And The Secret Is...
“Because one believes in oneself, one doesn't try to convince others. Because one is content with oneself, one doesn't need others' approval. Because one accepts oneself, the whole world accepts him or her.” - Lao Tzu
And doesn’t it seem like we’re in a time such as that – where our contentment comes from others’ approval, how much we can convince people that we are right and they are wrong, and how much more important we are than others, and how much more we can speak our minds than others, and how much of our opinions we can shove out into the open world.
It’s almost as if happiness has become a condition. We’re not happy until we are, and if other people are happy about something we’re not happy about, then we want to take their happiness too. Then we wonder where all the happiness is…almost as if we’re not happy until we’re not happy; as crazy as that sounds.
This is how PETTY looks on everyone
If we were content with ourselves, we wouldn’t need to pick apart people. If we were content with ourselves, we wouldn’t waste our lives trying to “stick it” to other people. If we were content with ourselves, we’d stop giving everyone a piece of our minds and we’d start keeping those pieces for ourselves. If we were content with ourselves, we’d elevate each other physically, mentally, spiritually, without prompting. But it appears one of the great sorrows of this world is it’s easier to tear down others, segregate, degrade, take things away from others, and point fingers. It’s much easier to stare into all the darkness of this life than it is to be the light. And if all we’re doing is staring into the darkness and creating more shadows, don’t expect to see much light. You get what you’re looking for in situations like this. Either you’re being a light, or you’re enabling more dark clouds.
So, what is the secret to contentment? I’ll tell you. But once I tell you, you’ll have to take a ship across the Atlantic Ocean. You’ll have to go to Spain, and find a man with a yellow top hat, he’ll give you a series of 4 passwords. Those numbers will be a password to an underground warehouse. You’ll need to recite those passwords in reverse and counter chronological order starting with the third password. Only then will you be safe from what is to come afterward. Now, if you’re ready, the secret is POTATO.
PREACH!
How do I know? Simply because of how random it is. It doesn't just come up in a conversation. You could probably go a lifetime without saying it in any normal conversation. But it made you laugh. I know it did. You can’t lie to the me that lies within the you that lies within the me that is you. And don’t act like I don’t know 2+2 is 6!
And that’s the secret…
If you’re waiting for the world to be your idea of perfect, to have “enough” money, to have everything you want, to have everything magically fall into place, to have everything go your way, you will never be content. You will never have things to stop complaining about. You will never cease to find yourself in despair, negativity, whatever pit you’re currently in. You’ll never have enough time, you’ll never have enough to say, you’ll never fix anything.
We’ve got to do a lot better. How many more people are we going to pass in our daily lives who are beaten down by life, under depression, suffering from loss, who are not currently stable in their circumstances? How many more times are we going to tell the world, and ourselves, “not today” – as we do nothing to help others out of their rough situations? How many more excuses are we going to make about why we were unable to take action, or why we weren’t able to stand up for those who can’t, or why we couldn’t meet people with compassion and understanding rather than show off how sharp our tongues are? How many more voices are we going to ignore, invalidate, reject, or silence because we love our thoughts, agendas, or hearing our voices? How many more times are we going to lower our self worth and standards just to get even, or get revenge, or hurt someone as much as we have percieved them to hurt us? Food for thought I suppose, because as the world has shown many times, it’s hurt people who hurt people. And if we can’t be at peace with ourselves, which shows itself in our actions, words, mannerisms, and we treat people and the world around us, we’re going to have all the same problems, all the time, for a very long time.
One of my favorite sayings is, “Don’t look down on your fellow man unless you’re helping them up”. I don’t think this happens enough, and I think it shows in how unpleased we are with ourselves. We’ve got to get to a place where we see helping others as helping ourselves. A place where we don’t settle scores and arguments, but rather a place where we settle down on the high road. A place where we don’t trade poison for poison, but rather a place where we understand that sometimes the sickness reveals what’s really aching underneath the surface, and, thus, the cure.
I think the best is still yet to come. I think the best is always yet to come. And I think that the best strengths in all of us are always waiting to come out of us and start changing the world for the better. I just hope we start realizing this as well, and that these two bests begin to intersect. I remain hopeful that one day we’ll see just meaningless all of this arguing, and fighting each other really is, and that it reflects a lot about our own character, moreso than the person we’re fighting. I remain hopeful for the future that shows we all found what makes us content, and we used that to change the world, rather than strangling each other with all the negatives we have found to fight over. And I want my hope to be complete, because that means our great can be better; and our better, best. If no one has told you today, let me say it: You are more amazing than you realize, and you have much to contribute to the world! That alone is reason enough to be content.
Love one another, make good decisions!
