Patrick Finn shared a talk at the Central Branch of the Calgary Public Library during the wind up of the One Book/One Calgary initiative this year…a study…an experience of The Book of Awesome by Neil Pasrisha.
I was the one laughing in the dark…that is, when I wasn’t spellbound by the concepts shared in the talk. In the end…I was weeping in the dark and that was ok. I had taken in his lecture, deeply. Everyone needs to receive these words.
His talk was framed around two books; Daniel Gilbert’s Stumbling on Happiness and Tal Ben-Shahar’s Happier. Generously, Patrick has offered to send out his notes for the lecture, but below, I just want to jot some notes that might cause you to think about happiness differently.
1. Who do you love?
2. How can you nurture that?3. What are you good at?
4. Can you do more of it?
5. What do you do to extend your gifts?
6. What story is your most positive?
7. Which story is your most negative?
8. How can you take control of your stories?
Who is living a tragedy in your life?
Consider this post, a post in progress. I want to continue to add content as I read about happiness. And…happiness IS NOT contrary to living a godly life and being connected to the DIVINE. Happiness is what has always been intended for us…’me thinks’.
Yes, happiness is a very important part of life. It can’t be all of life. Because all of life is ups and downs, happiness and sadness, joy and grief… but to let go of happiness is a big mistake. Glad you’re working on this project.
Agreed…we are very complex beings.
I watched the video and understood what was presented. I admire and support Patrick’s ideas but am skeptical of abandoning critical thinking. I believe that we need to maintain critical thinking as a defensive ‘moat’ against the attack of the industrial / commercial complex. If there is a way of combining critical thinking with Patrick’s ideas I am all for it…
You are a critical thinker or you would not be making this observation! We all know that education models have leaned to heavily on critical thinking though, for the longest time…creativity has not been honoured through this period of time and I think that Patrick is just advising that both are necessary, however, equally so. As I post some of his notes, you will see this. And as always, I appreciate your thoughtful response.