Two Worlds: The World of Assumption and the World of Potential
The one you decide to live in is a trajectory toward very different futures.
“I want to make hundreds of thousands of dollars…”
This is what I said to my dad during a phone call.
Out of context, that seems shallow, right?
But humor me for a second…
Consider this an expansion of my last article on the benefits of our anger.
Whether you like it or not(most of us don’t) your experiences in your upbringing told you a story about the world. And even more so, a story about yourself. Most likely a story through someone else’s bias, unfortunately.
That quote from above wasn’t just about my goals and making enough money to buy a Shelby Edition GT-40.
Those words were freedom from a set of chains that I’ve forced myself to maintain as far back as I can remember.
And I said this just yesterday.
Is it okay to make a blatant statement to want to make ‘hundreds of thousands of dollars’?
Fuck yeah.
It may just depend on how you acquire it. Money is just a tool, remember.
If you know the relationship I have with my father, it’ll make sense that saying something like this is part of the killing of the father. My being able to say that those words about money had nothing to do with making him feel bad about himself, but about allowing me to admit to myself that accumulation of wealth is okay.
I’d spent so much of my youth thinking that money was evil, that I kept myself from earning it. And to not earn it, means to keep a cap on who I am as well as the expertise and value of skills I choose.
Think about this…
If you decided to accept that what you want is okay, could you look at it as more objective and release yourself from the dogma of the story you’ve told yourself about money, success, and goals?
Yes….life is not about those things, but if you’re living life doing what you love and not feeling shame for it, the “things” become the byproduct of your efforts.
Example:
If I dream of being a prolific writer that creates a way out of internal suffering, writing books about real masculinity, individualized philosophy, and human balance, then what am I objectively doing by acting consistently toward those goals?
I’m creating an idea, a better understanding, and a value that becomes influential.
I’m answering the call of my soul, relieving my anxiety about a boring life, and creating an opportunity for me to die fulfilled.
In doing so, am I not also creating a product, a service, and something tangible that can be bought and used for the greater good?
Here’s my point…
There’s the world that we assume exists:
The people that think we suck.
The industry that wants us to remain compliant and small.
The bad luck that sets us back and steals our opportunities.
The drama that keeps us resentful.
The superficiality that annoys us.
OR
There’s the world of potential:
The people that we actively speak ideas with.
The industry that feeds us opportunities and rewards our growth.
The good luck that comes from circumstance, timing, and preparedness.
The focus that makes us blind to drama.
The authenticity of the people, places, and things that show us the love of life.
My greatest new epiphany was that my mind is always on the wrong things.
Every day. Every minute. Every fucking year.
But it was only because I saw the world as I was taught to see it. It’s only because that’s how the majority of us see it. And it was because it was what I decided to focus on.
The hardest thing we will probably ever do is keep ourselves from being sucked into the nonsense. It’s everywhere. The new digital appendage at the end of our hands has solidified that.
There’s far more nonsense out there than there is focus and direction and passion…but we don’t have to submit to it.
And the solution I found?
I’m allowing myself to include what I love in my life and be proud of my goals and not feel guilty about them.
Making my own espresso in the darkness of the early morning
Studying and dreaming of financial freedom and investments that will get me there.
Being okay with leaving the old me behind…
Wanting to be a Jiu Jitsu black belt…
Being able to dance like no one else…
Wanting to speak to millions of people…
Seeking only deep relationships…
Allowing myself to love my own perspective and know it has value….
The list goes on.
It’s these little things that make us our best. And it’s okay, even necessary, to admit to them to yourself.
You get to choose your world.
Don’t think that you don’t.
And you don’t have to change anything on the outside to prove it to yourself. The external and tangible are all just affirmations of what you’ve decided internally.
Your focus, your time, your willingness, your study, and your joy all play a part in what you get back from the world.
Truth and Love Reader.
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