Living in the Material World
I try my hardest NOT to get involved
The lengths we will go to in pursuit of happiness, when all the time it is here right under our noses.
We are always seeking the best we can find in material things like the biggest house, the smartest car, the latest cell phone, the best computer, the ideal partner.
When you eventually have got all these things around you, and you have accomplished your mission, does it make you happy?
I don’t think it does, all these material things don’t make you happy, having the best of everything is a false illusion that we all seem to suffer from.
The only good thing it does, is it gives us drive to achieve getting these things around us, it gives us meaning to get up in the morning to go to work to earn the money to buy all these things that we ‘so-desire’ but when you eventually do get them, you think what was all that about?
What it WAS about! It was the journey you enjoyed the most, NOT the destination.
Take Christmas for example and all the preparations we go through in-the-run-up to the big day, all the shopping around to buy presents for our loved ones, all the decorations and tinsels that we put up for the big day, but when the day arrives, and the kids have opened all their presents, and you have had your Christmas meal, you think was it worth it! All it leaves you with, is a bloated tummy, a terrible hangover the next day, and an empty wallet.
But do you know what?
We do it all again the next year. Because we enjoyed the journey NOT the destination.
We humans never learn, we are like headless chickens running about aimlessly trying to find peace, contentment and happiness. It all boils down to hidden anxiety and agitation that we won’t be the best parents if we don’t buy our kids the best toys that’s going around, and our mates DO.
Our friends have the bigger house than we have, our neighbours have the better car, the best guitar will make me play better, the best looking partner will impress everyone we meet, and so it goes on, it is a false fear that we won’t be able to cope if we don’t keep up with the joneses.
When I go on holiday abroad I observe how people behave when in the airport, they can’t check-in soon enough, they are all fighting for first place in the queue to get to the check-in desk, then there is a scramble to get to the department lounge, then there is the scramble to the bar for a drink, then when they call you up to board the plane there is one big rush to get on the plane first, just incase it goes without them.
Then the plane lands at its destination air port, and as soon as the safely belt sign goes off everyone starts rushing to be the first off the plane, and then the scramble to be first on the courtesy bus to take you too the baggage collection department, then there is a long wait for your bags to appear on the conveyor belt, and everyone starts moaning about how long it taking them to get the bags loaded on the conveyer.
Everyone is extremely eager to get on there way to their hotel, when they get to their hotel it’s one big rush for the sun beds.
We humans are all activated by our anxious thoughts and fear that we are going to miss out on something and be left behind, not only in travelling but in life in general, we are in one big rat race that we find difficult to get out of.
All we need to do is STOP, and listen to our thoughts and stop reacting to every single thought that enters our heads.
When you become an observer of people like this holiday mayhem and chaos, you stop getting involved in all the RAT RACE and their anxious activities of trying to be the first to achieve things incase of fear of missing out, you become aware of their fear and look upon them as something to pity, because they are not consciously aware of there fears and anxieties.
You become bigger than them, by staying dignified and calm in your nature, just like when you observe all your intrusive thoughts because as long as you are aware of them and observe them you don’t get carried away by them and live inside your thoughts, you stay on the outside of your thoughts and stay dignified and calm. Equanimity takes over from all the chaos and mayhem that surrounds you.
This Acceptance and Equanimity practice that you need to apply to your every day activities, not just when you go on holiday but every singe day of your life, is where you find happiness and contentment, you cannot buy happiness from shopping on Amazon, it is right here if you can only be aware of it.
To learn how to do this by reading my new book, and find out how I did it. Click Link below;
Acceptance Change the way you are thinking (Full 359 pages)
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Also available on Amazon Kindle;
“Acceptance” ‘Change the way you are thinking’ (Full 359 pages)
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I appreciate your thoughts on stepping back and observing our own minds instead of always getting swept up in the rush. That reminder to find calm and awareness in everyday moments is powerful. Thank you for capturing it so clearly here.