Fuck you money, the north star of many young hustlers, is having enough money to be able to say "fuck you" to an employer or any opportunity for money making that one would otherwise not want to do. Once fuck you money is achieved, one is untethered from wage slavery or the ever-present risk of freelancer burnout and can do whatever the fuck they want.
Elaborating a bit deeper, this is a form of "Metta meditation". One of the most famous examples is Ram Dass, who often used the phrase "I am Loving Awareness". This is not just a catch-phrase or a statement of his spiritual attainment, but a meditation instruction, which anyone can use and "connect to" and cultivate the feeling of "Loving Awareness". I've used it a number of times and facilitated meditations with it and can attest that it works really well.
On another note, I just started reading Christopher Wallace's new book "Near Enemies of the Truth" and found myself highlighting this text:
"Everyone knows that the spiritual traditions of the East teach that happiness is found within, not in quantifiable attributes like followers and financial figures, but that idea remains hollow unless someone can show you exactly how to find happiness within yourself. You must reconsider and replace some deep-seated assumptions and subtle misunderstandings to clear the way to the wellspring of well-being within."
Having practiced meditation a lot, I agree with Christopher. There was a point at which there was the insight, that through the transformation and insights that meditation practice facilitates, my life is starting to become much happier, even though outside circumstances are not so different. Here I am not using the narrow definition of happiness as "Metta" or some kind of emotion, but a general sense of wellbeing and satisfaction arising more and more just from the fact of being alive, but also in regards to various things in my life. I also saw the same insight arising in my wife a couple of months ago, during a home meditation retreat, without us talking about it at all prior to that. There is something here!
Being happy is like feeling a coin 🟡 in your pocket. Two sides make the coin. One side is about the awareness that happiness is at ours arms reach - the other side is about the courage to extend the arm and grab it.
It's a real catch 22 the whole "Fuck you money" thing. You're right that we all strive to get it, we all want it, why not?
But all the while I know you'd agree that the thing that probably makes us good at what we do in the first place is enormous pressure. Serious and deadly constraints. Necessity. "if you want to be strong you must need to be"
Seeing the happiness, even in that, that's awesome. I'm glad you're choosing the happiness man. Great post
Elaborating a bit deeper, this is a form of "Metta meditation". One of the most famous examples is Ram Dass, who often used the phrase "I am Loving Awareness". This is not just a catch-phrase or a statement of his spiritual attainment, but a meditation instruction, which anyone can use and "connect to" and cultivate the feeling of "Loving Awareness". I've used it a number of times and facilitated meditations with it and can attest that it works really well.
On another note, I just started reading Christopher Wallace's new book "Near Enemies of the Truth" and found myself highlighting this text:
"Everyone knows that the spiritual traditions of the East teach that happiness is found within, not in quantifiable attributes like followers and financial figures, but that idea remains hollow unless someone can show you exactly how to find happiness within yourself. You must reconsider and replace some deep-seated assumptions and subtle misunderstandings to clear the way to the wellspring of well-being within."
Having practiced meditation a lot, I agree with Christopher. There was a point at which there was the insight, that through the transformation and insights that meditation practice facilitates, my life is starting to become much happier, even though outside circumstances are not so different. Here I am not using the narrow definition of happiness as "Metta" or some kind of emotion, but a general sense of wellbeing and satisfaction arising more and more just from the fact of being alive, but also in regards to various things in my life. I also saw the same insight arising in my wife a couple of months ago, during a home meditation retreat, without us talking about it at all prior to that. There is something here!
I'm right here with you.
I once did the same thing. But with Joy. I think these kinds of mantras are the easiest way into "Happiness independent of conditions".
Being awestruck at the miracle of my life induces happy for me.
Thank you for this gift.
Being happy is like feeling a coin 🟡 in your pocket. Two sides make the coin. One side is about the awareness that happiness is at ours arms reach - the other side is about the courage to extend the arm and grab it.
It's a real catch 22 the whole "Fuck you money" thing. You're right that we all strive to get it, we all want it, why not?
But all the while I know you'd agree that the thing that probably makes us good at what we do in the first place is enormous pressure. Serious and deadly constraints. Necessity. "if you want to be strong you must need to be"
Seeing the happiness, even in that, that's awesome. I'm glad you're choosing the happiness man. Great post