Deep inside, everybody wants well-being. Every action you do, in one way or another, is a movement. Whether wise or unwise, every action is a movement toward what you think will make you feel better, as distorted or confused as it might be. This is what is motivating us: we want to feel better. The trick is to know where happiness really lies, and to not be confused. That we are moved by something that is continually looking for happiness can be a source of real inspiration. And the source of it is wholesome: I want to feel happy, I want to feel good, I want to be at peace. This is activating that place that truly wants well-being, and then facing it in the direction of true well-being.
James Baraz
Spirit Rock Residential Teacher
James Baraz is a founding teacher of Spirit Rock. James started the Community Dharma Leader program and Spirit's Rock Family Program. James leads the online course "Awakening Joy" since 2003. He is a guiding teacher to One Earth Sangha, a platform devoted to Buddhist responses to Climate Change.