Happy 95% Of The Time: Three Simple, Proven Ways to Overcome Depression and Feel Content Almost All of the Time - Softcover

Walter Doyle Staples

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1601633718 ISBN 13: 9781601633712

Publisher: Career Press, 2015

Synopsis

In his latest book, Walter Doyle Staples invites his readers to experience life as fully aware, fully conscious, and fully functioning individuals. Dr. Staples presents powerful and life-changing ideas and concepts on how to transcend our ego-based state of consciousness to achieve deep peace, profound love, and infinite joy.

HAPPY 95% OF THE TIME explains how our attachment to our ego can only create dysfunction and suffering in our lives, resulting in fear, anger, guilt, regret, depression, and/or despair. He contends we need to awaken to a new consciousness and experience a new beginning.

HAPPY 95% OF THE TIME describes in detail the three primary ways to overcome low self-esteem, stress, anxiety, and depression:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) an example of Western, left-brain analytical thinking.

Practical spirituality an example of Eastern, right-brain mystical thinking.

Mindfulness meditation an inner-body, contemplative approach designed to manage our internal thought processes in order to calm the mind.

Numerous world-renowned authorities on personal success from Jack Canfield, Ken Blanchard, and Dr. Norman Vincent Peale to Art Linkletter, Anthony Robbins, and Brian Tracy have praised Walter's previous books. We are sure they and you will find Happy 95% of the Time just as valuable and compelling.

About this title

About the Author

Walter Doyle Staples, PhD, has been changing lives for more than 30 years. His journey into self-discovery began as a young adult when he suffered from stress, anxiety, and depression, then methodically went about finding ways to overcome the negativity. Having succeeded, he went on to become an Air Force officer, a career diplomat, a corporate executive, a college professor, a professional speaker, and a respected author. Walter teaches worldwide, speaking to clients in business, government, nonprofits, healthcare, law enforcement, the military, and academia. His other best-selling books include Think Like A Winner (more than 200,000 copies sold), In Search of Your True Self, and May The Healing Begin. He lives in Toronto, Canada.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Happy 95% of the Time

Three Simple, Proven Ways to Overcome Depression and Feel Content Almost All of the Time

By Walter Doyle Staples, Jodi Brandon

Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC

Copyright © 2015 Walter Doyle Staples
All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-60163-371-2

Contents

Question and Answer, 
Authentic Happiness, 
The Journey Home, 
Preface: Knowing Where to Begin, 
Introduction: Preparing for the Journey, 
Part 1: Knowing About the Now, 
Part 2: Knowing How to "Think", 
Part 3: Knowing How to "Not Think", 
Part 4: Knowing the Benefits of No-Mind, 
Part 5: Knowing About Practical Spirituality, 
Exercise: The Mind T.R.A.P, 
Conclusion, 
Bibliography, 
Index, 
About the Author, 

CHAPTER 1

PART 1

Knowing About the Now

What is a "pure" thought, one without ego?

It is a non-thought, a direct experience.

So what is a direct experience?

It's an experience in the moment, in stillness, in Now.

Here you are able to access and come to know "pure," untainted awareness. Here, and only here, you come to know your Self.

"To Think" or "Not to Think," That Is the Question

Accept the present moment — yes, this very instant — fully and unconditionally, and with gratitude. This will put you at ease with your surroundings and connect you to your higher Self.

In Part 1, our focus is on the present moment, the precious present, or Now (all of these terms are interchangeable). The goal is to see how you can use your mind in different ways to get the optimum results.

The Now

In Now, we have seen that you can think about the past, the present, or the future, but in a very real sense the past has never been and the future never will be. Both have happened (the past) or can happen (the future) only in Now. Forget about your past; it happened only to teach you important lessons to better equip you to be in Now. Forget about your future; it will happen by default anyway as you practice Being in the present.

Being — uniting with your eternal essence in the moment — is where all your joy is; it is how you can be fully human and intensely alive. To do otherwise is to only know the ego better, and the ego has nothing to teach you. It has no joy, only pain, to share with you. Its only role is to prevent you from coming to know who and what you are, from discovering your Source. The ego is the great pretender. It wants you to think that you are it and it is you. In fact, its very existence and power over you depend on it.

