Life
Posted: Tue Mar 06, 2012 2:32 am
Many people I know have an attitude in life that they are out for everything they can get, life is a competition and you grab everything you can. Sometimes though, if you take a step back and consider what you can give life or the world it gives you a sense of warmth and optimism and your head suddenly begins to break up much of the clutter. A person's mind often tricks them into certain beliefs that they need to act and think in a certain way to survive, much of it is to do with how we were brought up and what we have experienced.
Here I will just give an example that I have personally experienced myself. I used to always believe that I wanted the best of everything, just like many people strive for in our world, there is a competition element there and most people do fall into that trap out of fear and the selfishness that human nature defines. I used to think I wanted the best house possible, the best car, the most expensive clothes. every little thing really, even the wine I drink and stuff I wash my face with. It was a needless disregard of common sense and a project and desire my thinking had subscribed to. Even though I wouldn't quite say these decisions were unhealthy or obsessive, my financial situation meant that I could fufill these desires and confirm my status through the things I bought and money I spent. No one else in my family is really into materialism in a big way and my parents and brother are completely the opposite so I guess I was a product of the society and world I grew up in with releation to this thinking.
I'd say many of the seeds were planted for this thinking in my late teens and early twenties where you become more exposed to things life has to offer. After 2 or 3 years of being like this I began to look and pay more attention to people who seemed to be buying similar things to me and maybe could be regarded as being in a similar status bracket to myself. I had never really considered what other people did or said but a pattern became evident straight away. What these people said and the way they acted I didn't like or agree with, as they seemed to live their lives in a tiny bubble and their minds were hugely restricted to a certain way of thinking. On realisation of this I almost had a panic attack thinking about what if every person in the world strived to have the best of everything, what would the world be like? I quickly came to the conclusion that humanity would be a strain of evil and there would be widespread war and despair just like we see in many countries today that are ruled by dictators. I then asked myself a question regarding who and what I really wanted to be in life?
The realisation of what I was becoming and the path I was taking was brought to my attention by looking at other people. Experiences in the BMW showroom or the Dries Van Noten section at Harvey Nichols made me realise that following this path and looking up to individuals who were successful in this area wasn't a life I would be comfortable with and one that certainly would not be proud of. Of course I still do enjoy some of the finer things in life, I may still have a nice meal or a buy an expensive item of clothing but it doesn't corrupt my mind space and I don't waste time thinking about how I can move another notch up the status ladder. I'll quite happily go to M&S for some jumpers or t shirts and will look for value as well as quality. There are examples of people who want the best of everything all around us but I think people have to realise what life is about themselves, some may find out at college and some may find out in their 90s but the sooner you enlighten your mind the more greatness and happiness you will have in your life. These days, sometimes I'll be thinking about something, I could be playing a machine or sat at home but what I have thought about will trigger a desire to learn and I'll follow it through making me feel alive and giving me a sense of vitality and optimism in the process.
I am glad I changed my thinking and want to continue evolving,
Regards, Sir Linesman
Here I will just give an example that I have personally experienced myself. I used to always believe that I wanted the best of everything, just like many people strive for in our world, there is a competition element there and most people do fall into that trap out of fear and the selfishness that human nature defines. I used to think I wanted the best house possible, the best car, the most expensive clothes. every little thing really, even the wine I drink and stuff I wash my face with. It was a needless disregard of common sense and a project and desire my thinking had subscribed to. Even though I wouldn't quite say these decisions were unhealthy or obsessive, my financial situation meant that I could fufill these desires and confirm my status through the things I bought and money I spent. No one else in my family is really into materialism in a big way and my parents and brother are completely the opposite so I guess I was a product of the society and world I grew up in with releation to this thinking.
I'd say many of the seeds were planted for this thinking in my late teens and early twenties where you become more exposed to things life has to offer. After 2 or 3 years of being like this I began to look and pay more attention to people who seemed to be buying similar things to me and maybe could be regarded as being in a similar status bracket to myself. I had never really considered what other people did or said but a pattern became evident straight away. What these people said and the way they acted I didn't like or agree with, as they seemed to live their lives in a tiny bubble and their minds were hugely restricted to a certain way of thinking. On realisation of this I almost had a panic attack thinking about what if every person in the world strived to have the best of everything, what would the world be like? I quickly came to the conclusion that humanity would be a strain of evil and there would be widespread war and despair just like we see in many countries today that are ruled by dictators. I then asked myself a question regarding who and what I really wanted to be in life?
The realisation of what I was becoming and the path I was taking was brought to my attention by looking at other people. Experiences in the BMW showroom or the Dries Van Noten section at Harvey Nichols made me realise that following this path and looking up to individuals who were successful in this area wasn't a life I would be comfortable with and one that certainly would not be proud of. Of course I still do enjoy some of the finer things in life, I may still have a nice meal or a buy an expensive item of clothing but it doesn't corrupt my mind space and I don't waste time thinking about how I can move another notch up the status ladder. I'll quite happily go to M&S for some jumpers or t shirts and will look for value as well as quality. There are examples of people who want the best of everything all around us but I think people have to realise what life is about themselves, some may find out at college and some may find out in their 90s but the sooner you enlighten your mind the more greatness and happiness you will have in your life. These days, sometimes I'll be thinking about something, I could be playing a machine or sat at home but what I have thought about will trigger a desire to learn and I'll follow it through making me feel alive and giving me a sense of vitality and optimism in the process.
I am glad I changed my thinking and want to continue evolving,
Regards, Sir Linesman
