Why do so many of us appear to be afraid of living? Is it because we fear a lack of life – of death? Or, is it because, like any new piece of clothing, it initially feels uncomfortable and takes time to get used to — is this the reason? I am perplexed, to be honest. I only, of course, know what I know. That being said: our experience is similar, I am sure. I have worn the clothes of adolescence, the clothes of the student, the clothes of the salesman, the clothes of the businessman and the clothes of the educator. At each new sartorial change, the attire was uncomfortable and quite disquieting, at the beginning. We have to “grow into” our new clothes. Is this not life? Our being, our reality, our “comfort zone” is wracked with changes and alterations during a lifetime, whether we invite them or not.
The secret is to realize that each of us has a life mission, whatever it may be. It is, however, up to me to discover its essence, its substance. I am not here to simply spend 80 or so years in transition from the magical sparkle of life to the final closure of death.
A well-lived life is about the proper usage of time directed by critical thinking. It is to be noted that modern technology, negatively displayed through cell phone abuse and nonsensical media usage, is the bane of these two requisites. Existence is cruel. If I reduce my days to pointlessness, my life is trivialized. I am nothing – just another statistic that lives, procreates and dies. This, I am sure, is not the reason for life. There is concern that the post-Millennial generation has been badly damaged by these factors.
From Dr. M. Twenge (1): “The more I pored over yearly surveys of teen attitudes and behaviors, and the more I talked with young people … the clearer it became that theirs is a generation shaped by the smartphone and by the concomitant rise of social media. I call them iGen (post-Millennials). Born between 1995 and 2012, members of this generation are growing up with smartphones, have an Instagram account before they start high school, and do not remember a time before the internet. … Parenting styles continue to change, as do school curricula and culture, and these things matter. But the twin rise of the smartphone and social media has caused an earthquake of a magnitude we’ve not seen in a very long time, if ever. There is compelling evidence that the devices we’ve placed in young people’s hands are having profound effects on their lives—and making them seriously unhappy.” (2) My existence, as seen through my own eyes, is of my personal creation, nonetheless. We are all here to contribute to the Common Good, no matter in how small a way.
Though this generation may be traumatized by some phenomena, other generations were wounded by war or deprivation. We all know that, fundamentally, the solution lies within. I must simply learn to work on me, on my education, on my thinking and on my desire to improve “the lot” of myself and of others. The post-Millennials are not a Lost Generation. (3) They must be taught the secret of work, of exertion, of effort, in my estimation. This is the job of the student, the parent, the teacher and the educator. The great motivational speaker, Dr. Eric Thomas (b. 1970) leaves us with a thought: Bottom line, I removed myself from the victim mentality and took control of my life. I’m not just going to take responsibility for the success in my life – I’m going to take responsibility for the failures in my life. When you’re willing to accept that you’re the problem, you immediately become the solution. (4)
A closing thought: We naturally possess four traits: we are happy, we are peaceful, we are loving and we are seeking – to improve and become better human beings. We can hide these phenomena, but they all exist in each of us intrinsically. It requires some bravery, some sense of adventure to unlock their secrets. It is true: we do live in a world that encourages the apologist. This is certainly seen in many of the old. They are many times the most bitter of all because they have spent their mortal gift, time, wastefully – even if they made a lot of money – and now they have no more. It is important that we document time carefully. Then life will have no painful illusions, no fears, it will be as real as it should be — creation’s greatest gift! We must simply work at it!
To sum up: This week we spoke about the fear of living and how we must overcome this through effort and work.
A small joke: What did Cinderella say when her photos did not show up?
Don’t worry. Someday my prints will come!
Just for fun – Beethoven
This week on your spritely walk, please ponder your own fearlessness and how to achieve it.
Every day look for something magical and beautiful.
Quote: We must document and glorify every day that we are alive: each is special and irreplaceable.
Footnotes:
1) Jean Twenge
2) Have Smartphones Destroyed a Generation?
3) The Lost Generation and the Writers Who Described Their World