Tina Turner (November 26, 1939-May 24, 2023) was a famous singer, actor, producer and writer. Her hero's journey began in a small rural town in Brownsville, Tennessee. Turner's childhood was difficult due to financial poverty and racial discrimination. However, she was destined for greatness. Turner became an international star and sold millions of records worldwide. While browsing books at a recent library visit, Happiness Becomes You by Tina Turner caught my attention. Turner dedicated the book to her readers: "I dedicate this book to you....in honor of your unseen efforts to triumph over each problem life sends your way." Let's discuss...
Turner is openly candid about her life's challenges. Her recovery after the divorce from Ike Turner, who was both her husband and musical partner, was extremely difficult. She was a mother with young children and financially broke. She lived with friends for several months until she was able to get back on her feet. Even though she was beautiful and talented, a few people in the music industry told her that she was too old to continue a musical career. How did she recover from a major setback and revive her music career to become an international star?
Spiritual Life
Turner discovered spirituality which changed how she responded to challenges and gave her peace.
Her study of Buddhist teachings empowered her to view obstacles as lifting weights to make her stronger. Even though she could not change the problems that came her way, she could change her responses. Such belief framed her life as a beautiful journey even with ups and downs.
Everyone Has Gifts
Turner believed everyone has a unique mission and purpose in life. We all have a shared responsibility to help humanity become kinder and happier. Everyone has something to offer. No gift is too small. Even a smile is a gift to someone. Being able to read and/or write is a gift. Cooking a hot delicious meal for someone is a gift. Being a good friend is a gift.
Recently, I went dancing for a night out. A fellow patron asked me to dance. Honestly, I was not sure about accepting because I am not good at their style of dancing. Due to my regrets for saying no to past offers to socialize, I said yes. Even though I didn't know what I was doing, I had a great time. Afterwards, I realized that the offer to dance was a gift. It was a fun time and a pleasant memory.
Adversity Makes Us Stronger
"The thicker the mud, the stronger the lotus that blooms from it" Page 3.
Many of us are born into financially stressed families. If your family has financial stability, then there will be alternative challenges. We all have problems. Turner inspires us to see these problems as opportunities for growth.
Turner believes we all have power to overcome whatever circumstances that come our way by connecting to our inner voice and intuition and developing a spiritual practice.
Like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, we have the power to go home. Home is where we thrive and have peace.
Turn Poison Into Medicine
My favorite lesson learned from reading Happiness Becomes You is the concept of turning poison into medicine. In ancient Indian Buddhism, Nagarjuna (150-250 AD) compared the Lotus Sutra to a great physician able to transform suffering (poison) into enlightenment (medicine).
Turning poison into medicine is a scientific concept as well. Immunizations contain weakened germs. Good lies (poison) usually contain an element of truth (medicine) to make them believable. A fever is a defense against infections.
We are not purposely looking for problems, but when problems occur, there is wisdom to gain from the experience. This lesson will open your eyes to a new layer of the human experience. If you learn from the mistakes and not repeat them, then you will grow and benefit from the lessons learned.
10 Inner Worlds
The 10 Worlds is a framework to understand mood states (in order of low to high): 1. hell; 2. hungry spirits; 3. animals; 4. asuras; 5. human beings; 6. heavenly beings; 7. voice-hearers; 8. cause-awakened ones; 9. bodhisattvas; and 10. buddha. The 10 worlds overlap and you may not experience all 10 in a day. Meditation and chanting are ways to master the lower worlds (1-3) to experience the higher worlds (4-10).
Tina Turner - Entertainer; Teacher
Happiness Becomes You is a beautiful book full of gems of knowledge. Turner explains how Buddhism gave her the peace and strength to overcome a sad childhood, violent marriage and divorce and a music industry that almost wrote her off due to ageism. She did not give up on herself in the face of the poison that came her way. Instead, she turned the poison into medicine and cured her life. The result was a successful music career, family life and spouse. Whatever your beliefs, the book would be an excellent read or addition to your library.
Reference:
The 10 Worlds: https://www.sokaglobal.org/resources/study-materials/buddhist-concepts/ten-worlds.html
Happiness Becomes You, https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/happiness-becomes-you_tina-turner/26135473/item/51926935/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=us_shopping_zombies_hvfl_2155271854&utm_adgroup=&utm_term=&utm_content=719330010207&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21855271854&gbraid=0AAAAADwY45iSPNlYCN9xCLI5gKGTolLzz&gclid=Cj0KCQiApL7KBhC7ARIsAD2Xq3BpUfEUthR5-fQlRReigVOvsgxAU0agvim6KrjPbUq0vqA7-_-QgWoaAm11EALw_wcB#idiq=51926935&edition=28878824
Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz film, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrotkcWJFwo
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