Patriotic Jamaicans?

May be, just may be many of us Jamaicans think of ourselves as patriotic. But I question that number of patriotic Jamaicans when I look at the line at the US embassy on Old Hope Road. After 54 years of national pride I wish more Jamaicans could express their patriotism economically and not only emotionally on Independence Day. I don't think It's fair to ask persons to show patriotism when they don't own any land or even a stock unit of a Jamaican company. I wish more Jamaicans were 'financially independent' like what the country should be. If this JamRock, culture and language are our commonalties, I just feel more Jamaicans should be individually and collectively profiting from the assets of the land in some shape or form.  I don't think I am patriotic and I own pieces of Jamican companies (and very soon lands). A matter of fact, I know I am not patriotic.

Patriotism, according to Dictionary.com, is defined as

devoted love, support, and defense of one's country; national loyalty.

Being a patriot may also entail defending your country's interests. Would I defend Jamaica's Interests? I don't think Jamaica's politicians have done a very good job at that over the years since our independence. The loyalty and support for even my high school was very low compared to that of my colleagues. So since leaving high school, loyalty to country has been thoroughly considered.

Loyalty to country is a very misunderstood term. Some of us define country way different from the ruling minority. And the ruling minority I draw attention to is not only the 'high colour' ones we have grown accustomed to 'cussing' out, but also the 'never si come si' african descendants who have 'climbed the ladder' to riches and leadership. In light of the Olympics in Rio, which is one more proof how a country can betray its people and then turn around asking for support from the betrayed, I must say that the peak of Jamican patriotism will be portrayed and spoke of from August 6, till about a week after the ending of the olympics. So looking at a few definitions of the word country, I realized that I may have a little hope of some common sense in the little brain of mine. The common definition for country, or the definition which I believe 90% of Jamaicans actually mean when they speak, is one related to a nation. According to Oxford Dictionaries, a nation is

a large body of people united by common descent, history, culture, or language, inhabiting a particular state or territory

Therefore, we define a country simply as the people of a district, state, or nation.
Other definitions include:

1. an area of land that has its own government, army, etc.
2. the land of a person's birth, residence, or citizens; a political state or nation or its territory

If we look at Jamaica's political system and the distrust the populace show in the government as well as governance of the people of the land, we can very much define the country as the voting public and the politicians.

However, with olympics in the air, we get a different feel of what and where is the country of Jamaica. When Bolt runs that 100m final we will say he is running for Jamaica. Even bolt will say he is running for Jamaica. But with fairness I relieve him of that task which is not a reality. Bolt runs because he wants to run. Bolt runs because he gets paid to run. Bolt runs because he gets paid to do something he loves to do and no one else does it as well as he does it. Bolt running for his country and defending his country's interests in Track and Field is secondary to his pay check.

You see, I question patriotism or loyalty to any cause because many persons make it a requirement for social acceptance, when this really doesn't have to be. It is the unrealistic country before self connotation, those in leadership require from we the 'sheep' of Jamaica, that I want to dispell. I say I am not patriotic because I know that given information and incentives for my benefit I will make decisions to progress myself first before benefitting my country. Anything I am loyal to, is just because I want to be loyal to it. Better said, I see and recieve benefit from being loyal to that cause.

I recently, heard of a Utech lecturer telling his students how everytime he saw a Carib Cement Truck passing he would stop his car get out and cheer on the driver. He told his students he did that because he knows that driver is helping Carib Cement to make his money work for him. Tears of joy fill his eyes and heart everytime he speaks of the Carib Cement massive share price increase he reaped a couple years a back. He showed interest in Carib Cement with his life savings (struggled to make ends meet for a while) and the Company paid him back with interest after a few years. Now he defends Carib Cement's interests. I will never die for my country because my country will never die for me. That is a cold hard fact- the physical land will never die for me, neither would the people. If I may, I can even question what will my country do for me, after I have done for it.

