Why are we here? What I have learned

  • Thread starter Rook
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In summary, I have recently ended a chapter in my life, and began on a new one. It was probably one of the most significant moments of my life, and was the culmination of a long journey into discovery of "who I am" and "what my purpose was". I feel compelled to share with you some of the knowledge I have gained in hopes of at least, making you think, and challenging your mind...
  • #1
Rook
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I have recently ended a chapter in my life, and began on a new one. It was probably one of the most significant moments of my life, and was the culmination of a long journey into discovery of “who I am” and “what my purpose was”. I feel compelled to share with you some of the knowledge I have gained in hopes of at least, making you think, and challenging your mind... (I know this is an old topic, but for the sake of opinion, I am rehashing it)
Read on if interested:

Eventually we start to ask the inevitable question. What the hell am I doing with my life, who am I? Sadly, most people ask themselves this question when it's far too late!

Technology + Laziness = Isolation
With all the conveniences and distractions of a modern society, we have become expert Time Wasters. Think not? Riddle me this. How many hours of your life are spent in front of a TV or computer? Since you have found this post, I am willing to bet that you spend more than 4 hours a day living your life through a screen. It is time to shake off your long slumber and wake up. Can't you see how the Media has succeeded in dominating your awareness, molding your mind to conform to their status quo and robbing you of your reality?

Man, I don't know about you, but I am concerned with the direction society is heading. More and more people have stopped living life in favor of watching it! How ridiculous is this? Reality TV has become more popular than reality! What is going on here? Is life now a spectator sport? Damn, no wonder people are scared shytless of being social. It has become uncharted territory for them. But hey, put them in a room with a TV or a Playstation and they are fukking pros at that!

However, I actually have faith in you, a person I have never met and probably never will. Why? Because the fact that you are reading this sentence right now shows me that on some level, you realize that you are a soldier in the struggle against a mediocre existence. You could've stayed in a comfortable world of quiet desperation, yet you chose to improve yourself. Congrats on taking control of your life!

A lot of you are just beginning your journey. Many forks in the road await you and how you choose will determine the type of person you will become. Like right now. At this very moment you are faced with a choice:

(1) Keep reading this and agree/disagree with what I have to say from the comfort of your keyboard. (crickets chirping)
(2) Act on the knowledge given(Wild applause)

To quote the great Bruce Lee:

"Knowing is not enough. You must APPLY"
"Willing is not enough. You must DO"


Its what you DO that defines who you are. The old proverb is true: ACTIONS do speak louder than words. People judge you significantly more on what you do, not what you say.

I used to worry endlessly what people thought of me. If I felt someone didn't like me or approve of my actions, it would eat me up inside and I would go out of my way to please them and prove how cool I was. What a waste! I could have written 100 songs, painted 50 pictures, or rebuilt 20 cars (things I enjoy doing) with the time and energy I wasted trying to please others. Let me put it this way. One of the most powerful tools you have as a human being is your attention. Focus it on others and watch how their every move takes on heightened importance. Focus it on what you DO and watch your own life take on a new meaning. It's all how you look at things. When you encounter a new person, are you entering Their World, or are they entering Your World? Next time you meet someone, realize that they are entering Your World and you are sharing YOUR experience with them. In fact, consider it your gift to them! They are indeed fortunate to meet you because you are rare, my friend! How many people do you know are content to complain about their problems instead of doing something about it? The fact that you are reading this right now shows that you are one step ahead of the whining masses. Give yourself some credit, man! But hey, don't get too complacent there. A pat on the back is great once in a while but the road to improvement has no end. Look at all the people who made a difference throughout history. Christ, Martin Luther King, Einstein, Edison, Picasso. They never reached a point where they were like, "alrighty then, I have accomplished a lot of things, I guess my work is done here!" You can also bet that, although they were all accused of insanity or heresy, they couldn't give a wad of horse $hit what anyone thought of them. Whatever it takes, don't ever give your personal power away to the weight of what other's think of you.

