Living Frugally 

There is a consequence for what we do. The law of nature states that for every action there is a reaction. This is a key concept to teach to youth. What impact does your habits have on the environment? Understand the consequence of your consumption. Living take a burden on the world. Society conditions us to have more possessions. After a time the possessions can start to own us by distracting from our study and practice. Take only what you need- any excesses should be shared thereby building good generosity practice. Having more does not equate to being happier. This flies opposite to popular culture where having more equates to being happier. 

This philosophy of living frugally also applies to eating and health. Understand that good heath starts with proper balanced diet- a diet that does not condone excesses. Eating only what the body needs to maintain optimal health makes sense. Eating more, just because it is there, does not make us happy long term. Short term the eating may give us pleasure but the long term consequence of a diet in excess does not bring lasting happiness- that is achieved through a balanced and frugal existence. Wasting precious time to acquire more than we need subtracts time away from the study and pursuit of the practice needed to attain lasting happiness. There is a real cost to seeking only pleasure. The key word being “only”. Teaching youth through modeling the behavior can lead to deeper appreciation and understanding- an important consideration that will lead to meaningful conversations and observation of their world.

Find solitude

Seclusion enables you to look at your own mind without the distraction created by other people. Being alone can help you “know thy self”. Many of us are constantly surrounded by others. Bombarded by constant noise, incessant multi media devices and populated spaces we are so used to having our minds engaged in outside stimuli that we miss sight of who we are and why we are. Using solitude as a technique to build our character means that instead of being “lonely” we are using the moment as a practice for insight. A practice like focused meditation allows you to get in touch with your inner thoughts and to become aware of feelings and sensations in the body. Being alone also slows down the pace of the day and removes us from the daily stimuli that becomes us. Learning to be with ourselves is important to build self esteem and find peace. Our youth need to be instructed in the practice of solitude as a means to an end.

Conclusion

When I teach youth they often look at me with hope. Hope that I will show them the way to a happy and fulfilled life when really the formula for happiness lies inside each one of them. This lasting happiness is available both to us and our youth. To achieve this place of peace takes dedication and focused practice. By remaining clear to our purpose of raising a happy child we will encourage them to find solitude, meditate, live frugally, avoid negative distractions and choose worthy friends and mentors . Challenge the premise that wealth and possessions bring happiness and instead focus on the development of the mind. True happiness comes from within. This within part of ourselves needs to be nurtured to grow. If we help and guide our youth to focus on their inner selves by remaining disciplined we provide them with the means to pursue their own state of happy.