The REAL Secret

“The unconscious will let you have only what you think you deserve.” - from Letting Go by Dr. David R. Hawkins

Fountainhead

"But you see," said Roark quietly, "I have, let’s say, sixty years to live. Most of that time will be spent working. I’ve chosen the work I want to do. If I find no joy in it, then I’m only condemning myself to sixty years of torture. And I can find the joy only if I do my work in the best way possible to me. But the best is a matter of standards—and I set my own standards. I inherit nothing. I stand at the end of no tradition. I may, perhaps, stand at the beginning of one.”
― Ayn Rand, The Fountainhead

Middle Path in Work

I notice that there are 2 extremes when it comes to work:

1. Being a Corporate Slave - you know, the 9 to 5 drudgery, doing it for the paycheque, selling your soul to pay the bills. Miserable security of a slave.

2. Being a Bum - I see that here in Thailand... bums, drunks, people who spent all their walking hours at a local bar, drifting, no purpose, zombies, passive suicide.

Neither life seems worth living to me. There is a middle path. It is the way of meaningful work. Doing things that have meaning. Sure, everyone has bills... but not everyone pays them the same way. Having a little bit of guts and balls to be authentic can go a long way. Thinking that you have no choice means you chose no choice.

I'm still finding the way in my own life. I don't like being a slave... or a bum. I like being my own boss, doing things that make my life worth living, thinking my own thoughts, taking shit from absolutely no one.

What makes your life worth it?

Freud said that in order to be happy, 2 things have to be in order in a man's life: his work and his love. 
Something to ponder. 
0/2 is miserable. 
1/2 is bearable, but not happy.

Highest Bliss

How blest in happy solitude
Is he who hears of truth the call!
How blest to be both kind and good,
To practice self-restraint to all!
How blest from passion to be free,
All sensuous joys to let pass by!
Yet highest bliss enjoyeth he
Who quits the pride of 'I am I.'


-from The Gospel of Buddha

Sitting Can Kill You

Sitting on your butt 9 to 5 every day can kill you. Article here.

Excessive meditators should read the article too. :)

What I'm Reading

 

Enchiridion is a Stoic guide to living, a fantastic text (online)

A Man in Full is a novel about practice of Stoic ideals.

I re-read these every couple of years, always a treat, as they are founts of wisdom.

Essentially, Stoicism is a Western form of Buddhism.

From Enchiridion:

Remember that you must behave in life as at a dinner party. Is anything brought around to you? Put out your hand and take your share with moderation. Does it pass by you? Don't stop it. Is it not yet come? Don't stretch your desire towards it, but wait till it reaches you. Do this with regard to children, to a wife, to public posts, to riches, and you will eventually be a worthy partner of the feasts of the gods. And if you don't even take the things which are set before you, but are able even to reject them, then you will not only be a partner at the feasts of the gods, but also of their empire. For, by doing this, Diogenes, Heraclitus and others like them, deservedly became, and were called, divine.

What's Important

It's not important to live in Thailand or in Canada or in US or on Mars. It's not important to be married or to be single. It's not important to have a job as X, Y, or Z. It's not important to make a million or a billion $.... or not to make it.
But it is important to live a life of meaning.... to do things in your life that are personally meaningful and fulfilling.... to YOU, not to someone else.
Maslow said that unless one becomes all that he can be, he will be unhappy. I think that's true. You must be maximally you.... or you risk living an unhappy, unfulfilled life.
And only you can find out what that is, who you are... provided you are not scared. No life is mediocre if it's authentic.

In other news, today I learned how to avoid horny wild elephant attacks in Thailand. :)

A1

Divide the things you want to do in your life into different groups: A, B, C, D....etc., with A being the most important group, B the second most important group...etc.

Now list things in each category... A1, A2, A3...etc. B1, B2, B3...etc.

What is your A1??

Because that is what you should be focusing on, what you should be doing.

I am paraphrasing materials from Alan Lakein's classic on time (life) management. Recommended. Influenced my life a great deal.

Officially a Beach Bum

Liking the Jomtien Beach in Pattaya so much, we are staying at least another month. Can't get enough of the sun, the water, and the sand. :)