Pleasure is a state in which you feel good and enjoy what you are doing. It usually does not last long, because life is such that you have always other things to do, like work, cleaning the house, driving somewhere, interacting with other people, etc. you cannot stay in the feeling of pleasure for long.

When you eat some delicious food you derive pleasure from it, but the pleasure cannot last for long, since you cannot go on eating indefinitely, you finish eating the food on your late and the sensation of pleasure wears off after a while. You may enjoy watching a movie, but the movie lasts for a certain amount of minutes. When you read a book you enjoy reading, ultimately you reach the last page.

As you see, all pleasure is time limited.

Pleasure is usually awakened by external stimuli, and is largely physical, involving the five senses, like the smell of good food or its taste, or of the sight and physical contact of a certain person, a story you read in a book, etc.

Though happiness is similar to pleasure in some respects, yet it is different.

Pleasure is emotional in nature, while happiness is a state beyond the emotions and even beyond the mind. In pleasure the emotion are active. While in a state of happiness there is calmness and peace.

Happiness does not depend on external stimuli, since it comes from within, though quite often, it seems as if the source is external.

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- Are you aware of the thoughts that pass through your mind?

- Do you remember what you thought a few minutes ago?

- Do you know how many thoughts pass through your mind in 24 hours?

- Do all your thoughts originate in your mind? Are they your own thoughts or other people’s thoughts that you think are your own thoughts?

Thinking is very useful in every area of life, but people go too far with it. It has turned into some sort of slavery. Instead of thinking on what you want, when you want, you think all the time, every hour of the day. Every word you hear, everything you see brings thoughts to your mind. The mind is always busy, most of the time thinking meaningless thoughts as a reaction to external stimulus.

People have lost the ability to stop thinking when they don’t need to. Thoughts come and go whenever they want, distracting the attention, spoiling concentration, and keeping the mind in a state of endless mental activity. It is like a machine that is never switched off.

Many of these thoughts are negative, causing anxiety and worries, wasting one’s time and energy.

Instead of using thoughts to help in your affairs, you are being used by thoughts. They take your time and they take your energy, without giving you anything in return. They constantly produce noise in your mind, preventing you from experiencing real inner peace.

Are you able to stop thinking negative thoughts? Are you able to stop all those thoughts that keep moving your attention from one thing to another? Do you keep worrying, and do you expect the worst? Does your mind keep busy with what someone said about you, and do you keep thinking how life is bad for you, because someone at work got promoted, and you were not?

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A visitor to the website has asked the following question:
“So you are saying once our mind is cleared, we start experienceing inner peace, but what is the most important thing to do to clear your mind? I have read a lot at many websites, but still can’t understand the subject.”

Here is the reply:

Concentration, meditation and the development of inner detachment help clear the mind of thoughts, making room for inner peace.

There is no instant inner peace. In order to attain and enjoy inner peace, work and effort are required, but not everyone is willing to invest the necessary time and energy into this project.

Concentration
The practice of special concentration exercise improve the ability to focus the mind on one single thought or subject and reject unrelated thoughts. This ability helps you gain the skill of opening or closing the mind at will to the constant flow of thoughts.
Information on Concentration
Concentration exercises

Meditation
In meditation you use the skills gained through the development of the power of concentration, in order to free your mind of thoughts. There are may forms of meditation, which all help clear the mind of thoughts, and which ultimately lead to the ability to meditate without thoughts.
More on Meditation

Detachment
Without some inner detachment there is no inner peace. You need to learn not to be affected easily by what people say or do, and not let your emotions rule your life. I am not talking about being indifferent and uncaring. It might seem a paradox, but you can be compassionate, helpful and full of love, and at the same time display inner detachment. It is a mental attitude which leads to common sense, better judgement, more understanding and inner peace.
More on Detachment

You can find in-depth information, instructions and exercises for developing the skills leading to inner peace in my book Peace of Mind in Daily Life.

Why should you want to calm your mind?

- Do you get easily nervous and irritated?

- Do you have fears and doubts that cause you to suffer?

- Do you have difficulties falling asleep at night?

- Do certain thoughts keep obsessing your mind, giving you no rest?

- Do you get agitated in every situation?

- Do you have difficulties focusing your mind?

If you experience any of the above situations, then you certainly need to learn how to calm your mind.

Frantic thinking, restless thoughts, impatience, fears and worries cause lack of inner peace, lack of concentration and the inability to think clearly. This leads to making errors, confusion, the inability to make decisions and to failure.

If you want to achieve more in life, you must know how to calm your mind, so that you stay focused and think clearly.

How to calm your mind:

Spend time doing something you love
Find some time each day to do something you love doing, such as a hobby, reading, listening your favorite music, etc.

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Are you aware that your mind is always occupied with thoughts? Are you aware that thoughts constantly demand your attention, dictate your behavior and reactions?

Do you sometimes feel that your mind is going to explode from nonstop thinking? Can you focus your attention on what you are doing at any moment, or are you constantly distracted by all kinds of thoughts, negative thinking or negative expectations? You need to learn to overcome your nonstop thinking in order to gain control over your attention.

Do you sometimes wish your mind could just stop thinking for a little while, and let you enjoy some rest and peace? Like an engine, it has to rest to avoid wear and tear. It needs some rest from time to time, in order to recharge itself and your body.

The mind often looks like a cluttered room, with no free space and no place to move. When you empty your room it will look bigger and tidier, and it will be more pleasant to be there. So it is with your mind. Remove the clutter – the unnecessary thoughts, the worries and the fears, and your life would look happier and brighter.

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