Whatever excites your bliss, do that,

 Whatever stimulates and excites your bliss, do that, with zero attachment, zero insistence, zero expectation about what  the outcome should be.

The philosopher wants to know how he ended up tied up, gagged, in a bag in a shed in a forest far from home.  He climbed out of the bag, walked out of the shed, and wondered where did the trees come from, and what’s with all the animals?  Who did all this and why, and how, and when, and where the hell am I and how did I get here?  I can’t remember anything.  I’ve got to know the answers to this mystery.  Whereas the stoic says, “It is what it is; it will be what it will be, and I am going to enjoy whatever happens. Thanks for the adventure.”

There are they who enjoy exploring the whys of life, AND enjoy whatever life is.  And then there are they who only enjoy life when life goes their way.  

Only they who have no way life must go enjoy all that is life.  

Only they who have no physical, mental, emotional needs, wants, desires that must be met, and have no entanglements, identity attachments to people, places, things, and outcomes enjoy all that is life.  

Only they who joy in doing their best with whatever appears in front of them–with zero attachments to the outcome–enjoy all that is life.  

Only they who make the decision to enjoy all that is life (regardless of what life does) enjoy all that is life.  

Only they who have liberated themselves from their indoctrinated, programmed minds enjoy all that is life.  

As to the rest of humanity, they only enjoys life when life, meaning, people, places, things and happenings, meet their mind’s expectations.

What can be said to a person who gets depressed when life shreds his mental image of what life should be like (and what their own life should be like)?  What can be said when a person’s most cherished ideas, opinions, biases, prejudices, beliefs and conclusions are trashed by what life does, what other people do?  When a person set his mind and heart on life going the way they think it should, that person will ultimately be disappointed and depressed.  That person has had life going his way perfectly for so long, that he can’t accept it when life screws him.    So what can comfort him, help him?  What will work?

“Son of a bitch I just lost all my health, money, and my ex stole my dog, and then there was this gang that painted my whole house with red graffiti, and I haven’t even mentioned the tornado, earthquake, fire and flood.  My great life just went down the shitter.  And I guess I am a lousy lover too because my girlfriend turned gay.  Anyone got any advice?  What about you, Jed?  Got any ideas?”

“I told you a year ago that you should buy a Happy Brain.  They were on sale at Walmart, but back then everything was going your way and you said you’d never need one.  And the problem with inserting a Happy Brain when you’re current brain is depressed is, it won’t work.  The shock of how the Happy Brain thinks, will kill you quicker than your old brain.”

“Why would I buy a Happy Brain when I am happy.  That’s dumb.  I need it when I am not happy.  Bad design.  Who buys a Happy Meal when their full?”

“Well you could turn your bummed-out brain into a Happy Brain.  Probable is, it takes a lot of work, and I know how you hate the word “work.”

“How do I do it?”

“You reprogram your irrational mind using the other words you hate, “logic, reason, and common sense.”

“That won’t help while I’m depressed.  That very thought just makes me mad.”

“The only other thing that will help is to list all the things you are thankful for, in spite of losing everything you valued and cherished.  Count your blessing.  The things you appreciate.  That helps.”

“There’s nothing left of that.  It all got screwed up.  I got nothing of value left.”

“You’re a dumb ass.  You’re still alive, ain’t blind, ain’t deaf, still got your taste buds, can still smell your own farts, still feel things, and you can still think stupid thoughts.  You could start by getting your health back and losing 300 lbs.  After that you can get a new job, a new girl friend, a new dog, and a new house in a less gang infest neighborhood, a zone that is less earthquake, tornado, fire, flood prone.”

“Too much work.”

“Then you’re fucked.  You’ve fucked yourself by thinking life will always happen your way.  I’ve told you all along to have no way life must go, but you were too busy eating and thinking that life would always cater to your every need, want and desire.  Everyone gets old, feeble and ugly.  You just got there quicker.”

“Well, shit.  Why the hell is life the way it is?”

“Lot’s of guess, lots of beliefs, but the ‘why’ doesn’t matter.”

“Why doesn’t it matter?”

“Because no matter why life is the way it is, you have to deal with life the way it is.  That’s why.  Because if you accept that life is the way it is (for whatever reason) you can enjoy all of life if you’ve a mind to, if you train your mind to be happy no matter what life does.  Look at life as a grand adventure, where you, the hero, gets killed at some point or dies at the end.  That outta cheer you up, and if that doesn’t, here’s some donuts.”

“Awesome!  Now you’re talking my language.”