Confucius say...

"To be truly happy and contented, you must let go of the idea of what it means to be happy or content. When you understand there is really nothing to be happy or sad about, then you will be truly contented."

-- Confucius

Good old Confucius -- he nails this shit, doesn't he? It's simple: Ideas about happiness block happiness. You can either have the ideas or the happiness. You can't have both.

But let's go deeper. Going deeper we find that you can't be truly content if you still let external things make you either happy or sad. Contentment, like so many cool things -- enlightenment, peace, the Kingdom of Heaven -- lies within. Base your happiness or sadness on things or ideas, and contentment will escape you faster than Roadrunner escapes Wily Coyote.

Today's exercise is simple -- give up your ideas about happiness and find contentment within. I said simple, not easy. Most likely your rational mind is already protesting, throwing up all kinds of reasons why it is imperative that you continue your external search for happiness. Ignore it, laugh at it, thank it for its input, and then pat it on its pointy, little head and send it off to bed.

Contrary to popular opinion here in the West, you cannot have happy life if you let your rational mind rule. You can have an organized life, a regimented life, a well designed life, but not a happy life. Because no matter how great a job your rational mind does in organizing and controlling everything, the Universe will still intrude and fuck it all up. It's called grace.

Contentment is not about getting what you want. It is not about fulfilling desires. It's knowing that you are truly already full. Full of Spirit, full of Tao, full of elan vital -- called it what you want -- it lies within, it pours forth, and it is much more about giving than getting.