Those who do not lose their base endure ~ Lao Tzu
We tend to go through life oblivious of our insignificance. Constantly, we worry about trivial things like what people will think of our outfit or if we embarrassed ourselves by making that joke that no one laughed at. We live in an infinite cosmos where everything is insignificant and where our existence is the close to impossible as can be. To spend most of our time worrying is to miss the point. Our unimportance relieves us of the pressure to be perfect.
Assigning value to things based on knowledge or wisdom we think we possess simply muddles our view of reality. It is better to see clearly and be confused than to think we know and live in delusion.
When we face rejection, it is natural to feel like the entire world is crashing down around us. We perceive the rejection to be the most important thing in the world. In reality, all rejections are insignificant in the grand scheme. When enough time passes, we gain the perspective that makes this obvious. Rejection is part of life, not the end of life.
I said to myself, no matter what happens, I will always be able to return to the feeling of being. I will always be able to be aware. Aware that I am not the roles I perform. Regardless of what I did in the past, what I do right now, or what I will do in the future, my being remains unchanged.
My biggest takeaway from this exercise is that living with intent improves your happiness. Regardless of if you live like an Epicurean, a Stoic, a Taoist, or your own personal philosophy, living with the deliberate intention to live the good life is beneficial.
Last week, I was in Las Vegas speaking about the purpose of higher education at a summit called, “Leadership in the Age of Personalization.” When I entered college, I did not plan on speaking at conferences attended by professionals. I also didn’t plan on starting and writing a blog. What I did plan on, however, was being “open” to wherever life takes me.
Genuine self-love entails recognizing that one’s tally of accomplishments does not equate to one’s worth. Self-love leads to the realization that accomplishments are secondary to authenticity, which is all you can offer this world. More importantly, being authentic is all you can offer yourself.
Being grateful for what I have now is all I can do. I will welcome with open arms all the good that this semester is about to offer. But I will not shy away from the bad either.
What I had perceived as loss was only change, and I have experienced change my whole life. I could see that change isn’t good or bad, it just is. Change is a part of life. It is life.
The more you read, the more you become cognizant of how much more there is to learn. This feeling can be frustrating, but it is also freeing. When you recognize that you don’t know everything, your faults and intellectual shortcomings become clear. This clarity helps you take the steps necessary to improve yourself. Reading, above all, helps you better understand yourself. You understand how you are connected to the world and what your role is to play in this life.