Knowing Your Options

Let's summarize the different ways you can use your mind. The first is the "active" mode of thinking, the usual cognitive process that involves a series of compulsive, often-repetitive thoughts that you use to get through each day. The second, often misunderstood and seldom used, is the "passive" mode of not thinking that involves going into stillness, into silence, into no-mind. Here, in this relaxed, natural state, the goal is crystal clear: It is to not have any thoughts at all!

The first way you can use your mind, to think, is the more common way that involves such activities as perceiving, conceptualizing, rationalizing, and internalizing what you understand and believe is happening at any given moment in time (i.e., what you end up accepting as your current reality). The second, and more important way, involves using your mind to not think, which in turn allows you to access inner wisdom that points to truth.

So at any point in time, you can choose to think; this is "object" consciousness, where the mind is fully engaged. Or you can choose to not think, which is "space" consciousness, where the mind is fully disengaged. The ratio for the average person during the course of a day might be 95 percent think and 5 percent not think. The ratio for Tibetan monks, on the other hand, might be the exact opposite: 5 percent think and 95 percent not think. You need only look into the face of a Buddhist monk to see who is most at peace with himself and his world.

Critically, you need to know that there is a third option as well, indeed a more subtle and sophisticated one that combines the best elements of both approaches. In this instance, you choose to engage with, respond to, and be part of everything that is happening all around you, all the while having your mind anchored firmly in the field of conscious Presence or deep peace. Here, instead of being immersed in thought, constrained by thought, or consumed by thought, you retain an element of being in the moment, in Now (i.e., a detached, innocent observer of everything that is happening all around you). This is the ideal way, indeed the optimum way, to use your mind as it incorporates the best of both "worlds" (i.e., form and no-form) that are available to you. This is called mindful living.

"Thinking" in Now

You already are who you really are. Therefore you don't have to expend any effort to create it; you need only access it. This you can do through stillness.

Here are some characteristics concerning thinking in Now, in "object" consciousness (this is the "active" mode):

1. Lots of things are happening; thoughts are always being generated.

2. Some things are fine; others are not.

3. Most of your thoughts are goal-oriented (possibilities and probabilities), and almost always driven by the ego.

4. Everything is changing (i.e., things are incomplete and impermanent, always in a state of flux).

5. There is always some suffering going on.

6. Thinking here is shallow/limited versus deep/unlimited.

This is the confused, corrupted state of "self" consciousness.

"Not Thinking" in Now

Alternately, here are some characteristics concerning not thinking in Now, in "space" consciousness (this is the "passive" mode):

1. Nothing is happening; few if any thoughts are being generated.

2. Everything is fine.

3. There is no goal-oriented activity in your mind at all.

4. Nothing changes (i.e., everything is complete and permanent).

5. There is never any suffering going on.

6. Thinking here is deep/unlimited versus shallow/limited;

7. Through revelation, you come to understand many things about your Self, including your Source — indeed the Oneness of your actual Being. The true meaning of all this resides within you, in universal mind, and can be accessed only through no-mind.

This is the clear, uncorrupted state of "pure" consciousness.

Regarding your ability to think or not think when using your mind, we see there are certain — and indeed very different — benefits that apply to each one. Arguably the most important benefit of all is the fact that when you engage regularly in not thinking, in stillness, spiritual truths and inner knowings are unwittingly, anonymously, and spontaneously made known to you; who and what you are, are revealed to you. Hence once you know these aspects of your Being, you have been set free; the thick veil of confusion and illusion has been lifted. You can now think, feel, and act in accordance with your Self, and not in accordance with some incomplete, inaccurate, or distorted version of it.

Exploring the Dimensions of a New Consciousness

Because most people spend more than 95 percent of each day actively doing and less than 5 percent actually being, it should be no surprise that they have serious problems. Such people are often over-stressed, over-anxious, and over-stimulated, and prone to bouts of depression and despair on a regular basis. The new term for this affliction is generalized anxiety disorder, or GAD.

