...Must Be Nice...

So today's post is a little different than some of my other ones.  More about the "life of" rather than pottery/ceramics.  We meet new people, or even those that have been in our life for a while...and this one comment is almost always muttered, "It must be nice to not have to work and be able to stay home all day."  Or at least something to that extent.  Most people utter it as a result of ignorance - they really have NO idea what my/our day to day life is truly like.  So for those that don't know what it's like, I thought I'd give you an idea.  :)

Mudita Mondays

I got this wonderful idea from my good friend, Mei Ho.  Here is her explanation from her webpage/blog.

Mudita Mondays

What is the purpose of Mudita Mondays?
Mudita. [Pāli and Sanskrit: मुदित]
Simplest meaning translated is unselfish joy.
It is finding joy and pleasure through other people’s well-being rather than begrudging it. If this doesn’t make any sense to you, read on to find out why you need to change your perspective. If this makes sense to you, read on to find out how you can spread the feeling of Mudita in your life.

Indeed, being truly happy for another is easier said than done because we live in a world where we judge ourselves against others a lot – not to mention the power our media has on us and particularly the younger generation. In today’s world, kids want to grow up to become famous rather than be astronauts or a President / Prime Minister. Albeit this is changing, there’s always going to be a subconscious inner-self or ego that will try to compete rather than to be happy for another.

Why you should be happy for another
Let’s breakdown the meaning of Mudita by contrasting it with words Western society knows best:
Envy:”a feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else’s possessions, qualities, or luck”
Judgment:”an opinion or conclusion”
Comparsion:”estimate, measure, or note the similarity or dissimilarity between [you and the other person]”
Avarice: “extreme greed for wealth or material gain”
When we allow envy, judgment, comparison and avarice take control of our feelings, we gain dissatisfaction and contempt in our lives. Not only do we stop giving or helping others, we distort our own realities by either inwardly destroying ourselves through unrealistic expectations or we destroy others through ‘hatin’ and spreading negativity or faking Mudita until you achieve what you want. Here’s an example of struggling through feeling Mudita from a yoga instructor, Charlotte Bell. No, yogis are just human beings as well and we don’t float on mountains with our legs crossed.  Rather, Mudita, as Bell states in her writing, “helps uproot the unhappy states of envy, judgment and comparison.” Wow. That was brilliantly worded. 

What you can do if you are attracted to Mudita
1) Mudita is a state of mind. It is not something you achieve and move on. If you want to feel this, you must do a temperature test every time judgment, envy, avarice or comparison creep into your mind. Buddhist philosophy or even E. Tolle calls it mindfulness meditation which in turns allows these feelings to pass you by and let go of the ego and turn on your positivity and Mudita onto others.
2) Define those people around you that you can feel Mudita for. Pay close attention to those you envy or compare to because once you let that pass, they are those whom may change your personal welfare. It may be family members, close friends or just those who are truly brilliant!
3) Try Mudita Mondays.

SO...  here is to trying to be mindful and appreciative of those around us.  I'm going to do my best to embrace Mudita Mondays!