16 years ago, I wrote a short entry called ‘Infinite Futures‘, in which I talked about the advantages of remaining within that quiet point in existence where all futures are possible, rather than allow my thoughts to limit me to one particular trajectory. My point had been to remind myself how peaceful life is when I am not preoccupied with what the future may or may not hold.

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I went to a comedy gig last month, and halfway through the show it occurred to me: I’m happier than I thought. I was watching a Dutch comedian (Samba Schutte) and I laughed from start to finish. I was impressed with his energy, the ease with which he told his story, and the way he played with the audience’s emotions – inviting us repeatedly to indulge in intense peaks of laughter, holding us there for a while, before allowing the whole audience to fall back to earth in the controlled descent of his sombre and serious interludes.

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The fee for the weekly seminars I’m planning will be donation-based. It means people will be asked to pay whatever they think the two hours has been worth for them. I have spoken to a few people about this and have been told that such an arrangement is not that straightforward. It turns out that we find it difficult to place a value on things. We are not short of desire – there are countless things we want; things we are told we should have, and that we are convinced will make us happy – but when it comes to placing a value on them, we struggle.

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I lay on the floor, my earphones leaking the new breathing exercises into my head. It’s week one of the programme and the emphasis is on relaxing and using the power of the mind to visualise. Having found its place between physical exercise and meditation, this is the easiest part of my routine: lie down, close your eyes, relax, breathe, and ease your mind into the realm of power and positivity.

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