What does one write about when the mind is a shambles? Well, maybe an investigation into the maelstrom is necessary. Putting thoughts through the permanency of ink is a wonderful exercise in ordering the mind. It may also be an exercise in futility. Considering the chaos of our times and the reflection of that disorder on the psyche, I wonder if peace can ever happen. As a people and as individuals, we have been fighting for way too long. We have been fighting ourselves and some of the behavior that is prevalent today can only lead to a destruction of self. The vicarious lives we lead through television and celebrities, the desire for material wealth, and the inconsiderate way we treat each other.
We allow others to dictate our values and even worse, our reality. Beauty is defined by magazines. Political philosophies are drilled into you by news channels that maintain a thin veil of objectivity. We are told how to act and how to interact with others. The true sense of self is strangled. Those who allow their personalities to flourish are seen as strange. We spend so much of our time paying attention to broadcasts that place mundane, mediocre banalities on a pedestal. Don’t try to be better. Stay in your place. Don’t get uppity now. I am always reminded of a certain quote from the film Coach Carter. The movie only contains a partial quote, here it is in its entirety from A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of “A Course of Miracles” by Marianne Wilson:
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, ‘Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’ Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we’re liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. “
Most of the things we own are not really necessary. How do I know this? I spent some time without many of these things. My sanity remained intact and I didn’t burst into hives. So why do I constantly want more? I know better. I know it won’t bring me happiness. I’m starting to realize how I have locked myself into a cycle of self-destructive behavior. This behavior is linked into a desire for the material. Now I have to ask myself why I want these things so badly. Almost immediately, the answer comes to mind. We live in a city that measures your worth by how much you have horded. Like George Carlin said “You’re house is just a big box to keep your shit in.” There needs to be a change in what we see as successful, a shift in our perception of what is prosperous. All the money in the world cannot replace the beauty of connecting with people that deeply care for you. We know this, and yet we still continue to prostrate ourselves before the marketable god of material shit.
The mind is a paradox. Once the puzzle is solved, it leads to yet another conundrum. This has led me to the conclusion that my mind is not at its full potential, and won’t be until I pass from this version of reality. What that means, I’m not completely sure yet. I’m working on that. I think that’s the point. I think life is the search for enlightenment, which can be attained in so many different ways. Everyone has their path to walk, and no two people are the same. Yet we enrich the lives around us when we tap into our true potential. We rise after we release the excrement we spend so much time lusting after. This existence is divine, and so are we. Thus, logic tells us we must exude this divinity in the entirety of our lives. This has nothing to do with creed and everything to do with tuning in spiritually and cognitively to the collective of existence. We are all connected.