Although I have being writing for fun and exploration — in one form or another — since maybe age 9-10, I have mostly wanted to write what people might describe as "thoughtful commentary" about the human condition.
As I may have alluded to in the past, I am not a "teacher" and I never aspired to be one... even though friends and colleagues have periodically encouraged me to be one.
Regardless of whether or not I have - or don't have - a relevant message to pass along, teaching just doesn't appeal to me.
But I still write, and I still have the intent of passing along information... odd conundrum, there.
"So, what do you want to do?" a friend once asked. What I want to do - or hope to do - is open people's minds to an assortment of perspectives. I'm not selling anything - except possibly the invitation to think for yourself - and it's not my ambition to change anyone's mind.
But it is my ambition to crack open the door to the unknow just enough for people to think about their closely held beliefs, reality and perspective from the angle of fully understanding the WHY of that perspective.
And it's not because I'm looking to judge or psychoanalyze, nor because I wish to posit my own perspective as somehow superior, it's because I observe so many make themselves angry, stressed and anxious as a result of simply adopting and regurgitating canned dogma without question... handed to them by family, culture, friends, work, magazine articles or something else.
I don't care THAT you subscribe to a particular point of view - even if it is somewhat baffling or repulsive to ME - I just want to know HOW you arrived at it and then for you to explain clearly why it is a "good" thing... as well as how subscribing to that perspective has directly and tangibly helped you navigate your life in a happy, successful, meaningful or otherwise significant way.
Rigorous self-inquiry tends to be a major challenge for even the most receptive among us, because it invites us to examine what is "behind the curtain" of our lives and thoughts. And we don't always like to look directly at the biases, phobias, prejudices and cognitive dissonance that lurk there and inform our reality and choices.
One of my Teachers was not exactly what you might call a "nice person" in terms of his teaching style.
I remember in a workshop, one my fellow students started making excuses when the teacher asked why this person wasn't "being authentic."
"But if I said those things directly, people would think I'm an abrasive asshole!" she protested.
Well, maybe you should consider the possibility that you just ARE an abrasive asshole, the teacher countered...
Yes, that might be a bit on the "rough and rude" side, but it was ultimately an invitation to examine why she (and the rest of the group) held the beliefs she did.
Or, let's consider something we perhaps all are somewhat familiar with: Complaining about our "lot" in life.
Consider the person who's always complaining that he/she is eternally surrounded by "chaotic" people who turn out to be mooches and energy vampires. Clearly, if you are "always" surrounded by such people, you must choose them... and there's a high likelihood that you choose them because you get something from being able to always complain that you are their "innocent victim."
Not sound familiar? Here's a more common one:
The hardworking person at work who always seems to be able to handle EVERYthing that comes along really well... and by always doing so, makes themselves indispensable, and then complain that "they always have to do everything!"
I sincerely doubt anyone held a gun to their heads! And clearly, you "get" something from feeling indispensable. And maybe you get something from being the "victim" of your own indispensability?
And maybe you don't. I'm not here to change your mind, remember? I'm just here to invite you to really think about your motivations... not to question them!
Thanks for reading, and have a great remainder of your week!
How about YOU? How well do you know your motivations? Your DEEPER motivations? Do you "own" those motivations authentically, or do you keep them hidden from view? Comments, feedback and other interaction is invited and welcomed! Because — after all — SOCIAL content is about interacting, right? Leave a comment — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!
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Created at 20210729 23:57 PDT
0310/1553