"Make a radical change in your lifestyle and begin to boldly do things which you may previously never have thought of doing, or been too hesitant to attempt. So many people live within unhappy circumstances and yet will not take the initiative to change their situation because they are conditioned to a life of security, conformity, and conservation, all of which may appear to give one peace of mind, but in reality nothing is more damaging to the adventurous spirit within a man than a secure future. The very basic core of a man’s living spirit is his passion for adventure. The joy of life comes from our encounters with new experiences, and hence there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun. If you want to get more out of life, you must lose your inclination for monotonous security and adopt a helter-skelter style of life that will at first appear to you to be crazy. But once you become accustomed to such a life you will see its full meaning and its incredible beauty."
Jon Krakauer, Into the Wild
i have another friend that is very dear to me that tells me that if you want something enough, it will happen.
Most people are afraid of change. It is not just because of conditioning, however. It is our nature to cling to people, things and emotions. Humans, since early hominids, were biologically programed to look for stability. This was probably do to the fact of ensuring the survival of the human race. That is why when the majority leans toward a particular behavior even when it is negative and hurts them, it is a biological pattern that is hard to interfere with...that being said, I am a firm believer in breaking patterns and changing when it comes from another source other than trying to exert enthusiasm and drive and happiness. "Changing" can be a form of "clinging" or attachment. Then suddenly, you are unhappy for not changing enough. Anytime we apply a "methodology" in becoming happy, we end up dependent on the "conditions" of our life-once again. The fact that we look for a happy result in the future in whatever method we use, is the problem-I believe. I don't like to even call it happiness. Happiness is transient, which means it comes and goes all the time in everyone. True happiness is really "peace" by surrendering to "what is". Every time we try to "change", "arrive", "get there", "make it", or whatever, it becomes the antithesis to happiness. It might work temporarily, then we have to do more to be happy again. There is nothing wrong with that. It is just transferring "security" to another method and it may become a vicious cycle. The greatest illusion we humans have, is defining ourselves as "not good enough" the way we are, and feeling we need to arrive somewhere to be happy. It is the illusion of the "egoic mind" -as they call it in the eastern way of thinking. Thanks for letting comment.
ReplyDelete.... about change...It is only my opinion. You may disagree. And a matter of fact, I encourage you to. "Truth" always comes from your own heart. Experience "all" for yourself. Question everything.--and that is just my opinion, once again.
ReplyDeleteI like to provide a quote from Eckhart Tolle, a eastern spiritual thinker from the West.
ReplyDelete"A change in the collective does not happen until the change happens in the individual. The individuals make up the collective. This is why we are here. We are looking at the collective insanity and seeing how it works, and that is the first step in liberation."