The Guardian for this meeting was Paradise Tennant. The comments are by Paradise, stevenaia, Sophia, Kit, Bleu, oOOOo, Sylectra and Parque

Parque Alenquer: Hey Steve
stevenaia Michinaga: hello Parque
stevenaia Michinaga: good to see you again
--BELL--
Parque Alenquer: Good to be back. Thanks.
stevenaia Michinaga: have you looked into the 9 or 90 second meditations?
Parque Alenquer: I figured I would drop in a few times, at least, and see how it goes for me.
Parque Alenquer: No, I've not.
Parque Alenquer: Do people usually trickle in here?
stevenaia Michinaga: interesting thoughts sometime arise in a very short time
stevenaia Michinaga: yes, tonight Paradise is the "Guardian"
stevenaia Michinaga: she will post the log and welcome newcomers
Parque Alenquer: OK
stevenaia Michinaga: hi Kit
Parque Alenquer: Here they come.
stevenaia Michinaga: the trickle begins
stevenaia Michinaga: :)
Parque Alenquer: Hello all.
oO0Oo Resident waves and smiles warmly to all
SophiaSharon Larnia: :)
Kit Ciaco smiles warmly back!
stevenaia Michinaga: I was beginning to explain the 9 second meditations to Parque
SophiaSharon Larnia: hi Paradise :)
oO0Oo Resident: welcome paradise
stevenaia Michinaga: hi Paradise, have you been shopping?
Paradise Tennant: lol
Paradise Tennant: yes
SophiaSharon Larnia: hi Bleu :)
Paradise Tennant: hiya stev .. sophia .. O .. kit .. parque :))
oO0Oo Resident: hiya Bleu
stevenaia Michinaga: there is a good description of it on the wiki, I will find the address
Parque Alenquer: hi paradise
Bleu Oleander: hi everyone :)
stevenaia Michinaga: hello Bleu
stevenaia Michinaga: hi sylectra
Sylectra Darwin: waiting for stuff to rez
Paradise Tennant: hiya sylectra :)
Sylectra Darwin: Hi everyone!
oO0Oo Resident: hello sylectra -rezz rezz
SophiaSharon Larnia: hi Sylectra :)
stevenaia Michinaga: http://wiki.playasbeing.org/About_PlayAsBeing/Basic_Ideas
oO0Oo Resident: ty Stevenaia
Paradise Tennant: hiya parque have you been to playasbeing before :)
Parque Alenquer: tks Steve
Sylectra Darwin waves at her PaB friends!
Paradise Tennant: hiya bleu :)))
Parque Alenquer: I was here briefly two times before, Paradise
Bleu Oleander: hey Paradise :))
Parque Alenquer: at the end of the mtg, tho
SophiaSharon Larnia: nice to see you Sylectra, tho your a cloud ^^
Sylectra Darwin: (partly cloudy with a chance of showers)
Parque Alenquer: that's good, we can store all our info with her
SophiaSharon Larnia: :)
Bleu Oleander: (partly cloudy with chance of rezzing )
stevenaia Michinaga: wb Sylectra, it has been a while, congratulations on your Nuptuals for those who didn't know of your recent RL wedding to your SL partner
Sylectra Darwin: I was indeed wedded to Nostrum Forder in RL on Dec. 28
SophiaSharon Larnia: awww wonderful! how exciting Sylectra
Bleu Oleander: oh congratulations Sylectra!
Sylectra Darwin: thanks
stevenaia Michinaga: assumes you will be showered with presents now :)
Paradise Tennant: smiles a huge smile
Sylectra Darwin: No presents needed, but I will with gratitude accept presence.
Sylectra Darwin: :))
SophiaSharon Larnia: hehe
oO0Oo Resident smiles .. that's great!
Bleu Oleander: :))
Paradise Tennant: smiles you have my whole heart happy presence ;))))
Sylectra Darwin: ty Paradise!
oO0Oo Resident: what a happy occasion
stevenaia Michinaga: smiles, happiness is contagious
oO0Oo Resident: feelin' it
Paradise Tennant: smiles it so is contagious :)
Paradise Tennant: a real blessing :) ..
Paradise Tennant: we could talk about happiness ;))
Sylectra Darwin: Lovely topic
oO0Oo Resident smiles
Sylectra Darwin: I have a thought about that
stevenaia Michinaga: yes, smiles are part of it
Sylectra Darwin: I have been thinking about it because members of the family have been sick, and I was laid off right before Christmas.
--BELL--
Sylectra Darwin: I just got a job again, but in the meantime I was thinking about sadness and happiness. It seems to me that sadness and frustration are things that will be with us always in this life. If we choose, we can focus enough on the happy things that happen so that the sad things have less power over us. But it is a moment by moment choice.
Paradise Tennant: yes !
Paradise Tennant: it is a moment by moment choice
Kit Ciaco: and happiness is actually a byproduct of our choices, I think
