Screw Success as a Societal Standpoint
It is truly remarkable how society has perpetuated its trickery for thousands of years. Constantly patting you on the back for monetary gain and slapping you in the face if "oh, you're NOT going to college?"
Do we ever stop and look at what we think success is? Forbes makes poster children out of those who make millions; billions and the rest are left to dream "what if".
This is bloody preposterous.
As having been a member of both poverty and now decent wealth (I won't be on Forbes anytime soon, but y'know) I can truly see both sides. People and media and society and my culture and even members of my extended family made me feel (because they were made to feel) that I would never be anything until I achieved something. And that 'something' was monetary, material gain.
What an insane assertion!!!!
Now on the "other side" people congratulate me for all my success while they pat my shoulder and look beyond me to the "more successful" person in the room.
It's lies. Lies, I tell you. It's all lies.
Do you want the truth? Can you handle it?
Success on a monetary scale is...
Wait for it...
Wait for it...
Complete F!$@!$!? BULL$?!&
It's unfulfilling. It leaves you wanting more. No goal is ever good enough. No accomplishment ever satisfying. You always feel this unsettled collective of knots in your stomach in the moments directly following your latest achievement.
It's why people give each other awards. Trying to make the feeling of reaching the goal last just a teeny bit longer by... celebrating it to the world. "Yay!! I was awesome for a moment..."
"...and now I'm a loser again."
This baffles my little analytical mind beyond belief. We have blindly followed this code for millennia. It's truly absurd.
Oh, and if you figure out that it's all a giant pile of cow manure and you want to give your money to those in need (which brings you happiness) guess what people do...!!!? They start warning you that you're being ill-advised with your funds!!!!! So basically inner peace rates a '0' on the sliding scale of 'will the world approve of my success'?
Enough ranting... What do we do about this?
Go where the love is. When I say love I mean full acceptance because love without that is actually the antithesis of love altogether.
"Happiness is loving coming FROM you." - don Miguel Ruiz
Think about how you love your pet. Think about how happy you are to love on your little dog or cat. That is what happiness feels like. That's because you fully accept your dog is a dog. You aren't loving him but only when we he acts more like a cat...!?!?? That's nuts. If you wanted a cat you would of gotten a cat... Right?!
My point is in life we are so 'conditioned' to exist in a 'conditional' world. We rarely ever step back and say, "Screw you society! Screw your conditional acceptance of me. I am who I am." So it perpetuates.
I say, "Do you. Ask yourself... Really ask yourself... Search into your very soul and ask, "Am I spending every day doing what I want to be doing? Do I love what I do outside of the craziness that comes with it? Or is this about a paycheck? Will I wake up in 20 years and wonder where my life went." Do this for yourself (and feel free to comment below) and do it for the world."
"Be the change you want to see in the world." - Mahatma Ghandi
Success is no more knots in my stomach.
Success is inner peace.
Success is no more wondering what people will think.
Success is full acceptance of me; of what I think.
Success is no more guilt.
Success is knowing I don't owe anything to anyone, but to love them.
Success is freedom from all fear.
Success is true joy which only comes from inside me.
Tell me what you think success is and comment (if you'd like) on whether you feel you were taught this or if you feel society has played a part in your making decisions that don't truly make you happy. And, if you are truly happy in what you do... Share the wealth with the rest of us.
Wealth is inner peace. However, you reach it... That is the top of the pyramid!