Naturally, humans are selfish for survival and only seem to be kind to others when they fully or start understanding that it is essential to survival or self preservation to LOOK OUT FOR OTHERS. As soon as one starts to expand his perception of self to include others his loyalty to himself will be beneficial to the group of people he is a part of. The group will eventually grow to the majority's view of a country. All our sports men and women, including embattled Chris Gayle and the 'Pocket Rocket', Shelly-Ann, (to name a few more of our wealthier athletes) perform on the world stage for their survival and advancement. They are Jamaican athletes/ sports persons because they were born in Jamaica. They represent other Jamaicans because they were born and raised in Jamaica like the rest of Jamaicans. Some Jamaican athletes 'rep' for us because they have Jamiacan heritage. Sometimes only one of their parents are Jamaicans. Its on that note, that I don't want anyone to ask me about my patriotism when they don't see me in my black, green and gold clad on JA's Independence Day. Yes. Don't beat around bush. Ask me "if I am loyal to you?"

What Is Happiness? - An Extremely Advanced Definition Of Happiness

HAPPINESS

Are persons today really seeking happiness? Are you living happy right now? Do you want to live happily? If you could name that one thing that once you get it, you would be happy, what would that be? If you were to ask me these same questions I would be able to give positive answers to all of them. It is apart of my business to constantly question why am I doing what I am doing. What is the main reason I am in business for myself when it is easier:

• to live from paycheck paycheck for someone else who is always telling me what to do?
• to work and wait for my pension
• to worry about the economy
• to complain about what the government is doing with economy

In the video Leo separates excitement from happiness. Happiness as I have learned is on many levels but the basic definition is fulfillment. And I believe he is most definitely correct that the happiness that most persons feel is just peaks of a short term form of happiness called excitement.

'True happiness', from the get go of his explanation I got it. What I want persons to do is to understand that the excitement they call happiness is not wrong if you call it happiness. Simply because it is an emotion, a feeling, part of our human psychology. As with all emotions we can define them and then someone will come along and add a new level of feeling to that definition. For example happy-enjoyment-happier-bliss-true happiness.

We generally express emotions differently because we are all different with different experiences. So to help you understand what Leo is talking about I say true happiness is the absolute form or may be better described as the greatest form of happiness.

HAPPINESS DEFINITION

So the most important thing to do when discussing psychology or better yet feelings is to define the words we use for these emotions so that we can all be on the same level of understanding. Now I must say, if I had not said it already, I do not have a degree of any sort in psychology, psychiatry, philosophy and/ or sociology (or any other related field) but I try to share my thoughts as frankly as possible with logic, what some may term common sense.

Well, the following are some definitions pulled from internet and dictionary sources:

• happy: fortunate, having, expressing, or enjoying pleasure or contentment; pleased; appropriate , felicitous; happiness: state of being happy-Queens English Dictionary and Thesaurus
• happy: glad, content; lucky, fortunate-Webster's New Dictionary & Thesaurus
• Happiness is a mental or emotional state of well-being defined by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy.- Wikipedia
• The state of being happy:the state of feeling or showing pleasure, the state of being satisfied that something is good or right.- Oxford Dictionaries
• pleasure, joy, exhilaration, bliss, contentedness, delight, enjoyment, satisfaction.-  Dictionary.com
• Happiness, bliss, contentment, felicity imply an active or passive state of pleasure or pleasurable satisfaction. Happiness results from the possession or attainment of what one considers good: the happiness of visiting one's family. Bliss is unalloyed happiness or supreme delight: the bliss of perfect companionship. Contentment is a peaceful kind of happiness in which one rests without desires, even though every wish may not have been gratified: contentment in one's surroundings. Felicity is a formal word for happiness of an especially fortunate or intense kind: to wish a young couple felicity in life.- Dictionary.com
• Happiness is thought of as the good life, freedom from suffering, flourishing, well-being, joy, prosperity, and pleasure

Here are some more synonyms: 

• Satisfaction- Pride- Contentment- Fulfilment

• These are all words for the good feeling that you have when you are happy or when you have achieved something.