Paradise Tennant: often thing we manifest our thoughts in our life so very very very important to think .. in the same way we want our life to be
Sylectra Darwin: And it should be no surprise that dropping layers of ourselves helps in the endeavor.
Parque Alenquer: and worry? how does worry affect our happiness? we might have little choice about worry.
Kit Ciaco: I think we can choose whether to worry or not....
stevenaia Michinaga: it seem to me that letting go (of frustration, of gripping sadness, worrying, and dark things,) what remains is the effortlessness of happiness
Parque Alenquer: so if I have no money to pay the rent or feed my kids I can choose to not worry about it?
Paradise Tennant: smiles at stev :D
Kit Ciaco: I think so
Paradise Tennant: well .. will worry improve the situation
Paradise Tennant: usually you need a plan and no worry
stevenaia Michinaga: will worrying get you more money (it may motivate you)
Sylectra Darwin: Stevie, I don't yet see happiness as effortless, though I am working to try to do so.
Paradise Tennant: smiles
oO0Oo Resident: the basic insight that sadness and suffering are part of life, and always will be, is powerful
Parque Alenquer: there are plenty of highly motivated people without money, so I see little connection there
Sylectra Darwin: yes
oO0Oo Resident: worry is to desire what not is
Paradise Tennant: smiles
Kit Ciaco: good point, O
stevenaia Michinaga: Parque, it was the one good that can come from worrying.... motivation and not worrying
Sylectra Darwin: Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is interesting here.
oO0Oo Resident: rather than relating to what's at hand
oO0Oo Resident listens
Sylectra Darwin: Once you have the basics taken care of, more of the same is not necessarily going to make you happier.
stevenaia Michinaga: there is that song... Don't Worry, Be Happy
Paradise Tennant: smiles
Paradise Tennant: smiles
Sylectra Darwin: love it!
oO0Oo Resident: there is the cool happiness that wants not, fears not
stevenaia Michinaga: suffers not
Sylectra Darwin: Are you a grasshopper or an ant?
Parque Alenquer: what if you are at the bottom of Maslow's hierarchy and see no chance of getting higher?
stevenaia Michinaga: sorry can is there a short explanation of Maslow's hierarchy
stevenaia Michinaga: Is there...
Sylectra Darwin: Parque, then you revolt! (joking)
oO0Oo Resident: then you look for shelter, food... etc
stevenaia Michinaga: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow'...archy_of_needs
Paradise Tennant: well ...
stevenaia Michinaga: found it
Kit Ciaco: http://theskooloflife.com/wordpress/...low-hierarchy/
Kit Ciaco: nice diagram....
stevenaia Michinaga: sees no "Happiness" on the chart
SophiaSharon Larnia: smiles
Sylectra Darwin: I love that it's called "self-actualization" - the implication of a "self" is important, I would say
Parque Alenquer: Syl asked if there was a connection, Steve
SophiaSharon Larnia: you cant always get what you want, But if you try sometimes you might find out get what you need :)
Sylectra Darwin: heh
--BELL--
Paradise Tennant: smiles and thinks of eric from's art of loving :)
Parque Alenquer: my question, prompted by Syl's question, is whether the very poor, under stress, can find the same happiness as those for whom basic needs are met
Paradise Tennant: only if they have the concentration to arise above the physical sensory impact of depravation :)
Bleu Oleander: easier said than done I think
Sylectra Darwin: Excuse me, I have to go - family stuff - was great to see everyone and hope to see you again soon. :)
Paradise Tennant: http://www.infed.org/thinkers/fromm.htm
SophiaSharon Larnia: if they suck it up
stevenaia Michinaga: not sure I have the answer for others, only for myself
SophiaSharon Larnia: ive met very poor people who appeared to be happy
Paradise Tennant: nite nite sylectra :)) sweet dreams congrats once again
oO0Oo Resident: what does happiness depend on? ntsy you sylectra...congrats on wedding!
SophiaSharon Larnia: bye Sylectra :)) congrats!! <3
Paradise Tennant: do not think it is based just on the material
SophiaSharon Larnia: no, maybe a bit on being marginalized
