The thing that makes me feel best is interacting with people here and seeing this thing come alive. I feel a real burst of happiness when something I've created only in theory starts to work well in practice.

But that's not something that happens all the time. Dreaming about the future makes me feel similar happiness.

I like reading and keeping informed about current events but often current events do not contribute to my inner peace. In fact, sometimes things I read about make me downright angry. It may be that following news and current events is simply not a productive use of my time at all.

A big thing I like doing is going out in my car and taking long drives around, although less so now that the weather's going bad. And of course I like going to nice restaurants and having great meals.

Reading escapist books like romance novels always makes me feel inner peace. But not if they're too sappy. There has to be a specific (low) level of sappiness for me to enjoy them.

What other things do you like to do that make you feel happy and contented?

D

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Swimming always helps me feel better. I'm sad now that the swimming season is pretty much done here. They heat the pool through October so I still may get a few days in, but they will be rare instead of every day.

Reading mysteries, or actually any book that I am enjoying is useful. Or escapist, depending on your point ot view.

I get inner peace from anything that requires full concentration, so that my mind goes into a flow state. Playing piano works sometimes, so does doing tarot readings. Writing, when it is going well.

Inner peace is not always the same thing as happy or contented, though. But that leads back to Zen, which is a whole other issue.

Sue

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I know here the YMCA has an indoor pool. I notice they seem to smell too much of chlorine. I managed to go boating this summer, for one brief hour, but not swimming. Too much to do.

Is the difference between inner peace and happiness that inner peace is a more quiet type of thing?

D

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Okay, I'll bet you are not going to like this. Inner peace means no happiness or unhappiness, which makes it sound boring. Since I've never actually achieved it, I can't comment on whether it is or not...

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So you're saying it really means neutrality - that is, you are neither happy nor unhappy?

I thought it was essentially contentment, which would be a sort of quiet happiness and peace.

Being neither happy nor unhappy doesn't seem like a worthy goal to me ... how about you?

D

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Sometimes I think it is, when I am having horrendous mood swings. And sometimes I think it isn't, when things are going along pretty well. I think it's just a different mental state, and probably is very peaceful, without the extremes of happy vs unhappy. Anyway, it apparently takes years of meditation to achieve.

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