I Wish For You to Be Happy
As everyone knows, I love Note to Self. She recently had Chade-Meng Tan as a guest. He’s a former Google employee who has become a writer and speaker on inner peace.
The entire episode is 24 minutes long. You can listen to it here. (Note to Self, I wish you could embed episodes!)
At the end of the episode, Meng gave listeners an exercise. Every hour, on the hour, think of two people and say to yourself, “I wish for X and Y to be happy.” Go ahead, try it. Think of two people you know — or don’t know — and think to yourself, “I wish for Jack and Jill to be happy.” (Except… you know… fill in their names. Don’t say Jack and Jill because Jack broke his crown so happiness may be eluding him at the moment, anyway.)
I bet you’re smiling right now. Maybe not a big, beaming smile, but a small one. That’s what happened to me when I did this exercise in the car. I thought of my two people and said the magic words. And then Chade-Meng Tan pointed out that I was likely smiling, and I was. It makes us happy to think about making secret wishes for other people; good wishes that may even come true.
Set a timer to go off every hour, and either think of two new people or the same people, and wish them happiness. You can choose co-workers or family members or friends. They can be people you’re seeing that day or people you’ll never meet. They can be complete strangers; just someone you noticed in a restaurant who looks like he/she could use a little extra happiness.
If y’all are okay with it, I may send you a silent, secret happiness wish.
11 comments
This is a lovely idea. We could all use a little extra happiness.
I’m reading Search Inside Yourself right now because of that episode. And returning to a daily meditation practice.
Wishing for people to be happy has definitely been getting me through these dark days.
Thanks for the link. Something uplifting to listen to today is very needed.
Lovely, just reading this made me smile, so I know it can work! Once an hour might be too much for me to commit to, but I’m going to go with trying to do this once every day.
I think it works! I checked in after dancing to uptown funk just to have a bit of fun ended up embarassing my daugther (she is such a teenager it is too funny) and foudn out I am invited to a pancake party with some of our closets friends and their kids who are their kids best friend + some bonusfriends who are close to my son and she opened up this whatsapp grup that allows us to have fun with the teenage kids and their friends. I feel so blessed! I wish you and Josh are happy!
I love this. I’ll start with your family. I wish for all of you to be happy.
This is loving kindness meditation – except a teeny tiny moment of it. I love it.
I love this idea. It makes me be happy.
This also happens to be the same advice my own teacher gave me. I am periodically sending out a blessing of happiness silently and sometimes on Facebook. You and others.
Thanks for my hit of happiness.
Great idea. I’m already scheduled enough so won’t be setting a timer, but I’ll plant this idea in my scattered brain and I’m sure it will pop up. Wishing you much happiness!!
Beautiful. I’m totally ok with that. Wishing good things for you as well.
That was a great episode. And yes the task makes me smile.