Our society is set up to monitor and influence the way we think and behave. Some people go along without questioning it, some resist and rock the boat, and others live quietly and desperately somewhere in the middle wanting to resist but afraid of the possible consequences. However, a few learn to live in harmony with the system while somehow retaining their personal freedom to be who and what they are.
How do we find that elusive balance between getting along and being ourselves? How can we be peaceful and cooperative without losing ourselves? Or do we even need to be so cooperative as society demands? Perhaps the real question is how to be happy and fulfilled while living in a society that tries to put so many constraints on how we live our lives.
There is no one size fits all strategy for happiness. Each of us must find our own way according to our own nature. But in order to do so we must be able to really understand and fully accept our true nature. Only then can we learn how we must conduct ourselves to make the most of this life while staying true to our nature.
Deep down we all want to find our purpose, be successful and live up to our potential. Yet how often do seemingly successful people struggle with inner conflict while happiness continues to elude them in spite of their accomplishments. Why is this? How come following the typical standard of "success" does not often lead to happiness? For some it seems that they search endlessly their whole lives to find inner peace and happiness, but the more they search and the more they find, the more disillusioned they become. They may acquire everything that is supposed to make them happy but they still feel empty.
And then there are the exceptional individuals who may not have it made according to what society tells them will make them successful, but they are happy and at peace within. What is their secret? Maybe it isn't really a secret at all. Maybe we're just too distracted and mentally bombarded by media, marketing, and what our friends/family say to see the truth. And maybe we're just too busy "shoulding" on ourselves according to society's one-size-fits-all standard to discover what truly makes our heart sing.
In part 2 we will continue to explore how to find that happy balance between living peacefully in society and being true to our own heart's desires. Until then feel free to post comments, feedback, and any questions you'd like me to address in future posts.
No comments:
Post a Comment