So here is the relevant question: Knowing what has just been said about these two different states of mind, why wouldn't you want to spend more time in not thinking, in a place — in fact the only place — where you can find the answer to the three critical aspects of your life, namely the answer to these intriguing questions: "Who am I?" "What am I made of?" and "Why am I here?"

It's important to understand how no-mind opens the door to inner peace, tranquility, and enlightenment. It's also key to know the different ways you can enter no-mind and some of the things you will find there. Briefly, you can enter no-mind by personal choice — for example, by taking time to calm the mind through acute attention, keen observation, accepting the present moment, meditation, yoga, tai chi, or some other similar approach. Regarding these options, some may appeal to you more than others or you may find some more effective than others.

Fine. It's only important that you practice whatever you choose on a regular basis. The alternative is not nearly as pleasant, and it's where you have far less control. This is where you are forced to enter no-mind by everyday circumstances — for example, by a major shock or tragedy of one kind or another as a result of a personal life situation or a collective disaster.

Eight Ways to Stop Thinking

Following are eight ways you can calm the mind and get to a place where the ego has minimal or no influence.

When in stillness, you are in the clear state of "pure" awareness. Note that no matter what process you choose to calm the mind, it is relatively simple. Yet to actually do it on a systematic, daily basis is not that easy. Why? You have been living in the world of thought all of your life, so to change takes considerable self-discipline, patience, and persistence, as well as a certain amount of curiosity and courage. Unfortunately, a good number of people are not up to the challenge at their current stage of development.

The eight ways are:

1. Noticing the short period of time between perceiving something with one of your five senses and assigning a certain meaning or label to it. There is always a gap — a small instant in time — until you can retrieve from your memory bank an understanding or name for what you are seeing or hearing. This gap, a moment of no-thing-ness or no-mind, offers you a unique opportunity to ponder and reflect before you ultimately respond under control or react out of control.

2. Noticing the time — the short, silent, yet tangible gap — between your thoughts, or between words in a conversation, or between notes in a musical score, or around letters printed on a page. Interestingly, any printed page is about 95 percent white space and only 5 percent black ink. These gaps play a key role, as they break up the information that is on display into smaller and more manageable bits. Clearly most of the meaning comes from the so-called "empty" space that surrounds the letters and not from the letters themselves. When you are in a gap, in no-mind, your thinking apparatus is not engaged. Here, nothing is being experienced, nothing is being analyzed, and no decisions are being made. This is a different reality, one where you are free from the constant train of thoughts (an interesting word there: train!) that usually consumes your mind, and in turn severely limits your experience and understanding of what is true and what is real.

3. Experiencing a personal tragedy or disaster, often a major loss of some kind. It could involve yourself, a friend, or a loved one. Regarding yourself, it could involve finding out that you have a serious illness or becoming aware of your own imminent death.

4. Experiencing a collective disaster, which again often involves a major loss of some kind. It could include inhuman conduct involving a mass shooting or suicide, great destruction of property, great loss of life, a natural disaster, or indeed several of these all happening at the same time as a result of a major earthquake, hurricane, tornado, typhoon, flood, or tsunami. Watching the news on TV or reading a daily newspaper tells us that disasters are quite common, both personal and collective. And strange as it may seem, people often find God — or unlimited peace, which is the same thing — as a result of the suffering they witness or experience themselves.

5. Acute, alert awareness that involves directing your attention to marvel at the essence of some animate/inanimate object such as a rock, a flower, a tree, an animal, or indeed another human being. This is perceiving without labeling, without thought, without judgment, for once we label something, we think we know it and then cease any further effort to fully understand it. Here, sensory perception involves no thought, no interpretation, and no effort, and doesn't have a past or future. That's why this practice instantly takes you into no-mind.

6. Focused attention on the present moment. This involves being present with no story, no thoughts, no preconceptions, and no expectations. This way of having no thoughts doesn't require any effort on your part. You simply allow what is — at any point in time — to be. It's that simple. A question: What would this meditation be like for you if you were sitting in a small, dingy jail cell serving a life sentence ... for thinking too much? Of course, most of us are doing just that, but are unaware we are actually imprisoned in a jail and one of our own making!

