The Ease of Being: Returning to Joy as a Compass for Action
I would go into work, and within a few hours, would start to feel sick to my stomach. A draining feeling, as though something was being sucked out of me. It turned the day at times into a sort of twilight zone, with thoughts of, “How could it come to this?” flooding my existence.
It’s all my fault.
That’s the long and short of it (as I’ve now come to realize 1 week in to the bliss of listening, maybe “Blisstening,” to the deepest requirements of the Self.
“Whoah, shit just got real…this dude just capitalized the word ‘Self.’”
You bet I did, and one look back at philosophers far more aware and intelligent than I, will show that there’s quite the difference between “myself,” and “my Self.”
I’m going to throw a bone-nugget out here, and if you can look past the phrase I just made up, you’ll give yourself the opportunity the start on the road to a level of awareness and clarity of what you want in life that you never thought possible. How could I know this though?
I’ve lived it, and that’s exactly what has brought me here on purpose to pass this understanding along to those who might be bold enough (and humble enough, and fed-up enough, and open-minded enough) to listen.
The Downplaying of the Self in the phrase “Myself”
By and large, there’s a great misunderstanding present in our society that could solve all of the problems, cure most of the pain, and save some of the lives lost to stress, depression, illness, violence, etc.
Sounds like a bold claim, but hear me out:
If you’ve read my last article, you already know that I quit my job but, that wasn’t the focus of the article. It’s important to this section of this article to clarify that ultimately, the reason for leaving my job was a Deep commitment to the Self, with a capital “S.”
We’ve either been hoodwinked, or by and large have simply refused to see the important difference between how referring to “myself,” versus “My Self,” lends way to a mode of thinking and acting that is so effortless and so magical, well, it can sum up every single self-help book you’ve ever read and every iteration of career success philosophy out there.
The acknowledgment and acceptance of the concept that there is a unique Self, and that it:
- Lives inside of us
- Determines how the outside world perceives who we are
- Has needs and skills that have to be listened to and cultivated if we are to experience the Joy of Being
…is the foundation for moving towards the life we’ve always dreamed of.
A Simple Roadmap for Getting down to the Self
How do I have any say in all this whatsoever?
You see, I knew at my core that I had to quit my job. It was a feeling that flooded my entire body and ultimately powered a repetition in my thinking that it was right.
Here’s where I might lose you:
The longer I refused to listen, the more I began to experience physical illness and have mental health symptoms arise.
Yes, what I’m proposing, is that many physical illnesses and mental health instances are caused by a refusal to accept WHAT IS, with the resulting symptoms stemming from the un-channeled energy that you refuse to acknowledge. But that’s an entirely different article (see you again soon).
When I finally decided to listen. To act. To quit my job because I refused to disrespect my Self any further, things changed. Here’s how:
- I experienced a Joy so unique, so different from the temporary feeling of “happiness,” that it only returns once I take the actions that I’m asked to take by the Self each day.
- I frame each action, in how I speak and act, from a place of giving and the thought of, “How can this help someone else in their journey?”
So far, only a week into this new Awareness, my conversations have become more fulfilling, more enjoyable, and people seem to be opening up like I’ve never had them do for some time (I journeyed into Ego about 1.5 year ago).
New opportunities are presenting themself, and I have a roadmap for how to approach any conversation: From the standpoint (once again) of how I can be of service with the caveat of knowing that everyone (including me) benefits from cultivating this approach.
I’ve been given what I feel, is the greatest gift I could have ever been given. What actions do I need to take each day, to bring me back closer to that feeling of Joy? Does it only serve me, or does it also serve others?
You’re probably wondering then, or if not, you will be now, how the actions required to take present themselves. The answer, is not so simple, and here begins your journey to remove emotion-driven or impure thought from influencing your life in a negative way.
Your first task, is to accept that YOU ARE NOT YOUR MIND. YOU ARE NOT YOUR THOUGHTS.
It’s meditation, and that, is where the next article begins.
