The sad truth is that our society has trained the vast majority of people to be drones. We’re collecting consumables at a bizarre rate. We drive crazy distances to jobs we don’t like. We’re in relationships that don’t enrich us. In fact, way too many people are in relationships that undermine or even crush their spirit. We don’t like our bodies, we don’t like our bosses, we don’t like our incomes or our outflows, we don’t like being alone, but people drive us crazy half the time.
So for the most part, we just trudge along, performing uninspired hours as mothers, brothers, daughters, spouses, friends and employees. In short, most people lead dull and boring lives, where—save the odd wedding or baby—their yearly highlights are often nothing more than TV episodes, sporting events, or consumer products. Life doesn’t have to be fancy, or important, or intelligent, or expensive to be good. But it’s certainly richer when it’s deeply experienced.
Look, living with self-conversations about regret, guilt, worry, fear or anger will absolutely not lead to a wonderful life. You can’t think ugly thoughts and have a beautiful life. So why not abandon them? They’re yours. You put the energy into creating them. And if you weren’t wasting your time regurgitating those same old scripts of painful thoughts over and over and over, then you would have loads of energy available for your healthy interests, be those people, or activities, or some combination of both.
It’s not egotistical to want to lead your own life. It’s not wrong to have your own direction, your own desires, your own flow. Authenticity is a powerful force in the Universe. It’s important to note that genuine passion in something is inspiring to others, both in terms of them pursuing your interests, as well as for them pursuing their own. So, in a way, by not thinking regretful, guilty, sad, fearful or angry thoughts, you’re not only freeing up yourself to make greater contributions to humanity through your own humanity, but you’re prepping others to do it too.
Let’s make this a day where you DON’T run yourself down and if you do, you don’t run yourself down for running yourself down. This is an appreciate You day. Focus on your strengths and achievements. Do the same with everyone else too, even if you would normally have thought they don’t deserve it. At the end of the day if you feel better than you do when you think all of those other enervating, agitating thoughts, then you’ll know what to do tomorrow. 😉
Enjoy your day.
peace. s
PS If it works for today and tomorrow, then why not try it for the rest of the year…?
Scott McPherson is an Edmonton-based writer, public speaker, and mindfulness facilitator who works with individuals, companies and non-profit organizations around the world.
A serious childhood brain injury lead Scott to spend his entire life meditating on the concepts of thought, consciousness, reality and identity. It made others as strange to him as he was to them. When he realized people were confused by their own over-thinking, Scott began teaching others to understand reality. He is currently CBC Radio Active’s Wellness Columnist, as well as a writer, speaker and mindfulness instructor based in Edmonton, AB where he still finds it strange to write about himself in the third person.
