Have you ever felt like you’re off course? Like you’re moving ahead, but not in the right direction? Everyone of us has either felt that way at some point, or feels that way right now.
When we feel rudderless and that we’re just drifting along, we get a sort of existential angst. The last thing we want is to feel like our lives are insignificant, and that we’re not having any impact.
Think back, “What did you want to be when you were a kid?” It was all possible. Life was laid out before you, and the only limits were our imaginations.
Fast forward to where you are today. If that kid with big hopes and dreams saw you, what would they think and say? Would they even recognize you? Perhaps the thought of that fills you with shame and regret- two very common destructive and unproductive emotions.
It’s time for us to have an awakening. It’s time for you to have an awakening.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
Let’s get started.
You have the answer
On the day you were born, God and your parents were so happy. You were born the perfect version of you. Almost immediately, the world started piling shit on top of you. We’re born and the programming begins.
We’re told when to sleep, when to eat, what to wear. Other people’s rules and values are forced upon us (this isn’t always a bad thing). School presses into molds and demands conformity. There are constant in-group and out-group dynamics, all during a very formative time in our lives. Who among us didn’t hate high school? Dread and existential angst were the two common themes for most of us during that time.
The problems facing today’s kids are so much worse than when I was in high school (I graduated in 1997). Back then it was just the kids in my town I had to deal with. Today, thanks to social media, it’s everyone on Earth.
The work is in peeling back the layers that have been piled on, untying the knots, and deprogramming oursevles.
You’re still there underneath it all, suffocating and yearning to escape. But most of us don’t realize it. We think we are the way we are because that’s us. We think not feeling good is just part of being an adult human- part of the drudgeries of life. So we do the logical thing; we numb ourselves. We mask the pain with material possessions, comforts of modern living, medications, drugs and alcohol. We over consume.
Too often, instead of investigating and getting to the root cause of that desire/longing, we numb it through vices/pills/judgment of others/material pursuits. When you think of it like that, it’s no surprise we’re struggling how we’re struggling.
What if there’s more? What if you could be happy? That’s where the awakening comes in.
Awakening
Awakening is remembering. It’s remembering things we’ve known all along, but have forgotten.
Awakenings can happen all the time, or they can never happen. Rock Bottom. Birth. Death. Near death.
Awakening is recognizing you can think for yourself. It’s asking, “Why do I feel the way I feel?” Instead of trying to change the way you feel, why not lean into it? Why not dive in, swim in it, find the source. Thoreau quote- why not get to the root cause instead of focusing on the symptoms. Stop masking the problem-start solving it.
What’s possible
Here’s a truth; each of us is capable of so much more, and we know it. We’re called to do more, we feel the pull, the longing for more. It’s knowing you can be happier, contented, and fulfilled. There’s no guarantee you’re going to find your life’s purpose, calling or mission. You might never find it, but searching for it is a worthwhile endeavor. It’s all about figuring out what you’re here to do, then working to get closer to it everyday. It’s all about incremental progress.
Taking this one step further, once you know and do nothing about it, you’re willfully ignorant. And willful ignorance is a sin.
Your perspective is one of the most important things you have. How you look at something makes all the difference. How you think about yourself makes all the difference. If you know you’re not living the life you want, and you’re not doing anything about it, you’re never going to be happy.
You capable of so much more. You were meant for so much more. We need you to do so much more.
How to do it
We’re conditioned to constantly think about what we don’t want. The reality is, the more we think about something (what we don’t want), the more that something shows up in our lives.
Instead of thinking about what you don’t want, think about what you do want. Start paying closer attention to your thoughts. When you notice yourself being negative, immediately shift your thinking to the positive- to what you want and how you want to feel.
Get crystal clear on the future you want. It’s essential to create a compelling vision of your future that pulls you towards it. You can only get so far pushing yourself.
I began stirring when my wife got pregnant. When we had kids, I rolled over in bed. I woke up when my brother died.
It’s time for you to wake up too.
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