You have a hammer of purpose striking a nail of a particular goal to build onto your house of emotional memories that is your life…but why am I even doing so?
To understand who one is often takes decades–or a lifetime–to realize, but the process begins shortly after birth. From the moment we can see, breath, hear–use our senses–we start to record what is going on.
Growing up, we see famous athletes like Michael Jordan and think we want to “Be like Mike.” Have what he has, but we only see the culmination of Michael Jordan, not the hours of hard work it took to get there.
We see other athletes and role models doing remarkable things, and we aspire to be like them–or at the very least motivated by their feats.
We travel to different places around the world and become even more awe-inspired at the diversity and possibilities of this world.
Through this process of observation, we form patterns of thought to comprehend what the world is and how it works.
We define ourselves in relation to this contextual definition of the world. We create an ever-evolving definition of who we are and how we fit in the world.
It’s a lifelong journey, and some look to religion and spirituality to help answer the difficult question. Others turn to logic and mental exercises through comparative associations–perceiving themselves in relation to how they perceive others. And through this process, we figure out who we are.
Society defines how we interact with one another and created optimally preferential behaviors over others. One of the most prevalent examples is the material pursuit.
Many prioritize this pursuit above all else and search for that job, that opportunity, which will provide the most amount money. It is good to pursue making a lot of money. Go for it, I am.
But consider for a moment whether or not that position, that job, is optimal for who you are, your personality.
Before jumping to one of several reasonably logical responses defending the pursuit of money, just consider our human nature is built to rationalize many questionable actions.
Further, humans are horribly incapable of guessing what will make them happy; they fail to understand themselves and their motivations.
It is not having a lot of money that makes people happy, yet being rich is idolized.
The problem is that the situation is too narrowly defined by society to focus on the immediate and interpersonal relationships.
By taking a step away from the societal pulls and by understanding the relative insignificance of your life in relation to the universe, you can start to define your understanding with an upgraded awareness of existence.
When you have a frame of reference that entails the expansiveness of all life and the universe, then you approach life’s choices with greater awareness. Without it, your understanding will only be as shallow as your perception and subconscious limitation of what constitutes life.
With an upgraded understanding, your life reaches a limitless potential if it chooses to be.
But you are your own worst limitation.
One way to limit yourself is by the perception that what makes others happy will make you as well. In fact, you’re probably misattributing their source of happiness to begin with.
When you begin to experience your own emotions and actions without the confines of societal definitions and expectations, then you will begin down the road towards self-understanding.