Our “happy” thoughts may be crude or refined, but happy thoughts evolve over a lifetime.
In an addictive world like ours, we may like our beer or sex or whatever, but at some point the thought of beer and sex is better than the beer and sex itself. Then we have a choice: we can either move on to more potent, more addictive pleasures, or we can consciously ritual with what we already have.
Consciously ritualing means focusing on new qualia, not new matter. We set aside a moment, separating ourselves from the routine, when we can notice new qualia – that is, some new idea or thought, some move or word, some new insight or perception will reveal itself to us. It may or may not be right or good, but we play with it, experiment with it, and its value or meaning becomes apparent. Once you have found this you may pat yourself on the back and return to the routine…but, the routine is no longer, it has come alive again because the new qualia has changed it, or us, or everything!
This works for all addictions, sex, drugs, shopping, gambling. We we consciously ritual with them, instead of looking over the fence where the next pusher man or marketing genius makes them look so much more enticing. It is a process of appreciating what we have, even when looking at it more closely convinces us to let it go and move on.
The we can consciously ritual just like a creature whose landscape was taken over like some invasive species. Time to move on, notice some new qualia and begin to consciously ritual with it, to see if it’s good, healthy, worth contemplating – to see if it can make us content. Happy thoughts – happiness – only arises out of contentment.
(we evolve, maybe, in qualiadelic relationships?).