Deepak Chopra, an Indian-American author, once said, "Bliss is not a feeling but a state of being. In the state of bliss, everything is loved.”
Bliss can be defined as a great feeling of joy or happiness. If we believe the English language’s synonyms and opposites then happiness is the opposite of sadness. Basically, bliss could be viewed as the opposite of depression, which is defined as a great feeling of sadness.
While it is hard to know whether you are depressed if you have not been diagnosed, certain symptoms could be indicative. For example, excessive fear, worry, or anxiety, prolonged sadness, sudden change in moods, social withdrawal/isolation, loss of hope, hallucinations, an extreme change in eating patterns (too much or too little) or sleeping patterns.
There are a number of professional ways to seek help for depression because if not acted upon, it can be fatal, and many times leads to suicide even. But the likes of Chopra indicate that there could be a considerable amount of work to be done by oneself before an external hand can jump in.
We all have the power to change how we feel about things. Photo/Net
His argument is that people tend to make happiness conditional to achievements or to relationships and approval from others. The fact is that bliss is not tied to any "doing”, neither is it a result of it.
The trick is that when one’s happiness is conditional, it ceases once the condition is no more. This is why according to experts, depression is often triggered by feelings or fear of disappointment, failed relationships, death, heartbreak, failures related to one’s performance in school or their careers, etc.
Susan Taylor, writer and journalist, puts it right, "We are forever looking outside ourselves, seeking approval and striving to impress others. But living to please others is a poor substitute for self-love, for no matter how family and friends may adore us, they can never satisfy our visceral need to love and honour ourselves.”
Chopra says, "Bliss comes from within. It comes from a particular way of being in the present.” Below are tips on how to be blissful;
Do something you love
You can only do what you love when you know what it is that you love. So constantly ask yourself, "what would I rather do, eat, listen to, where would you rather go, etc.?”
Choose to love
Life would be very easy if we only did things we loved, but unfortunately it is not always possible. Instead of sitting around feeling sorry for yourself, or complaining about life, you may choose to embrace certain aspects of life.
It’s true that we all have the power to change how we feel about things just by changing how we view them. We can choose to love our surroundings, our families, jobs, etc. If love is heavy then tolerance maybe? The point is to make peace with it, whatever it is.
Cultivate healthy relationships
Stay true to yourself. Don’t compromise your happiness for the sake of others, at least not every day. Practice self-compassion, it is okay.
Laugh more
Stay positive and dreamy. When we don’t expect anything from life anymore then we tend to lose interest in it. Keep wanting, dreaming, investing, exploring, so on.
Let go
It is hard but we eventually move on, get used to the gap or make new attachments. Whatever means, don’t be stuck, keep living, and keep being.