or “we are responsible for our own happiness”. For many of us, looking at the reality of our lives in times of pain, stress or fear, this seems like self-righteous nonsense. However, it is true, and I will explain how you can tap into your own inner source of happiness.
Now What?
From the moment we are old enough to understand, we are inundated with teachings about how and why things happen, and how we should behave. As small children we accept everything we are taught, however as we get older, we learn to our sorrow that not all teachings are true.
What Do You Want?
We all want to be happy. This is so fundamental that the US Declaration of Independence states that the “pursuit of happiness” is an “unalienable right”. If you look at your own life, you will see everything you do is intended to help you feel better or avoid feeling worse. Whether we want to admit it or not, that is the purpose of our life.
Young children have this figured out. Given the choice to play or work, they will play. Given the choice to work or be denied TV, they will work. We were the same, and we haven’t changed.
Feeling happy, joyful, etc. is an inner experience. The common misunderstanding is that we can find it through outer accomplishments. This is simply not true. Outer accomplishments (health, money, relationships) are necessary to fulfill our role in life, to avoid feeling bad (illness, poverty, loneliness) and can provide pleasure, but they cannot satisfy our inner need for peace and joy. Not eating leads to suffering (hunger). Eating takes away the suffering and can be pleasurable, but it won’t make us happy. In fact, eating too much just brings other types of suffering.
Similarly, there is a common misunderstanding that we work better under pressure. Not true. Of course, effort is required. But you will obtain better results working from a place of confidence and joy, rather than from stress and fear.
In Summary
- Life is about feelings, not accomplishments.
- Outer accomplishments are necessary to avoid physical suffering and to experience pleasure, but they do not satisfy our need for inner peace and joy.
- Effort from a place of stress, anger, fear or pain is not nearly as effective as that undertaken from a place of confidence, peace and joy.
- Instead of accomplishing to find peace and joy, first find peace and joy, then accomplish more.
How? See Finding Inner Peace and Joy and keep exploring this website!
Doubts? See Scientifically Verified Benefits and Is It True?