• Satisfaction- the good feeling that you have when you have achieved something or when something that you wanted to happen does happen:He derived great satisfaction from knowing that his son was happy.

• Happiness- the good feeling that you have when you are happy:Money can’t buy you happiness.

• Pride- a feeling of pleasure or satisfaction that you get when you or people who are connected with you have done something well or own something that other people admire:The sight of her son graduating filled her with pride.

• Contentment- (rather formal) a feeling of happiness or satisfaction with what you have:They found contentment in living a simple life.

• Fulfillment- a feeling of happiness or satisfaction with what you do or have done:her search for personal fulfillment

What I liked about Leo putting forward his view is that he said that his view and definition may not be the right one but he wants persons to understand what happiness should be. Well I am doing the same thing but i am not worried about your ego. I believe this is a concept you should work out in your mind whether you are new to personal development or experienced in it. Simply because we are human beings and the understanding of happiness on all levels is necessary to truly developing yourself. Whether you like it or not the concept of True Happiness will change your life. It's enlightening; Enlightenment is for all. So I don't care at which stage in your life u start trying to understand 'true happiness'.

What Leo calls true happiness is not sustained excitement but the feeling of satisfaction, even after you have done something exciting. So it is fair to say that happiness does not have to be achieved by one object or activity but also by multiple activities over a period of time. What is also fair is that happiness can be obtained by not achieving anything at all. Persons can be fulfilled by not having fulfillment from external sources. This concept leads to another, contentment- Another word for happiness. Therefore, the 'True Happiness' being spoken about can be obtained by simply having nothing to achieve as a state in which you feel good. And feeling good is that warm or 'tingly' feeling felt inside. When I think about it this 'greatest happiness' is independent of what happens to you or happened to you. From what I understand its that peace you would feel no matter what. As he said in the video the ego will fight this concept.  But for the understanding of absolute happiness it will help if I say its like when persons say 'accept yourself for who you are'. Accepting and living in 'True Happiness' has to do with the law of attraction- "like attracts like".

So its not that you are going to feel content with having poor living conditions, being broke, a drunkard, extremely overweight, lazy, etc. But if you want more happiness from those things that give you that feel good feeling (no mater what level of happiness) you must start visualizing yourself being happy; start feeling happy from the get go so that you can get happiness. However, If you feel contented/ happy with being overweight (fat), poor or lazy that is okay, as long as you are not damaging yourself or those around you. With fairness in mind that is how I see it.

The reason I take the stance of "enlightenment is for all" is because many persons chase happiness, and some think they can never get it. I want all to have happiness whether it's on the level Leo speaks of in the video above or just plain excitement. What I don't want is happiness from things that damage the body. However accepting the enlightenment will let you start seeing happiness in the abundance it has always been around you; You just failed to see it.

Well, now I can say what I think happiness is. And as university students love to define everything with 'Basically'; basically, happiness is feeling good. If you can sustain that good feeling or make it independent of the outer body experience or feel it entirely from your spiritual well being is up to you and dependent on your psychological mastery. Hope no one is startled by the fact that I said so much things to then have my definition as a poor summary of all of what was said before. Sorry but I like to keep it simple. When you look at all the definitions and synonyms of happiness they all portray positive feelings, good feelings. Not until I thought of good vs evil did I understand how simple the definition happiness should be. You must realize though that my definition does not stop each and every individual from having varying degrees/ levels of happiness because that is how life is; endless possibilities.

So I let my mind stray from emotions to states; comparing opposite extremes of emotions; If not totally good its 100% bad. Then the totally opposite of  'True Happiness' is Misery. Constant misery to be exact. It was the thought of the negative that allowed me to resist the temptation to add to the definition by saying- happiness is feeling good by doing or after doing something good. That's right, this statement would be biased. It would have to be formulated by someone who grew up in a perfect world with no miserable person and evil persons who enjoy making others live in misery. I had to account for this possibility so I left the definition in its simple state. I even draw reference to happiness from seeing others suffer from a happiness defintion posted on Urban dictionary.

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