I find that when I think about life from different perspectives, it totally changes the significance of everything I am / do / have / and give to others.
Use your imagination, and you can walk for a moment in the shoes of the atheist, the christian, the hedonist, and even, say, Charlie Sheen (who, depending on the moment, might be any of the 3!).
But what REALLY gives me an interesting perspective is to realize that, no, humans aren’t the end-all-be-all creatures in the universe.
;)
Ever wonder why the most successful comics and creature logos have huge eyes? Perhaps there is something ingrained in us from part of our existence we don’t yet know about…In fact, we’re probably no more than ants to a lot of ET’s out there.
Think about that for a second. And it doesn’t matter what your religious view, all the religious books talk about heavenly beings, and I think most atheists – rooted in such logic as they are – would have to agree that we’re not the only self-aware critters in a universe that really appears infinite.
I mean, does that change your view of life a little bit, if you think for a moment, “You know what, I’m really awesome and capable but in the grand scheme of things, I’m predestined to be me, and me is maybe just ant-sized compared to other beings out there. So why am I sweating things that really don’t matter whatsoever, except (probably) in my own head?!”
Look, if the end of the world is October 28th, 2011, when Elenin shows up and reveals it’s really a giant spaceship full of giant aliens with giant eyes, or if it’s December 21st, 2012 at 11:11AM, or if it’s not in my earthly lifetime…does it matter?
There’s nothing I or any other earthling can do to stop the preordained fate of earth, despite Al Gore’s fanatical claims to the contrary. But hey, it’s made him hundreds of millions of dollars and an earthling peace prize, so in the game of life, he’s doing pretty well, despite lying his ass off.
But lying sucks, it’s possibly the most worthless of activities. Lying to yourself or others. Why not just face the facts?
I have a life, and despite the many, many views of what happens after this life, no one really knows 100% for sure. So why not take the gift of self-awareness – which we have beyond any other (visible) life forms on this planet – and make the most of it?
I’m talking, maximize every cell of potential in my being. Because maybe the Buddhists are right, maybe life is predestined. Maybe I have a predestined purpose for existing, and the only choice I have in the matter is to either:
A) Accomplish it
or
B) Screw it up by trying to accomplish something I wasn’t destined for.
I know this all too well. Growing up I thought I was going to be Tom Brady. That was the dream, the goal, the object of desire I worked relentlessly for.
Really? I’m short, slow, and totally the wrong brain type. All I had going for me was the ability to throw, pretty damn well.
Being an NFL quarterback was most certainly not my destiny, from the very beginning. Yet I chased it, tirelessly, and…FAIL.
The most fulfilling path a human can travel is the one where
- they are completely in agreement with the facts of reality
- they know themselves so intimately that they know every motive, when it’s still just a seed
- they determine to accept reality, accept themselves, make better their weaknesses and play to their strengths
No matter what “situations” you may go through in life, if that’s your M.O. for living, you will undoubtedly have real joy.
It’s very simple, really. We probably are predestined. We probably are just little creatures that think we’re smart, in the way a dog thinks he’s so clever by burying his bone in the yard. The beings not of Earth most likely look at us with the same condescending pat on the head you’d give your golden retriever after fetching the ball: “That’s a good doggie.”
“Oh, but that’s sacrilege!” Right? Doesn’t every religious text say something about man being created in the image of God?
Sure. Your point? No cherry-picking – if you’re going to use that (which I agree with – just remember…“God is LOVE”), then you have to accept:
- Alien creatures from space coming to earth and having sex with women because they are beautiful (no argument here!), and creating a race of giants
- Heavenly creatures with thousands of eyes, shaped like wheels, flying around like hovercrafts
- Fire-breathing Dragons, and Sea monsters with incredible destructive powers
- Satyrs, Unicorns, and Zombies (no, seriously, those are all mentioned multiple times in the Bible)
- And of course, angels and demons, who have invisibility powers and can fly from planet to planet. Pretty cool.
I could go on. The point is simple: other creatures much bigger and smarter than humans, and with actual “super-powers”, exist out there in space. Probably far more than we can even imagine.
So why do we take our insecure selves, and the opinions of others about our insecure selves, so seriously? The only thing we should take seriously is life and our specific reason for receiving the gift of living it.
In the end, we’re going to find out that none of what we did with our ant-like-yet-god-like existence really mattered, EXCEPT for what we did with the choice we had (and if you’re reading this, still have): run as fast and as hard as you can up the mountainous path that is your destiny, come what may, or choose to escape the reality of who you were born to be, and in the end, no matter who sings the praises of your name, wind up like so many in history have on their deathbeds, miserable and empty and claiming it was all in vain.
It’s not in vain. All is not vanity. Life is beautiful and joyous if you’re living the one specially made for YOU. And the only way to know, is to know the facts of reality and know yourself.
I’m fascinated with psychology, brain typology, not so much because I care about the strengths and weaknesses of other people, but because in learning about others I can – if I’m honest with myself, which I am – learn about me! And in learning my own strengths and weaknesses, I can DO SOMETHING ABOUT THEM.
And ultimately, keep moving forward, upward, step by step on the path of life that is uniquely mine. I wasn’t born in a hovel in Rwanda, nor was I born under a royal crest in London town. That right there says something about predestination.
So I accept it. Accept me. With my inherent weaknesses, foibles, quirks…all of it. But there’s a dream, the burning desire inside that never goes away, though my attempts to put it into a humanly vision change over time. I may not see the entirety of the picture, the finished work, in this lifetime. Or I might – I am not privy to that info, nor is anyone else.
All I know is I was given a desire, tools, and a path that continues to roll out in front of me like Indy’s staircase. One step at a time, believing.
Nothing is more enjoyable than knowing that I’m on the right path. Even if I stumble, or encounter the unexpected, or dangers along the way…
So don’t stop moving! Don’t stagnate, toss away those desires that once burned so hot but have now faded to embers because of the rains of “stuff that keeps [you] busy”.
You, too, have a specific reason for existing. That doesn’t mean you – or I – are going to “change the world”. Maybe it just means you’re a cog in a bigger plan (that might), who knows.
The point is, if you’re a cog in a wheel, or a shiny jewel that adorns the crown, do it 100%!
Everybody wants to be happy – few realize that the meaning of life and the pathway to happiness are one and the same: be you. do you. as passionately and enthusiastically as you possibly can.
Max-i-mize yourself, one step at a time. Journey UP!
God it’s a beautiful day. Bring it on!