SLOW DOWN, LOOK AT YOURSELF

"When you reach the end of what you wanted to explore, you will find yourself at the beginning of what you are living for." Two years ago, we published a motivational story by Mariusz Soltanifar. Today, he has for us reflections on the passing of time.

When you finally catch your breath in the heat of the holiday chaos and sit under the illuminated tree, you may read my story. I deeply immerse myself in the issue of human existence and the essence of transience.

Certainly, just like me, Dear Reader, you have often wondered about the meaning of life, its purpose, and future prospects. I was like that too, until, at age 40, I managed to achieve everything I dreamed of. Family, children, a roof over your head - so many reasons to be grateful!

I have visited over seventy countries around the world, from Brazil through Switzerland to New Zealand, admiring the beauty of nature and delighting my palate with the flavors of local dishes. I completed training at renowned institutes, obtained diplomas, wrote books, and met authorities and people whose hands I always wanted to shake, from influential politicians to famous artists and renowned scientists.

Transformation of thinking

When I realized that I was fulfilled, I started to look at life in a completely different way.

I'm no longer in pursuit of the unknown; I'm not in a hurry to catch the next plane; I'm not rushing from one train to another.

I do not get up at five in the morning to get to a city a few hours away from his home to conduct another training.

However, it is often so easy to get lost in the prose of life, especially when I see the pursuit of money and positions around me, moving from meeting to workshop, from conference to banquet.

However, I am extremely happy when I consciously give up subsequent trips because each "yes" is an obligation and an invitation to be even busier.

I remember how satisfying it was to give up my trip to South Africa when I had just returned from Canada after a week away from home. People often look at me with googly eyes when I answer whether I'm busy and say: Being busy is a matter of making choices.

I often hear in conversations that we have no influence on how busy we are, then I remain silent, and I have the impression that there is someone standing in front of me who is led by a chain of his subordinates and not a free person making a choice. Therefore, in this confusing and hypocritical world full of whining people, we must cultivate what is most valuable - peace of mind.

Set your limits on access to information and people

Like me, Dear Reader, you are probably overwhelmed by too much information. We live in an era where getting to the truth can seem like an Olympic sport.

News outlets are ruthless. Often against our will, websites and media look for sensationalism and show photos or recordings that we would never want to see. Drastic images of wars, earthquakes, dying of hunger, and tribal wars are just some of them, which introduce noise and confusion and are not only stunning but downright depressing.

We often feel information shock and disbelief when we have just learned to use new applications and new ones appear. We cannot cope with the challenges of technology and the rapid flow of information.

And I haven't even mentioned artificial intelligence yet, let alone written about the threats associated with it, which are on par with nuclear war and the risk of human extinction.

I have learned not to follow fear and media headlines but to remain calm and alert, building my heart based on gratitude, which is the source of everything. We cannot influence the situation in the world, but we can try to live closer to God through difficulties, humbly thinking that the situation can quickly turn around.

It's getting harder and harder to catch your breath

As a society, we are lost in the abyss of technological progress. We are on the verge of another collapse. How can you function normally, knowing that technology and social media companies deliberately make users addicted to their products for financial gain? This is a relatively new social problem that is occurring on an increasingly larger scale.

Social media reorganize our current forms of spending free time, dictate the course of events, and are the curse of modern technology. Improper use of them is a source of serious problems, breakdown of marriages, and loss of parent-child relationships.

I don't want it to sound dramatic, but watching what's going on around me, nothing fills me with enthusiasm anymore. Let's look at natural disasters, human trafficking, spreading plagues, and, above all, being desensitized and ignorant to the needs of other people. No wonder so many of us around us are tired, unable to cope, full of depression and anxiety, and devoid of purpose and meaning in life.

To modern man, increasingly, he seems to be the creator, not the creature.

He does not only eliminate God from his life but tries to take His place.

We seem to have everything: access to the world and modern technologies, but in fact, we are still looking for the essence of human existence.

We still question who we are and why we roll around on earth. So where can we look for hope, help, and support if it seems that we have already experienced everything we could try?

Discover the power of prayer and a personal relationship with God

Prayer and a close relationship with God helped me find my place on Earth.

I believe I was born for His purposes, as we all are, so what good is it if I follow my own path?

When I choose myself and my selfish behavior, I will be frustrated.

When I seek God's will for my life, I feel fulfilled. Aware of the value of fulfillment, I maintain an uninterrupted dialogue and direct contact with my Creator.

Because prayer is not talking to God like a parrot; it is opening yourself and your heart to be amazed.

I won't be original if I say that the path of life leads to the final meeting with the Lord, so why not prepare this meeting from one day to the next?

Reading the Bible is an everyday thing for me; I approach faith practically, and I surrender to my destiny. Thanks to faith, despite adversities that certainly happen to each of us, my life was and is colorful, full of hope, perspectives, and joy. Without God, life has no purpose, and without purpose, it has no meaning. God never fails; He always rewards obedience to His word. True fulfillment comes from Him, not from people, status, or wealth. I am grateful to God for everything I have achieved so far and for everything I have seen. Thanks to my faith, I have always found funds for education and traveling around the world.

Let it be a different Christmas!

Christmas is another opportunity to reflect and look at human life and place from the perspective of the manger.

I believe that each of us has a written time and hour of birth and departure from this world. At the same time, each of us has the task of submitting to God's will and finding the meaning of existence. The upcoming holidays provide an excellent opportunity for this. I wish all readers of Gazeta Pomorska a special Christmas! Let it be the most beautiful and most awaited time of the whole year, not because of being with family, Christmas dishes, Christmas tree, gifts, white wafers, or Christmas carols, but because they only add charm. Let this be a time to return to your roots and plan spiritual goals, not material ones, such as buying a car, renovating a house, or increasing the number of followers on social media. Let this be a time devoted to an intimate encounter with the true God!

Mariusz Soltanifar, traveler, academic lecturer, and researcher, comes from Wi?s?awice near Kowal. He has been living in the Netherlands for over thirteen years, which has become a new home for him, his wife Maryam, and their two children, Mirabel and Mason.

Original Photo caption (has been shortened for the limit of words): My travels have taken me, among others, to the village of Masuleh in the Alborz Mountains in northern Iran, where the roofs of some buildings constitute streets or gardens in front of houses located slightly higher.

The article has been originally published in Gazeta Pomorska, Nowo?ci Dziennik Toruński and Express Bydgoski, on 22nd of December, 2023.