Very few animals on earth have the
ability to at least think, but we humans have the luxury of being able to have
thoughts about our thoughts.
We feel bad about feeling bad. We
feel guilty for feeling guilty.
George Orwell said that to see what’s in front of one’s nose requires a
constant struggle. Well, the solution to our stress and anxiety is right there
in front of our noses.
Because there’s an infinite amount of
things we can now see or know, there are also an infinite number of ways we can
discover that we don’t measure up, that we’re not good enough, that things
aren’t as great as they could be. And this rips us apart inside.
The
desire for more positive experience is itself a negative experience. And,
paradoxically, the acceptance of one’s negative experience is itself a positive
experience.
Pursuing something only reinforces
the fact that you lack it in the first place. The more you desperately want to
be rich, the more poor and unworthy you feel, regardless of how much money you
actually make.
The more you desperately want to be
happy and loved, the lonelier and more afraid you become, regardless of those
who surround you. The more you want to be spiritually enlightened, the more
self-centered and shallow you become in trying to get there.
As the existential philosopher Albert
Camus said
“You will never be happy if
you continue to search for what happiness consists of. You will never live if
you are looking for the meaning of life.”
Ever notice that sometimes when you care less about something,
you do better at it?
Being open with your insecurities paradoxically makes you more
confident and charismatic around others. The pain of honest confrontation is
what generates the greatest trust and respect in your relationships. Suffering
through your fears and anxieties is what allows you to build courage and
perseverance. Seriously, I could keep going, but you get the point.
Everything worthwhile in life is won through overcoming the
associated negative experience.
..\..\Books\The
Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fck.pdf