Monday, March 23, 2009

The Meaning of Life

Yes, let's start this blog off with a controversial subject. We all question our existence, why it is that we were put here on this earth; this paradise turned chaotic mess. What is each individuals sole purpose in life?

Most religious traditions would have you believe that we were put here for the sole purpose of procreation. Obviously, as mankind is coming into a new state of consciousness, these statements feel more and more like half truths. I myself believe we are here for many reasons, most important of which is to follow your dreams....and in doing so, be happy.

In this day in age, most teens and college grads go out into the world thinking that the ONLY way to be happy is to have huge amounts of money so they can do all the things they want to do that actually do bring them joy. The problem is that they take a job that may afford them the lifestyle, but they are miserable because what they are doing for a career doesn't speak to their heart and by ignoring that, one goes through life feeling empty and unfulfilled.

We are all born with innate talents and gifts that we are meant to take out into the world and share with mankind as way of expanding our consciousness and that of our fellow man. Somewhere along the way, we get mixed messages about life and our priorities. Our parents, our teachers, our pastors, our peers all contribute to the confusion and chatter in our mind, feeding us false belief after false belief. Pretty soon, we have been conditioned to believe what all the masses believe as well. We loose sight of our dreams and our joys. Our energy is sapped by all those who live a miserable existence and before we know it, we are just as miserable as everyone else.

The main reason for all the misery and feelings of powerlessness are fed by the media who's sole purpose is to report on all the horrid things taking place on a daily basis. Is it any wonder that we all feel like our planet is going to hell in a hand basket? Imagine the difference it would make in the lives of everyone on earth if all the media did was report on the good news.

Another source for the conditioning into mediocrity comes mainly from those closest to us, our parents......those two wonderful people who raised us from infancy to adulthood; whose opinion and authority we would rarely question. The problem with that of course is that parents are often operating based upon what their parents taught them and what their parents taught them before and so on. Beliefs can be hereditary! Imagine if you just stopped for a moment and thought about all the "beliefs" you grew up with and questioned them for a moment to sense check if they really ARE true or if you just believe them because it's what a trusted person told you.

You would be surprised at how many things are just beliefs you have accepted based upon someone else's opinion. How does this relate to following your dream? Simple. Here's a hypothetical. If a child loves to dance and has a natural talent for it, but the child's parent makes any sort of negative criticism about the dancing, the child may put that natural talent up on a shelf based upon their parent's opinion regardless of how much the child LOVES to dance. The child goes through life with low self esteem and doesn't feel like anything they do is good enough. The love of dancing has been long forgotten and the child feels lost and dissatisfied in all her endeavors. If confronted by the idea of dancing again, she may feel that familiar anxious joy she once felt, but may not recognize it for what it is and avoid it vs. pursue it. Thus continuing the cycle of living in mediocrity.

So, how does one overcome false beliefs brought about in childhood, inadvertently passed down through one's parents? Well, that's tricky. First of all, one must recognize their lack of happiness and truly want to change things. Change begins with AWARENESS. With awareness comes insight and introspection, thus opening oneself up to the possibility that they have been living under false pretenses all along and therefore need to go back through their life and reassess their belief system. Once this happens, amazing changes begin to unfold. One can feel confident knowing they finally have a mind of their own and have broken free of the droning herd. They can feel free to pursue what they truly love doing, knowing they are adding value to the world and thus understanding the meaning of THEIR life.

There are several wonderful films that illustrate what I am talking about. The most recent one being, At Sachem Farm with Minnie Driver and Rufus Sewell. The film itself is not new, but I just found it and loved it. The message was a good one to ponder. Another great film that is more recent is The Peaceful Warrior with Nick Nolte. GREAT flick. This movie really makes you think.

If you are looking for other movies that will makes you question things, check out What the BLEEP do we know??? and The Secret. When I first watched The Secret, I didn't know what to expect, but it changed my life for the better.


"Love is life. And if you miss love, you miss life."
—Leo Buscaglia

Thanks for reading!

Kristen

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