The only way out is within - a rant.

Traditionally we send each passing year off with gratitude. Gratitude for the new habits we’ve managed to stick with, the lessons life has taught us, new personal and business accomplishments and current ones we sometimes take for granted. Speaking of things, we take for granted, I’ve recently resonated with a powerful thought which goes along the lines of this: “Wanting something leads to suffering as it creates the state of lack in us in the present moment.” It’s hard to ignore the fact, that we (humans) by design are programmed to continuously strive for the next best thing, leading us into a spiral of endless wanting which indeed leads to perpetual suffering. Some could argue that this is the very fabric of existence, the curiosity for the new and exciting, that pushed the boundaries of human consciousness... Yes and No. While most of the time of our lives, the mind’s spotlight is predominately occupied with attaining the unattained, we inevitably end up overlooking the depth of our own unexplored internal potential. During today’s highly opinionated times it seems like every external thing has become a reason for another distractive quarrel. People have become so good at spotting what’s wrong which subconsciously mirrors what’s wrong in them though admitting it is a different story. The state we’re collectively in as species is due to how we treat each other, how we treat mother nature but first and foremost, how we treat ourselves. I’ve always said to myself “You have to learn how to love yourself or no one will ever truly love you back.” An easy one to misinterpret which nearly led me to kissing my reflection in the proverbial “lake”, you know the rest of the story. Egocentrism is good in healthy doses but understanding that every human being on this planet is no worse or better than you is what gives a new meaning to this saying. The obstacle to realizing this is perhaps our endless need to compete and compare which is instilled in us from early days when we're most malleable. A parent takes us to a football game and we hear other people swearing at the rivals, the veins on their necks flooded with blood, foaming at the mouth livid at someone of their own kind based on a limited preference based on a limiting belief. I feel I should look for a better example as I don’t want to condemn sports fandom which in a way is somewhat of an anger management tool allowing people to vent out some of the mismanaged emotions throughout the umpteenth "stressful" week of mundane work. I find it rather peculiar how many "life coaches" teach stress management. Stress has been stressed on enough by those experts (rather extortionists of some people's life mismanagement), self-awareness not. School and grades for example... Their entire structure of grades and rankings leading to parents comparing their kids to others if their grades are not up to par with their expectations. “If Billy’s got an A how come you can’t?” This ever-comparing mentality becomes an integral part of who we are as individuals but if this were a fine knife we’re holding it by the edge. Comparison is good in the sense of critical thinking, comparing sources of information to dissect a point of view or a subject. Exercising a healthy dose of skepticism is vital but bluntly brushing off every possibility that you’re wrong is stubborn. Perhaps this is the rigid educational system’s intent. To create people who can’t think for themselves in masses, so they fuel the distraction economy or actually here’s a twist - the economy of disparate attention has evolved around the old academic ways. Why aren’t subjects like emotional intelligence or mindfulness taught in school? Why aren’t there more practical knowledge being consumed rather than the illusion of knowledge which unimplemented ends up in a pile of useless dust at the back of our mind’s factual archives. It’s become quite evident how fragile and unsustainable the consumerism economy we’ve lived in for decades is. Our defragmented focus and instant gratification craving is what feeds this now beast of a machine by which we seem to be irreversibly enslaved subconsciously through the idea of wanting whatever they have to offer us next. Blinded by brands and limitless choices, unaware of what truly fulfills us we continue to shop, shop, shop, urged by politicians to sustain the Covid-plagued economy- the falsely-fabled backbone of our precious existence. It is not the economy that needs attention, it’s the individual. If there were a radical idea for improving this world, it is something we’ve always known deep inside of us. The transition is easy if you notice the patterns of consumptive thought that interweave our identities regardless of geo-location, race, sex, religion, political beliefs etc. All we need is a gentle push towards shifting our focus from habitual consumption to progressive personal improvement. It’s time for a collective mental reframing as part of a global movement aimed at self-awareness, deprived of blaming external phenomenon for problems that are our fault. We can unclog ourselves from past dirt that obstructs our cosmic flow, called life. I welcome you to a life of transformative thinking where every day is an opportunity to be better than yesterday. One step at a time, collectively, change is imperative now more than ever! Don't want more, appreciate more of what you have and you'll see what it's like to love life and be truly fulfilled.