Paradise Tennant: for example cuba a nation where there is an absence of material things .. really full of happy people
Bleu Oleander: hard to judge the happiness of others
SophiaSharon Larnia: indeed
Kit Ciaco: agreed, Bleu
Bleu Oleander: sometimes hard to realize your own happiness
oO0Oo Resident: please say more bleu
Bleu Oleander: take for granted the times when things are "ok"
Bleu Oleander: not realizing those are happy times
SophiaSharon Larnia: :)
Bleu Oleander: appreciate what we have when we have it, not wanting for something else
oO0Oo Resident nods
stevenaia Michinaga: realizing that happiness does not reside in things
Parque Alenquer: but some "things" are tied to needs
Parque Alenquer: and needs are tied to happiness
stevenaia Michinaga: you mean food/shelter
Parque Alenquer: as one example, yes
Parque Alenquer: but also belonging, acceptance, ...
oO0Oo Resident: kind of modal
oO0Oo Resident: if one sees the interconnectedness, then belonging can be
oO0Oo Resident: thinking yogis in caves or something
oO0Oo Resident: or yogis in cities
Bleu Oleander: so many things can contribute to someone's concept of happiness
Parque Alenquer: is the school kid that's been ostracized, standing in the corner, happy?
Parque Alenquer: that's not modal
Paradise Tennant: smiles sometimes :)
oO0Oo Resident: yes I think sometimes they are
Bleu Oleander: happiness is subjective, hard to generalize
oO0Oo Resident: concepts
Paradise Tennant: yes and defined so differently but so subjective ...
--BELL--
oO0Oo Resident: what we 'think' should make us happy
Parque Alenquer: in my view, happiness has to do with wants/needs being equal to holdings
Paradise Tennant: smiles at kit ... nite nite
stevenaia Michinaga: holdings?
Paradise Tennant: kind of transactional ..
Parque Alenquer: holdings= tangible and intangible possessions
Paradise Tennant: not sure that holds
Paradise Tennant: that
stevenaia Michinaga: so if you have nothing you cannot be happy?
SophiaSharon Larnia: nite all, have fun, be happy <3
Parque Alenquer: if you need nothing, you can be
stevenaia Michinaga: night Sophia
oO0Oo Resident: night SSL
oO0Oo Resident: ntsy :)
stevenaia Michinaga: nice Parque
oO0Oo Resident: I grow fonder of boredom
Parque Alenquer: sorry, let me help with that
oO0Oo Resident: I mean, not having to chase down so much happiness
oO0Oo Resident: I feel happier
stevenaia Michinaga: hmmm bye PArque
oO0Oo Resident: bye parque
oO0Oo Resident: oh I hope I didn't come off wrong there
stevenaia Michinaga: hard to tell
oO0Oo Resident: I sometimes don't write complete contextual thoughts
oO0Oo Resident: and then see the ambiguities later
Paradise Tennant: yes hard to always be completely contextual
oO0Oo Resident: partly it's slow typing
oO0Oo Resident: I need to abbreviate
oO0Oo Resident: abbreviate
oO0Oo Resident: mmm skillful means
Paradise Tennant: smiles
Paradise Tennant: always skillful means
oO0Oo Resident: I liked what Parque was saying...something about there being enough
Paradise Tennant: yes good thought
oO0Oo Resident: and my sense of that is
oO0Oo Resident: an appreciation of not being compelled for more
oO0Oo Resident: and relaxing with that
oO0Oo Resident laughs at self
stevenaia Michinaga: what compels you to need more
Bleu Oleander: wanting more but not at the expense of happiness perhaps
stevenaia Michinaga: or not wanting more ... anymore
oO0Oo Resident: losing helps
oO0Oo Resident: repeated losing
Bleu Oleander: losing?
oO0Oo Resident: again and again
oO0Oo Resident: and then finding yourself happy
oO0Oo Resident: it booby traps any future prize
stevenaia Michinaga: sounds like an "oops I'm happy" moment
Paradise Tennant: smiles yes
oO0Oo Resident: a cool breeze on the cheek
Paradise Tennant: thinks actually losing does make you happy
oO0Oo Resident: it's like proof that that game is unwinnable
oO0Oo Resident: unless you are a god
Paradise Tennant: found myself at one point having lost 4 of the 5 things I spent all my time thinking about . .it made so much space .. at first .. not so easy but eventually .. ok :)
oO0Oo Resident: phew para
Paradise Tennant: makes room for you to grow
oO0Oo Resident: more to give up
oO0Oo Resident: those preciously held items
--BELL--
oO0Oo Resident: those 'me' things
Paradise Tennant: everything is temporary ..

