A Simple Way to be Happier
Hi Thou! (I know that’s not your name, but keep reading. 😉)
I recently rewatched The Power of Myth, an interview series with Bill Moyer and Joseph Campbell.
It’s one of my favorite programs. I watch it once a year and recommend it as a starting point for Joseph Campbell’s work.
In episode 3, Campbell offers the distinction he learned from his study of Native Americans, who saw the natural world as a “Thou” rather than “it.”
He says:
The ego that sees a “thou” is not the same ego that sees an “it.” You can address anything as a “thou”, and you can feel the change in your psychology as you do it.
Thou transports us to a state of reverence.
Reverence elicits gratitude.
Gratitude brings happiness.
If you want to be happier, bring more Thou energy into your life.
Notice what happens when you feel the Thou-ness of a tree or a bird.
See the next person you pass on the street as Thou rather than them.
Practice cutting through the personality, and see the divinity in each person, place, and thing.
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If you’re interested in The Power of Myth, you can watch the series on Gaia, read the book, or listen to the audio version.