Do we need a hard reset to start enjoying life. What cancer patients could teach us?
- Lana L
- Aug 10
- 3 min read
What we are actually looking for in life? Do we say to ourselves, that we will be happy if... we get a good job, great salary, and etc. If we look really deep we realize that we do truly desire the feeling of —freedom, relief, love, peace and joy.
This week, a dear friend of mine is going in for oncology surgery, and it made me to contemplate even more on deeper aspects of joy. Moments like this remove away our petty frustrations and force a profound moment of clarity.
It reminds me of the writings of surgeon Dr. Bernie Siegel, who observed something remarkable in his cancer patients. You might assume that facing a severe diagnosis would extinguish happiness, but for many of his patients, the opposite was true. Stripped of the illusion that they had endless time to "eventually" be happy when conditions were perfect, they stopped waiting. They found authentic, deep joy in a simple cup of tea, the morning light, or a quiet conversation.
They realized they did not have the luxury of waiting for the external circumstances to be perfect. As yoga philosophy teaches us, the external event is just a symbol. The capacity to feel freedom, relief, love and joy already exist within our nervous system and within deeper dimensions (Annanda kosha) of us right now. Those cancer patients show us, we need to bring our attention back to what is sitting right in front of us ( read my previous blog). The true reset isn't about changing our external reality; it is about changing how we look at it; it is about our willingness to shift our perspective:
1. Focus on what we have, NOT what we lack.
2. Cultivate Gratitude for the present moment, exactly as it is.
3. Train our nervous system to experience joy daily, regardless of the drama of life.
I have noticed this in my own life. The more I intentionally I contemplate and practice joy on a daily basis, the more I discover its hidden benefits and subtle layers. Joy isn't just a fleeting emotion that happens to us; it is a deliberate discipline. By dedicating time to daily practices like Yoga Nidra and Meditation on Inner Happy Baby, (see link to meditation below) we consciously enter a space of profound stillness and joy. We give daily training to the 'muscles' of our nervous system let go of the drama, and access the joy that is already there.
So, do we need a hard reset to start enjoying life? No. We just need to open our eyes and look closely at what is sitting right in front of us. After that, we need to close our eyes, Breathe into the present moment. The freedom and joy we are hoping to find somewhere else are already waiting for us, right here, inside of our heart.
LINK TO MEDITATION ON YOUR INNER HAPPY BABY
What did you think of Focusing on what we have, not what we lack? Please share your reflections in the comments below!
(Want to dive deeper? The complete "Transforming Power of Joy" workshop, including a 1-hour deep-dive lecture and Yoga Nidra practice and additional guidance, is now available on-demand.
Click here to learn more and register for the online workshop on a sliding scale!
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