It's truly unfortunate how many people I know who care more about what others think, then they themselves do. Society has built up this whole idea that we need to impress others in order to get what we want, well guess what: THAT'S A LIE. People are so concerned with what others think, that they often let society define who they are, and sadly turn into someone they are not.

We all have our destructive habits, but how do we identify them? Here's my personal definition:

Bad Habit - Any activity (or inactivity) that removes you from reality but leaves you with nothing positive to show for the time you have spent in said activity.

In other words, a waste of your fúcking time! Take a good look at your life and pay attention to what you do with your precious seconds. If you want to distract your mind from stress/negativity at least make it a constructive distraction. Substitute Playstation for a workout. Instead of surfin the net for hours, go for a walk. Do something DIFFERENT! I know that this is easier said than done. Hell, it took a personal breakdown for me to get over my fears and actively embrace change.

"So, what does this have to do with 'finding myself'"?
EVERYTHING! Before you can truly find yourself, you have to be free. Free from all that perceptions and ideals people have of you. Ask yourself, who are you living for? Who are you trying to impress? If your doing it all for someone else's approval or praises, then your not being true to yourself, your lost.

"But what about people who have it all, the wealth, status, and popularity, they seem happy and content?!?"
I know too many people like this, they have it all, however, on the inside, they are the most insecure people I know. Why? Simply because they are living for others, and when it comes down to it, they have nothing of real value. They are FAKE.

Do you have dreams?
I know I do, and so does everyone else. Sadly, only a few people really ever live their dreams. But why is that? Simply because people are too afraid of failure, that they never take a chance. Trust me, if I had a penny for every time somebody said I would fail, I would be a very rich man. The sad truth is this: everyone wants to see you fail. Your family, friends, and peers all want to see you fail (call me pessimistic, but it's true). Every time you take a chance, these same people realize that they are still stuck in the monotonous cycle of life. So, what separates you from the mediocrity of those who wish you failure?
YOUR DESIRE, DRIVE, and AMBITION to live YOUR DREAMS.
Failure will always be there, but with failure comes personal growth. Someone once told me "that the biggest failures they know, were people who never failed." Sadly, this is too true in today's society. Too many people fear failure (and what others will think), that they never take that chance. These people are content living a life without meaning, and eventually realize that their life lacked meaning, that they don't know who they are.

Think for a moment. Imagine yourself 10 years from now, what do you see yourself doing? Who are you with? Where are you? Are you being realistic? What your doing is dreaming. The only thing separating you from this reality is taking the chance.
Now think 50 years from now, when your old and confined to a wheel chair (yeah, I know, it's a difficult picture, but let's be rational). Do you want to look back at your life and have regrets. Do you want to dream about what you could've done differently. Think about all the chances you could've taken and all the things you could've accomplished, not for others, but for yourself.

"But what's 'living your dreams' have to do with 'finding yourself'?"
Again, EVERYTHING! The process through which you live your dreams brings you closer to who you are, and eventually, you will 'find yourself'.

What does it take though? I'll admit it, I once lived for everyone else. I had it all, but something was missing. I did everything for everyone else, and meet their 'standards', but when I was alone, I questioned it all, but most importantly, questioned myself. For many people it takes something phenomenal to make them question 'who they are'. I had to hit rock bottom. Many people get to this point, but neglect to take a good look at who they are. Instead they embrace all the 'comforts' of who they were and slowly set themselves back up for failure. "But I thought failure was a good thing?" It is, but only if you learn from what you did wrong. Many people make mistakes, however few take them time to find out what went wrong, and learn from it so they don't make the same mistake again.

Here is a story to illustrate my point:
There was a man who had been successful, a millionaire, but he lost it all. He spent the next 10 years trying to market his product, and no matter how many times people told him to 'just give up', he continued on. At the age of 65, with perseverance, he finally sold his idea (after re-working his approach and the details, correcting his mistakes). He then proceeded to make more the he ever had before.
Who is he? No other than Colonel Sanders (Yes! The KFC guy!)
 
