Mastering the Mind, Overcoming the Challenges of Modern Comfort
We have got to a time in our history that physical comforts, food and leisure are all accessible. We have more than enough to survive. The next obstacle to master and take control of is our minds. Since we have everything we need to survive, we have time to become bored. This is not how humans are supposed to live, we need problems, we need challenges, we need to consume, battle, create and explore. But when everything can be served to you on a silver platter, for a green piece of paper with a number and someone's face on it, we no longer have those challenges we evolved for.
The only thing left is to master our thoughts, feelings, character and consciousness. It's something most people are afraid of, it's hard, it's not as easy as blaming someone else for our problems. Admitting it’s our fault we feel, and act a certain way, is conceding. I'm what’s wrong with my world? That means I'm to blame… NO! Fuck you! How dare you challenge my peaceful little world of mindless endless thumb scrolling. My need for same-day deliveries of a light-up collar for mister puggy-wuggy. I don't accept what you're saying.
"Socrates demonstrated long ago, that the truly free individual is free only to the extent of his own self-mastery." - The War of Art by Steven Pressfield and Shawn Coyne
Since we have everything, we now have nothing to strive for, nothing to challenge us. We don't realise this so we make problems up. "The world is going to shit because of this group of people.", "The house prices are going down because that person moved into the neighborhood.", "I lost my job because of the greedy people in the stock market.", "I have to pay a carbon tax, because of those fuck'n green tree's so now I can't buy the newest phone model." I can’t have this, because of that person over there. And so on and so forth. We love to put the blame for our own undoing onto external things. Because it's easy to say, I'm this way because of that thing over there. Rather than acknowledging, I choose to feel this way, I choose to let my happiness be dictated by external circumstances. We forget to be humble, to realise that we have everything we already need. And we can't bear to think that if we change our mindset that we will become content and happy. No no no, it’s because of external things that's why I’m unhappy internally? Do you hear yourself, that makes no fucken sense?
"So many of the causes of suffering come from our reacting to the people, places, things, and circumstances in our lives, rather than accepting them." - The Book of Joy by Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu
In first world countries, we are in an environment that gives us everything if we are willing to work for it. And many of the things that give us luxuries like water, shelter, food, education are accessible or free to most people, I believe we call them human rights. These are things that a caveman would kill for, a third world country would only dream of. And you're saying that your unhappiness is because of some pitiful external excuse. No, you're miserable because of your mindset, your lack of gratitude. Your unwillingness to accept that you're the reason, you feel helpless, stuck, unhappy, angry and miserable.
We live in a time where we have almost everything, we have mastered, matter, animals and nature the only thing left is our minds. And so many of us aren't willing to do it. We want a challenge, but that specific challenge of becoming self-aware, sounds way to fuck'n hard, like emotionally hard. Only crazy people that go to psychiatrists care about feelings, that's girly shit, that's unmanly. That sounds like too much work when if I just sit here watching this screen, my monkey mind can take over and I can exist in unhappy ignorance. Much easier.
It's up to you to take on this new challenge, this new enlightenment, this new self-awareness. We have been brought up thinking that we need to buy our happiness, have a certain job title to find contentment in our lives, or a certain number in our bank account. But the hard truth is as Homosapiens we are never satisfied, never content with our lives and surroundings. That is until you can master your mind, conquer your emotions and understand your subconscious. But then again I'm just a person writing his thoughts, what do I know about contentment and happiness. Fuck, just click off this page and keep being unsatisfied with your life, it's much less effort and easier… right? :)