7. Informal meditation. This includes practicing mindfulness regarding various activities such as eating, then carefully chewing every mouthful 15 to 20 times; showering and diligently washing the many parts of your body; walking and being aware of every physical movement you initiate; painting; golfing; fencing; gardening; fly-fishing; bird-watching; star-gazing — any activity that involves alert, focused attention on a few but important primary tasks.

8. Formal meditation. This includes the practice of loving-kindness meditation, which focuses on generating feelings of compassion, warmth, and deep affection for all living things. Similarly, as has been said, it could involve focused attention on some inner body function such as your breathing, as is the case in mindfulness meditation. It could also involve focused attention on a word, a phrase (called a mantra), or an object/building of reverence such as an artifact, a monument, an inscription, or a holy shrine.

Why do these practices work? They work because the mind cannot focus on two things at the same time. It processes all data — thoughts, experiences, and feelings — sequentially. As a test, try laughing and crying at exactly the same time. You cannot. The mind was designed and built to work this way. To note, this is also why we are not very good at multitasking.

If you initiate any of the activities or are subjected to any of the situations just described, the focused attention that results completely fills and occupies your whole mind space, thus preventing the usual flurry of unrelenting, unwanted, and often disturbing thoughts, concerns, and other distractions from entering your consciousness. Clearly, there are several ways you can escape from the daily chaos, turmoil, and confusion that invariably infect your mind. All you need to know is this: what door to open to achieve that end. Then calmly and confidently walk right in!

Have you noticed that every noise or sound that occurs in the world around you — whether it's a person's voice, a truck's engine, a thunder clap, an infant's cry, or a bird's melodic song (or even an annoying or disturbing thought you may have) — always turns into silence at some point? Each is temporary, each exists for a while in the world of form. But every one eventually disappears into silence, into stillness, into the great, welcoming void. This place is permanent. Stillness never changes. It just is and always will be.

Why Is Life So Darn Difficult? (Annex 4)

Life is the investigative tool we use to find truth. Unfortunately, our primary method is trial and error.

The following explains what I have come to believe lies at the core of why so many people have serious problems in their life.

First and foremost, they don't love themselves enough. They therefore go through life trying desperately (and usually unsuccessfully) to fill this huge and unsightly void. As a needy person always wanting something you should already have, namely self-love, you are bound to act in unproductive and dysfunctional ways while relating to others, thus making your life quite miserable and yourself extremely unhappy.

Second, even if a person understands that he doesn't love himself enough and needs to work earnestly and persistently on this key aspect of his personality, it's unlikely this person has any deep insight regarding how to go about it. After all, he has probably never received any special instruction or training in this area (except, perhaps, of a religious kind, which may or may not have been helpful).

The result? His ever-present, self-serving ego jumps in and says, "Hey! Listen to me. I know what you're going through. Just do as I say and everything will turn out fine." If you buy into this desperate and self-serving plea, which appears immensely enticing on the surface, then for sure there is no hope. The ego never has your innermost needs in mind.

We see if these two considerations — a need for self-love and knowing how to get it — are not properly addressed, little of consequence in your life will change, and the usual problems, disappointments, and set-backs will just repeat themselves. Hmmm. A merry-go-round that isn't so merry and is extremely difficult to get off of. But there is a way to get off, as has been explained. As a result, you will find yourself living in a very different world, one that is more inviting, more accepting, and certainly more empowering. The following statement describes in a very succinct and dramatic way what the liberating process is in this regard:

Your Source is all loving, all powerful, and all knowing.

It follows that once you understand your Source, identify with your Source and become One with your Source, so, too, will you take on these same attributes.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from Happy 95% of the Time by Walter Doyle Staples, Jodi Brandon. Copyright © 2015 Walter Doyle Staples. Excerpted by permission of Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Edition details

• Publisher: Career Press
• Publication date: 2015
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1601633718
• ISBN 13: 9781601633712
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 256