Bleu Oleander: life is hard sometimes :(
Paradise Tennant: and then it gets easy again
Bleu Oleander: yes :)
stevenaia Michinaga: (hmmm, those two Maslow's Hierarchy charts are different in detail)
Paradise Tennant: smiles even if you .. have to readjust .. never really that big a problem
oO0Oo Resident smiles
Paradise Tennant: sometimes what you lose you can regain finances are mended ..you vocations created .. losing family .. very hard indeed but there are the memories
oO0Oo Resident: yes and eventually we die
Bleu Oleander: on that note .....
stevenaia Michinaga: yawn
Bleu Oleander: nite all :)
stevenaia Michinaga: yes, Night all, thanks Paradise
stevenaia Michinaga: good topic
Bleu Oleander: take care ....
oO0Oo Resident: night bleu, Steve
Paradise Tennant: good nite steve
Paradise Tennant: bleu sweet dreams :)
stevenaia Michinaga: night Sam
oO0Oo Resident: :)
oO0Oo Resident: yes para
oO0Oo Resident: clear and present physical pain is a hard one
oO0Oo Resident: even then the mind is resilient
Paradise Tennant: do not think of it the same way really
Paradise Tennant: smiles ..every breathe is a gift ..
Paradise Tennant: every thought a present .. really ..
--BELL--
Paradise Tennant: we should taper our expectations .. to what is true
Paradise Tennant: usually that is what presents itself ....:) often only being aware is what is required ;))
oO0Oo Resident feels cool breeze and smiles
Paradise Tennant: smiles and yawns
Paradise Tennant: sleepy time I think ;)
Paradise Tennant: would you like to wind down with a short poem ..
oO0Oo Resident: if you like para
Paradise Tennant: smiles ok to say no ;)
Paradise Tennant: ok you start
oO0Oo Resident: I say yes :)
oO0Oo Resident: the music has a beginning a middle and an end... while I am playing there is only the flow of now
Paradise Tennant: sliding through me .. filling in the edges of what is .. what could be .. :
oO0Oo Resident: I am the instrument in harmony with all
Paradise Tennant: a fullness of being ..that touches within without beyond the you the I ..
oO0Oo Resident: joy is ubiquitous and sings from all times
Paradise Tennant: from all places .. it skips across our souls .. to finger paint .. the cosmos :)
oO0Oo Resident: :)
oO0Oo Resident: :)
oO0Oo Resident: :)
--BELL--
Paradise Tennant: smiles an end ?
oO0Oo Resident: hehe ntsy Para
Paradise Tennant: smiles
oO0Oo Resident: have a good night
Paradise Tennant: okies good nite O;) sweet dreams .. full of vibrant finger painting :)

Finger Painting the Cosmos

the music has a beginning a middle and an end

while I am playing there is only the flow of now

sliding through me ..

filling in the edges of what is ..

what could be ..

I am the instrument in harmony with all

a fullness of being ..

that touches within without beyond the you the I ..

joy is ubiquitous and sings from all times

from all places .. it skips across our souls ..

to finger paint .. the cosmos