The Yaaas Column | Happiness, Healthy Minds, Passion & Sunsets
#1 The Art of Happiness by Dalai Lama & Howard Cutler
Recently, I've been intrigued by Buddhist principles and found the perfect book that mixed Western psychology with the Dalai Lama's wisdom. He teaches that the purpose of life is to seek happiness, which is primarily determined by your state of mind. He thoughtfully explains Buddhist principles on compassion, suffering, and overcoming obstacles, then dives into how anyone, regardless of religious beliefs, can apply them. Ultimately, the Dalai Lama believes happiness can be achieved through training the mind on these topics, and recent scientific research supports this notion. This book has given me a new perspective on how to live my life.
#2 Healthy Minds
Evidently, Eastern mindfulness practices have made their way to the West with the plethora of meditation apps available today. In search of a tool to guide me through training my mind, I was displeased to find most iPhone apps required an annual subscription. But I finally found Healthy Minds, a completely free app that teaches well-being principles and provides accompanying guided practices. It's supported by a nonprofit organization called Healthy Minds Innovation and backed by scientific research from the Center of Healthy Minds. They could have easily followed the same billing model as other apps ($60/year), but they didn't because they believe everyone deserves to experience well-being. 10/10 recommend this app.
#3 A quote on passion
I like this quote from James Clear's newsletter to remind myself to get out there and do things:
"Passion is a feeling that follows action. It tends to be created or discovered, not predicted or planned. You don't find your passion. It finds you as you get in the mix and try things."
#4 Sailing into the sunset
I recently went on vacation to Williamsburg, VA, a place mostly filled with American history and nature. I find nature peaceful, so I'm grateful to be able to get away for a bit. Here are some pictures at Yorktown, VA, of a sunset on a sailboat taken from my iPhone 12 mini.