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  • #2
Many people enjoy being 'lost' in life. Regrettably they're naive because they are missing out on the greatest thing of all: Self-Worth! How can someone truly value themselves if they don't take the time to discover who they are? These people will try to tell you that not knowing anything is the key to staying carefree. Ignorance is bliss, right? WRONG. These same people are the ones who never realize what life is, and what it has to offer, until it’s too late.

So where do you begin? I can’t tell you that, only you will know, go on a walkabout if you have to. Let me suggest that you begin by following your dreams, and doing what you love. We all have pastimes and hobbies that we are passionate about, what's better than that? So I encourage you to take a look at yourself. Ask yourself who your living for, and why. Question every aspect of yourself until you understand what makes you unique. Think about what your doing with life, and what you would like to be doing. Take chances, dare to fail, and ultimately, search for completion within yourself.
Live your dreams, find yourself...

Sorry for the long post, but I said what I needed to say, back to lurking...

-Rook

[A special thanks to Fingers for a lot of the information]
 
  • #3
Yeap, the "sexiest" person to be in life is yourself! Hehehe!

That's why the happiest people on Earth
are geniuses & idiots(HONESTLY, no offence!)
becasue they can do whatever they want to!

We have always been told consciously or unconscious
that we shouldn't do this or that even if it's not something bad.
Hey! That's what they want, not me!

In other words: Go for your dreams! :smile:
(even if the job can't bring much money)
 
  • #4
well said I applaud wildly
 
  • #5
your passion is exciting!

please do not look down your nose at those of us that have lived an adventuresome (sometimes dumb) life and are now willing to kick back and enjoy the fruits of our efforts.

for me, it is time to do what i want; gamble on the inet, debate the value of AA, visit new sites that stimulate my psyche and pass on my views of the universe.

i also believe that on balance, we all do pretty much the same things in our lives. we just do them in different sequences and with greater or lesser intensity.

hell, we have eternity(infinity) to visit all probable lives, enjoy this one the way YOU want!

money, power, possessions etc are finite (temporal) our deeds, actions, thoughts, ideas and energy continue.
 

1. Why are we here?

This is a philosophical and existential question that has puzzled humans for centuries. It can have different interpretations and answers depending on one's belief system or perspective. Some may believe that we are here for a specific purpose or to fulfill a certain destiny, while others may see our existence as purely random. As a scientist, I have learned that we are here due to a series of evolutionary and biological processes that have allowed us to survive and thrive on this planet.

2. What is the meaning of life?

Similar to the previous question, the meaning of life can have different interpretations and answers. From a scientific perspective, life has no inherent meaning. It is simply the result of natural processes and the laws of the universe. However, as humans, we have the ability to give meaning to our own lives through our experiences, relationships, and contributions to society.

3. How did we come to exist?

Through scientific research and evidence, we have learned that the origins of life on Earth can be traced back to simple single-celled organisms that evolved over millions of years into more complex organisms. This process of evolution, driven by natural selection, has led to the existence of all living beings on this planet, including humans.

4. What is our purpose in the universe?

As a scientist, I believe that our purpose in the universe is to observe and understand it. Through scientific inquiry and exploration, we can unravel the mysteries of the universe and gain a deeper understanding of our place in it. Additionally, our purpose may also include leaving a positive impact on the world and future generations through our actions and contributions.

5. What have we learned about our existence?

Through scientific advancements, we have learned a great deal about our existence. We have discovered the fundamental laws of the universe, the origins of life, and the incredible complexity and diversity of life on Earth. We have also gained a deeper understanding of our own bodies and minds, allowing us to improve our health and well-being. However, there is still much to learn and explore, and the pursuit of knowledge and understanding is a never-ending journey.

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