Winner: 2013’s Blog of the Year #10
You’re literally crippling yourself with those thoughts and actions. That kind of self-perception is an easy way to lose friends and lovers because it is thoroughly unpleasant to be around. Not just for them—for you too. So if you’re in pain please don’t add any suffering. Pain, people have plenty of patience for. Suffering not so much.
I have no idea how many of you might need psychological medications but I do know that most people I meet have no awareness whatsoever of their own consciousness and so they cannot take responsibility for its behaviour even though they must face the consequences. When I listen to people’s “problems,” I can often literally hear them processing their lives in very unhealthy, unproductive ways that would very obviously lead to mental distress. But the problem isn’t the chemicals. It’s that the chemicals were requested.
The other woman sees the same benefits, and she sees the very same challenges. But she says, “how would someone get past challenges like that, because I really want that benefit?” And the verb of that is what causes her to succeed while the other person is sitting still discussing their limitations and describing the active lady as being lucky. It’s not that the problem was hard it was that one woman never did engage with resolving it. She just told herself and others a series of justifying narratives about why she couldn’t.
You don’t say I’ll start my life again once I feel better about this thing—because that’s what you are doing. That’s your verb. You’re sitting still and imagining things being different. Which is why that day never comes. Because you didn’t do anything to make anything different. You just told yourself stories about how life would be after you’ve changed. Each day is something you actively create. So better times cannot be created until you transfer your energy from explaining how it could be better to actually saying the words or taking the actions that actually make it better. Get it?
He’s still an athlete with those same attitudes and drives. And his path emerged from him simply following his nature and ignoring any self-critical analysis or judgment. He didn’t focus on what he lost or didn’t gain. Instead he simply saw his current situation as an opportunity. And that’s because it always is. The same goes for your life. The big question is, what are you going to spend your opportunity on? Are you going to churn thoughts about your misfortunes? Or will you use the very same energy but focus it on the things you are grateful for in the Present Moment? That’s what will motivate you. The choice is yours.
No one owed you a good life. But you were definitely given all of the tools you need to create one. I hope you’re choosing to do that in your Now.
Much love, s
Scott McPherson is a writer, public speaker, and mindfulness facilitator who works with individuals, companies and nonprofit organisations around the world.
I help people achieve better mental health by teaching them about reality.