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The single Most Important Question you can ask yourself over the course of your lifetime is, “What is it that I want?” You are put on this Planet, spinning in the middle of empty space, participating in the dance you call “Life”. What is it that you want?
Infact, what is it that everyone wants? You might be thinking to yourself, I want to accomplish all of my dreams, I want a new car, or a new phone, or a new relationship, or more zeros at the end of my bank balance.
I hate to break it to you but all of that is a lie! You don’t want to accomplish your dreams. You want to feel the way you think accomplishing your dreams will make you feel. You think that if I get into a new relationship, I will feel loved. You think that if I get more zeros at the end of my bank account, I’ll finally feel enough.
All your dreams are a means to an end. That end is joyfulness or wholeness. A few years ago, I really wanted to be successful (whatever that meant), I was so obsessed with success that every single day was scheduled. I was “hustling”, thinking that if I achieved all my dreams, I’ll finally be happy.
The problem was, whenever something would happen that wasn’t in my schedule. I would get so frustrated that I couldn’t even follow my schedule most days! Soon enough, it got so stressful that I decided to completely give up everything and go to the complete opposite, at first, it felt GREAT! No schedule, no goals, no worries
Just living my life, the way it happened. And then, life became boring… even though it wasn’t stressful. Life didn’t feel complete. Ever get a feeling that life is supposed to be something more? That’s how I felt. I knew that real joy is supposed to be something more, so I kept asking myself this one question constantly, “What does it take to live a meaningful life?”
These are two ways we are taught to be eternally happy:
1. Work so hard that you get successful and then you’ll be happy.
Most people work on a goal for a big part of their lives. They work so hard to attain it, and when it finally happens. They ask themselves, “Is this all there is?” The first 3 astronauts who went to the moon were so excited. After coming back, they shook the President’s hand and guess what? All 3 of them became depressed.
If you go to the West, you’ll see all this external abundance. Huge skyscrapers and buildings. But most of the people there live in a constant state of worry. Always trying to get somewhere or to achieve something!
2. Don’t work for success at all. Just Be Happy
People who follow this rule are the complete opposite of the first type. If you travel to the East, such as Pakistan or India. You’ll see that there’s not much external abundance. You’ll see people who don’t even have proper clothes on, but if you take the time to actually be with these people, you’ll feel as if they are the happiest people on the entire planet!
Yet, Not working for anything and going to a cave, meditating for 15 years isn’t very practical in the 21st century. So what’s the answer I found?
It’s The Yin-Yang of Life
You have to learn to live in the Ultimate State of Human Existence, i.e:
It’s like bringing the East & West together, without making anyone seem wrong.. Vishen Lakhiani, CEO of Mindvalley explains this state as, “It almost feels as if The Universe has your back and Magic is moving you forward”
After Practicing the Yin Yang of life, now, I work less but achieve more. Life feels more meaningful yet effortless. As you start to practice the Yin Yang of Life. Life starts to flow through you. It starts to become not only meaningful but easy!
A very simple way to integrate the Yin Yang of life in your life is this: have goals and dreams for yourself, but don’t wait for them to happen for you to be happy. “You must have goals. But your happiness can’t be tied to these goals. You must be happy before you attain them” - Sandra Anne Taylor, Quantum Success
Practice Happiness no matter what. Happiness is a skill, and just like any other skill. You can master it. Be happy in the NOW and Have a Vision for the Future. Here is a small graph from Vishen Lakhiani’s book, The Code of the Extraordinary Mind which explains the Yin Yang of life: Learn to live your life from a place of joyfulness. Be happy about the small things in life because One day.. You might look back and realize. They were the big things.
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