Why do I feel so empty inside? Nothing I do seems to matter. I would do anything to feel happy again...These thoughts are a source of constant pain and anguish for some of us. There seems to be a darkness that we have been unable to escape. Feelings of worthlessness and inadequacy seem to constantly haunt us.We try to escape and sometimes for brief moments we can; A crush's smile, a cute little kid or animal, the sunset, the perfect words at the right moment, a sudden burst of inspiration and many other things... Yet after a bit it wears off and we are back to where we started. Perhaps even more frustrated because we were reminded of what it was like to be happy again for a moment, only to have it stripped from us again. Now let's take a second to think about why that is. Why is it that we feel this way?
My friend, I dare say that the source of our anguish can at it's very source be derived from the fact that we have forgotten who we are. We have allowed others to influence us into thinking who we should be. In the USA we are told from the beginning that we need to be beautiful or handsome, that we need to make lots of money and own lots of things if we are to be truly happy. Many of us give in and take drastic measures to try and alter our appearances or behaviors or desires so that we can be "accepted" by society. We become a fake version of ourselves or a copy of some presumed person that we are supposed to be.
There in lies the problem, "If you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will spend its whole life believing that it is stupid." ~Albert Einstein. Can you imagine how boring the world would be if we were all the same? If we all succeeded in adapting to this presumed mold that society has built for us? We are all different for a reason, forcing yourself to be something that you are not is about as smart as trying to drive a screw with a hammer, or cut a steak with a spoon. It's not that they're worthless, it's that someone is trying to get them to be something they are not.
Does that make sense? You are not worthless, you just need to find out why you are here and what it is that will make you at peace. So let's stop and try a little experiment, do it with me otherwise reading this was just a waste of time. Get a piece of paper and a pen, don't just open up a text document, go get a pen. Now, sit down and close your eyes for 30 seconds and try to clear your mind.
1. Now, let's think about who we really are.
2. Ignore your status, people can become popular overnight or lose their job.
3. Forget about possessions as they come and go.
4. Forget about your weaknesses as those can be over come.
5. Now what are you left with, who are you?
6. Write down a sentence briefly describing that.
7. Now write down 3 things that you want to see happen more than anything else, things that you want to help come to pass before you die. For example, Visit South America to give service, become a parent, help end AIDS, stop corruption, base jump off the Statue of Liberty, save a life, to be pure in heart. It's all up to you, it's all about what you want to see come to fruition. Take as much time as you need, do not rush this.
Now that we have this list, lets think about it. What are we doing right now to obtain anything on that list. Are we even moving towards one of them? If not we need to seriously think about what we are doing. I know that if start working towards the things that we really want in life we will find that peace and happiness we so desire. Keep that list by your bed so you can glance at it in the mornings.
Do not settle and do not give up. You were not meant to be average or just good. You are meant to be great. You are here at this moment in time to make a difference in the world, be it in the lives of our children, our friends, our families or countries. You cannot afford to continue feeling worthless because it is of no benefit to you. You choose to fight for what you really want and you will not be disappointed. It doesn't matter what others think or what society believes you need to be. You are you, you be that. As you seek to achieve what you want in life you will find that everything else will start to fall into place. You will be happy again.
-Brandon
“The greatest revolution of our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.”- William James, a pioneering American psychologist and philosopher
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