INTERTWINEDIVINE

Lessons from A Monk’s Guide to Happiness

What if happiness isn’t something you have to chase?
What if it’s already inside you and you just forgot how to tap into it?

It sounds cliché, I know. But A Monk’s Guide to Happiness by Gelong Thubten completely shifted how I think about joy, peace, and presence. It’s easily one of the most important books I’ve read and it changed how I see myself and the world around me.

Before you roll your eyes at the word meditation, hear me out. What I learned from this book goes way deeper than just sitting quietly—it’s about remembering who you really are.

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🌙 The Wake-Up Call

Let’s be real.
You wake up, scroll your phone, grab your coffee while half-distracted, and before you even brush your teeth, you’ve absorbed the opinions of a hundred strangers online.

You rush through work, eat in the car, come home drained, scroll again, crash, and do it all over tomorrow.

Ever sit there and think, “Wait… this can’t be what life’s about?”
Same. That’s exactly why this book hit me so hard.

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💬 The Author’s Message

Gelong Thubten is a Buddhist monk who teaches mindfulness all over the world—but not in that rigid “clear your mind” kind of way. His philosophy is simple but powerful:

“Happiness is your natural state. You don’t have to earn it—you just have to remember it.”

At first, I laughed. Okay, monk man… I’ve got bills, trauma, and anxiety—what do you mean happiness is already inside me?

But the more I read, the more it made sense. It felt like he was gently handing me back pieces of myself I didn’t know I’d lost.

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🧘‍♀️ The Core Ideas That Hit Me

We are overstimulated.
We consume hundreds of images in minutes. We’re training our brains to crave chaos and distraction.

And we’re not living for the now—we’re living for the if, when, and because.

• “I’ll be happy if I get the job.”
• “When I lose weight, I’ll feel better.”
• “Because I hit my goal, I’ll finally relax.”

But what happens when you get the thing… and it still doesn’t feel like enough?

Thubten calls this “the hunger of seeking.” It’s that endless loop of expectation and fear constantly chasing happiness that never seems to stick.

Then he drops this truth bomb:

“True, enduring happiness is a skill. It’s not a reward or a finish line—it’s something we learn through practice.”

That moment changed everything.
Happiness isn’t something I achieve—it’s something I build, one mindful moment at a time.

He compares it to the sky:

“Be the sky, not the clouds.”

The clouds are your thoughts and emotions. The sky is you—always there, always calm, even when storms pass through.

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🧠 Meditation Myths—Busted

Most people think meditation means emptying your mind.
But Thubten says it’s actually about reconnecting to your essence—the part of you that’s already peaceful underneath the noise.

It’s not about forcing stillness. It’s about remembering it.

Meditation isn’t a tool to escape—it’s a way home.
Once I saw it that way, I stopped judging myself for “doing it wrong.”

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⚡ Powerful Insights to Sit With

We cling to external things for happiness—shopping, validation, aesthetics—and the second we get them, we’re already reaching for the next thing.

We tie our worth to productivity, possessions, and posts. But that’s not who we are.

Thubten breaks down stress into four truths:

1. Not getting what we want
2. Getting what we don’t want
3. Trying to protect what we have
4. Fearing the loss of what we love

And the twist?
Stress isn’t in the situation—it’s in our relationship to it.

Even caffeine, he says, is “borrowing energy from tomorrow.” That hit me hard.

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☕ Mini Moments of Mindfulness

One of my favorite takeaways: mini mindfulness moments.

Not full meditations—just small pauses in your day to return to yourself.

• Brushing your teeth
• Washing your hands
• Waiting for coffee to brew
• Walking to your car
• Admiring nature

Use these tiny moments to breathe, notice, and simply be.
They train your brain to be present without needing a whole routine.

I started doing this and it genuinely changed my days. It reminded me that peace doesn’t hide in big spiritual breakthroughs—it lives in the little in-between moments.

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💖 Final Thoughts

This book reminded me that happiness isn’t a glow-up or a goal.
It’s a moment. A choice. A skill.

If this resonates, I can’t recommend A Monk’s Guide to Happiness enough. You can even look up Gelong Thubten’s short meditation techniques online—they’re simple, approachable, and powerful.

Try adding a few mindful pauses into your day this week. Notice how different life feels when you pause instead of power through.

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✨ Let’s Talk

Thanks for reading, bestie 🫶
If something here spoke to you, drop a comment below—I’d love to hear what hit home.
And if you want more posts on mindfulness, healing, and self-growth, make sure you subscribe and follow me elsewhere so we stay connected.

— Ici B