Transcendence: Going beyond the ordinary human experience
Because who really wants to live an ordinary life?
transcendence: noun — Existence or experience beyond the normal or physical level.
The more I contemplate the definition above, the more amazed I become. In my personal life, I have become obsessed with the idea of transcendence. But why? For me it is more about giving back to the people who have helped me transcend some aspect of my own life, as well as helping others realize that they too can go beyond what is considered ‘normal.’ We have all been in helpless situations before. It is inevitable. In the end, however, I believe that we must continually reach for higher levels of existence and avoid stagnation at any cost. So many people in my life have stressed the importance of constant personal growth. This is what separates humans from all other life on this planet in my opinion. We can feel that fire in our belly when we know we want more out of life, and we can develop the drive and skill to go get it. Here are three ways I believe any individual can make the jump, and transcend their ordinary life experiences.
Add Value to Your Life and The Lives of Others
Passion is key here. Passion is the best way to add value in your own life and the life of others. You feel better about yourself and your work when you enjoy what your doing. You can serve others more effectively when you can attack their needs with passion. Being able to love what you do already puts you on another level than a great majority of individuals. Think about all of the people you know who have to take jobs they don’t want for the ‘money.’ Let’s take it a step further and think about the people who have done work they don’t want for so long that they become skilled in it. They end up mastering skills they never wanted, and this takes time away from mastering the skills they are actually interested in pursuing. Sort of depressing, but my point is that our passion can help accelerate our mastery of skills so that we can add value to life, both for ourselves and for others.
Realize Life Gets Harder The Higher You Climb
Being alive means facing challenges. It is foolish to think that as we begin to transcend our day-to-day existence that things are going to get easier. Does it get easier for a rock climber the closer she gets to the top? This may deter some people from pursing their dreams, but if you are truly committed then you will fail your way to your dreams. It is not an accident when we experience success. The process of achieving our goals gives us the experience we need to deal with adversity when it arises. We know that taking the path of least resistance is the best way to stagnate our goals. We must make the tough decisions. Transcendence isn’t just about doing what we want, but doing what other people won’t. I would still consider that going beyond what is normal.
Struggles and hardship have bred some of the most well-known and respected people in our society. This is not a fluke. This video is an excerpt from a ESPN radio talk show with Bill Simmons and Colin Cowherd. In it they talk about how “talent is created by unbalanced people often motivated by fear or escapism.” The lower our adversity brings our lives down, the higher our reciprocal ceiling for success becomes. We can find ways to use this pain and suffering to our advantage, and we can teach others to use it to their advantage. A perfect example of this is Harriet Tubman. She was born into slavery, and used that pain and suffering to not only escape herself, but to return back to the South multiple times to help others escape. Few of us will go through any hardship as extreme as she did. Nevertheless, her example demonstrates how we can use our adversity as fuel to achieve goals and to help others.
Believe in The Power and Positivity of The Human Spirit
I used the car service app Uber recently and had the most interesting conversation with the driver about drug reform laws. I brought up that in some countries, like Portugal for example, drugs are decriminalized and addicts are treated more like patients than like criminals such as in the US. I suggested that maybe they have it right; that maybe our money should be spent trying to help these people instead of herding them all into jails like cattle. His reaction made me pause for a moment. He didn’t believe that a drug addict would have any incentive to go to rehab. “If they can get their hands on drugs and not have to worry about the consequences,” he said, “then why would they seek out help for their addiction. They have no reason to stop using.” I realized that we had a fundamental difference in our worldview. I think that he may be underestimating (or maybe I am overestimating) the power and positivity of the human spirit. I think that it is human nature to figure out how to do better and to help ourselves. If we are facing adversity, I think it is human nature to figure out a way to overcome it. I also think that our modern society, especially in the US, has conditioned us to think and feel as if we are not in control; that we cannot reach for more; that we have no hope of controlling our own minds. I may have an overly optimistic view on this topic, but there are no advantages to being negative. I believe the human spirit can overcome anything, and I think people today are starting to realize this as true. Our culture is approaching a turning point. As our consciousness evolves, we will no longer address problems in the same way. More and more individuals, especially Millennials, understand the difference between profit vs. impact. The status quo is profit; figuring out how to cut cost and make more money. Very cut and dry; black or white. It is the reason why our two-party government is polarizing the nation right now. Impact is why we do what we do; what is the purpose? It is our cause. This is not to say that by focusing on impact that you will make less money. The focus is on the purpose rather than the result. This was the difference of opinion I had with the Uber driver. The addict doesn’t get clean just to do it (the result). It’s why they want to get clean that I believe drives their behavior to seek out help.
Someday, every person reading these words will be dead and gone. As the late Steve Jobs famously said, “…not too long from now, you will gradually become the old and be cleared away.” If you can find the strength to look your inevitable death right in the face and truly accept it, your thoughts while falling asleep at night will change.
What impact did I have today? Was I better than I was yesterday? Did I spend my time doing something I love?
These are some of the thoughts I’m starting to have while staring at the dark ceiling of my bedroom. I will admit that I am nowhere near being able to answer these questions the way I want to. We all have responsibilities, bills to pay, things we must take care of. But when it is all over and you look back, would you rather have known that all of your bills were paid on time because you worked 50 hour weeks at a job you hate; or would you rather go with the understanding that your time here meant something (result vs purpose), not only to your family and those around you, but meant something to you. That is the difference between living a good life and truly being fulfilled by what you do. You receive that inner joy. Isn’t that what we all want? Death is a very scary and touchy subject, especially in our American culture. However, it is the destination we all share. If you can approach it knowing that you spent a lot of your time doing what you loved, then what is there to fear? What I am talking about here is a life long process that I haven’t even begun to master. I think that it is an important first step to understand whether we want a good life or a fulfilled life. I challenge you to face these question head on. Do you really have time to wait to find the answers?
