The Art of Happiness

it alive, by replaying our hurts over and overagain in our minds, magnifying our injustices in theprocess. We repeat our painful memories withthe unconscious wish perhaps that somehow itwill change the situation—but it never does. Ofcourse, sometimes this endless recounting of ourwoes can serve a limited purpose ; it can adddrama and a certain excitement to our lives orelicit attention and sympathy from others. But thisseems like a poor trade-off for the unhappinesswe continue to endure.In speaking about how we add to our ownsuffering, the Dalai Lama explained, “We can seethat there are many ways in which we activelycontribute to our own experience of mentalunrest and suffering. Although, in general, mentaland emotional afflictions themselves can comenaturally, often it is our own reinforcement of