Be Content And Happy With Where You Are

At 16 Years Old, I Bought A Book Of Old Buddhist Teachings And Zen Tales

I remember one of the stories having a particularly striking message.

It went something like this:

There was a man who lived alone and worked at train station…

He Woke Up Everyday At The Same Time And Went To Work

• He ate lunch at the same time every day.

• He walked home at the same time every day.

• He meditated for a few hours on the same prayers each evening.

This man was blessed, and had achieved nirvana.

I Did Not Understand The Story Very Well

I had questions like:

• Why did the man get up at same time every day to do the same thing?

• How could he have been happy doing the same job every day for 30 years?

• Why did he say the same prayer each day?

I have reread this book several times over the years and I still could not understand how he could be so

happy.

I Now Live In Las Vegas With My Wife And Daughter

I have noticed a new ad campaign that features people doing crazy things, and having a good time. The text reads:

“Because one day you’ll be dead. That’s Why.”

It is quite effective as an ad, and bears a similar point to the Buddhist story.

Most People Live Life In Response To What Others Think, And As A Result, They Are Miserable

The man who worked at the train station could have been preoccupied thinking his job was not good enough, or that he deserved a promotion, etc.

However, the story says he is in Nirvana, and therefore, extremely happy..

At 19 Years Old, I Took A Summer Job As A Garbage Man

I rode around collecting trash with various drivers.

I remember one driver, a man in his late 30’s, told me that he had planned on killing himself, but

could not go through with it.

“Why would you want to kill yourself?,” I asked.

“Because I Am A Garbage Man,” He Replied.

“This is probably the worst job anyone could possibly have.”

What he was saying made some sense. I am sure that many people find a garbage man to be a lowly job. But the truth was that being a

garbage man was not that bad at all.

Garbage Men Were Unionized, And Mostly Made Over $50,000 A Year.

The job also gave a pension, among other great benefits.

The garbage man was much better compensated than he might have been in

many other occupations .

This Man Had Decided That People’s Perception Of Him Was So Bad, That He Had To Kill Himself

So many people worry all the time that they can never be happy.

The reality is that a lot of them are spending most of their energy worrying about what other people think.

I Recently Purchased A Book For My Daughter Called Elmer

Elmer is about an elephant who has different colors than the

other elephants, and he has to learn to accept being different.

This Is An Important Lesson Because We Must Know That It Is Okay To Be Different

You can be a different race, a different sexual orientation, a garbage man, or anything and still feel good about yourself.

You must learn to live without basing your happiness on the

judgments of others.

I Work Somewhat In The Property Business As Well As Career Business

I have to interview many people to work on my properties, including a full time gardener.

Whenever I interview gardeners, I always get a lot of applications from unemployed actors, sound engineers from studios, etc.

“This Is Not What I Want To Do, But I Am Willing To Do It Until I Get My Next Acting Job,” They Usually Say.

This boggles my mind.

What employer who cared about his or her company would want to hire someone who is just “willing to do the job?” These people will

never be happy at their job, and they will probably not do very good work as a result.

Around A Month Ago, I Went To My Wife’s High School Reunion

My wife went to a very prestigious high school, where people like Paris Hilton went. Most of these people went on to become doctors and lawyers and such,

after attending schools like Stanford.

Just As We Were About To Leave A Guy Came Up To Us Who Was 10 Years Older Than My Wife

He was not dressed in a suit like the other men, however he seemed happier and less worried than the other men, too.

He handed us a card and it turned out he worked at a surf shop in Malibu. He

found a job he loved, and life that made him happy. Nothing more and nothing

less.

The Truth Is That People Cannot Achieve Happiness If They Are Always Concerned About What Other People Think

By always trying to be perfect in the eyes of others, you are

preventing your own happiness.

The greatest happiness comes from being content with yourself, wherever and whoever you are.