I keep coming into the same questions about life, and I find that I keep banging my head on the wall in search of the answers. Eventually, it occurs to me that I am indeed banging my head on the wall and something beautiful happens. I am allowed the opportunity to take a step back and find the doorway through to the other side of the problem.
It has just been recently that I have been stuck on another one of these problems. This one, in particular, isn't new to me though. I have been here before, many times, and it seems to be a recurring question for me.
How to make the most out of life?
It seems like whether or not this question is in the forefront of our life, it's always there, somewhere. The difference is that for some it is nothing more than a dream, a fantasy question that has little relevance to their lives and the situations they find themselves in. But for others, and I'd like to think myself included, I don't see much of a difference between dreams and possibilities. And this, as I see it, is a blessing and a curse.
It is a blessing because I feel like I can have an impact on the direction my life is going in and, to a certain extent, create my future. It is a curse because it means that I am constantly trying to figure out what I should do, what would be the best way.
The doorway to the other side, in this particular problem, is to realize that there is no best way. Like everything else, it is dependent upon too many factors. For one person, the best way might be different than for another.
Isn't this the way it should be?
If there was one thing that everyone should do, one answer to the best way to live life, society would fall apart. In order for a society to work, for humanity to thrive, we need to fulfill particular duties and help each other out.
It is because of the comparing mind that I have been repeatedly blindsided by this question. When choosing my path, the tendency is to think "This is the best way, it's better than all the other ways, and that's why I'm going to do it."
Before I am too quick to judge this judgmental mind of mine, I need to give it a little bit of credit. After all, do I want to be choosing the worst way?
Okay, so it appears that this mindset just needs a bit of tweaking, just a gentle reminder.
The only one I am choosing for is myself, so there's no need to compare my path to anyone else's.
Is anyone else like me? Does anyone else have exactly the same situation, temperament, past, dreams, and values as me? Certainly not. We are all unique individuals when it comes to this matter.
Another potential pitfall here is to in turn think that I have to do something different from everyone else, in order to prove my uniqueness or specialness. Even though there is no one exactly like me, there are many others who fit into a similar mold. Because of this, I can look to others who have gone before me to gain some inspiration and perspective on where I might like to head myself.
Two nights ago I went to see Venerable Ajahn Tiradhammo give a dhamma talk here in Bangkok and was able to ask him a question during the Q&A session. In response to my question, he said something that I will hope to implement into this tiring process of trying to figure out the best path for myself. "Just feel your way through, no reason to make any drastic decisions." Okay, that's not exactly what he said, but it went something like that.
What I feel like will help me at this point is staying true to my values and my intentions to become a better person. If I can do this, I can maybe relax a bit and rest assured that whatever happens, whatever I choose or is chosen for me, will be for the best. I know I can't control everything, but the more I pull my head out of my ass, the more I see I do have some say in the matter. There is a whole future ahead of me, and the world is full of possibilities. But what is driving me? If I can define this, and develop a strong relationship to it, that will prove to be more important than the details of what I choose. Who knows, maybe something will come up that I can't even imagine at this point, and someday, I will look back and be glad I didn't set my future plans in stone at a young age.
There is no answer to the best way to live life. Life is something that is lived in the moment, and trying too hard to control the future means that I'm missing out on my life now. Planning is a good thing, but when done unconsciously, it proves to be a waste of time and brings lots of headache along with it. If I can keep my efforts more focused, even with the end-goal unclear, I'll be doing my best to keep the road ahead paved with the best of intentions and plenty of hope to keep me going.
Life is a constant discovery of who and what we are, which is always changing. To know this is to move like a leaf in the wind, holding on to nothing, running away from nowhere, and heading in no particular direction. I wish you the best of luck on your journeys.
It has just been recently that I have been stuck on another one of these problems. This one, in particular, isn't new to me though. I have been here before, many times, and it seems to be a recurring question for me.
How to make the most out of life?
It seems like whether or not this question is in the forefront of our life, it's always there, somewhere. The difference is that for some it is nothing more than a dream, a fantasy question that has little relevance to their lives and the situations they find themselves in. But for others, and I'd like to think myself included, I don't see much of a difference between dreams and possibilities. And this, as I see it, is a blessing and a curse.
It is a blessing because I feel like I can have an impact on the direction my life is going in and, to a certain extent, create my future. It is a curse because it means that I am constantly trying to figure out what I should do, what would be the best way.
The doorway to the other side, in this particular problem, is to realize that there is no best way. Like everything else, it is dependent upon too many factors. For one person, the best way might be different than for another.
Isn't this the way it should be?
If there was one thing that everyone should do, one answer to the best way to live life, society would fall apart. In order for a society to work, for humanity to thrive, we need to fulfill particular duties and help each other out.
It is because of the comparing mind that I have been repeatedly blindsided by this question. When choosing my path, the tendency is to think "This is the best way, it's better than all the other ways, and that's why I'm going to do it."
Before I am too quick to judge this judgmental mind of mine, I need to give it a little bit of credit. After all, do I want to be choosing the worst way?
Okay, so it appears that this mindset just needs a bit of tweaking, just a gentle reminder.
The only one I am choosing for is myself, so there's no need to compare my path to anyone else's.
Is anyone else like me? Does anyone else have exactly the same situation, temperament, past, dreams, and values as me? Certainly not. We are all unique individuals when it comes to this matter.
Another potential pitfall here is to in turn think that I have to do something different from everyone else, in order to prove my uniqueness or specialness. Even though there is no one exactly like me, there are many others who fit into a similar mold. Because of this, I can look to others who have gone before me to gain some inspiration and perspective on where I might like to head myself.
Two nights ago I went to see Venerable Ajahn Tiradhammo give a dhamma talk here in Bangkok and was able to ask him a question during the Q&A session. In response to my question, he said something that I will hope to implement into this tiring process of trying to figure out the best path for myself. "Just feel your way through, no reason to make any drastic decisions." Okay, that's not exactly what he said, but it went something like that.
What I feel like will help me at this point is staying true to my values and my intentions to become a better person. If I can do this, I can maybe relax a bit and rest assured that whatever happens, whatever I choose or is chosen for me, will be for the best. I know I can't control everything, but the more I pull my head out of my ass, the more I see I do have some say in the matter. There is a whole future ahead of me, and the world is full of possibilities. But what is driving me? If I can define this, and develop a strong relationship to it, that will prove to be more important than the details of what I choose. Who knows, maybe something will come up that I can't even imagine at this point, and someday, I will look back and be glad I didn't set my future plans in stone at a young age.
There is no answer to the best way to live life. Life is something that is lived in the moment, and trying too hard to control the future means that I'm missing out on my life now. Planning is a good thing, but when done unconsciously, it proves to be a waste of time and brings lots of headache along with it. If I can keep my efforts more focused, even with the end-goal unclear, I'll be doing my best to keep the road ahead paved with the best of intentions and plenty of hope to keep me going.
Life is a constant discovery of who and what we are, which is always changing. To know this is to move like a leaf in the wind, holding on to nothing, running away from nowhere, and heading in no particular direction. I wish you the best of luck on your journeys.
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