A philosophy of life
I like to watch people.
Maybe it’s an introvert thing or maybe it’s my endless preoccupation with how life works and how best to live it. I like to read too and gather endless inspiration from people’s stories of success and adventure in business and life, but watching is more insightful because it’s immediate and the insights come from my perspective.
Before we go any further I need to explain something first:
You live in a world of your thinking. We all do.
That thinking creates your experience of life moment by moment.
You are NOT your thoughts.
Why is this revolutionary?
Whether you realise it or not, your beliefs (which are simply thoughts you continue to think until they become truth for you) are arbitrary. They are probably a collection of conclusions you’ve come to through experience and ideas that have been impressed upon you from external influences since childhood, so - arbitrary. And they are not THE truth. You may have made them truth for you but they are not THE truth.
And that means you can change. You can strip your beliefs back to only the undeniable basics and start again from the ground up, questioning the relevance, helpfulness and serviceability of each.
Ahh ok, but what’s this about a philosophy of life?
Your current beliefs have been gathered over time to form your personal blueprint for living, a framework of what’s possible and impossible for you. We could call it your philosophy of life, expect that you didn’t consciously design it like Franz von Holzhausen designed the Tesla Roadster. For most of us there is no design to the design at all, we’ve cobbled together a random combination of beliefs and are living with the consequences, creating a philosophy of life that’s something out of a Mad Max chop shop - you’ve got a fast getaway covered but there’s no beauty, luxury or satisfaction in that ride.
And if beauty, luxury and satisfaction or some other combination of evocative words excite you then it’s time to redesign your philosophy of life.
So back to watching and how much I love it…
When you watch (and listen to) people you can tell a lot about their philosophy of life. It’s written all over their actions, behaviours, conversation and aspirations. So it may be easier for a well attuned stranger to read you than for you to read yourself. The way we think means we’re immersed in a world that appears as though things happen to us, rather than us happening to things. The idea of awakening really means waking up to the fact that we are creating our experience of life. And if for a moment you can glimpse that you are not your thinking, that thoughts really are like little fluffy clouds, you can consciously choose which to engage with and which to let float on by, and in doing so let go of unhelpful beliefs.
If I felt stuck I used to do a process like the one below:
Fun for people that love diving deep into themselves, tedious for those that don’t and who knows whether it works.
Ultimately it’s not required…
Today I watch little kids and how they embrace life.
I notice the wellbeing that flows out of them, sometimes relentlessly…
I notice how intensely they feel emotions and how quickly they bounce back from them, how resilient, creative, resourceful, open minded and joyful they are.
That’s your true nature, and mine.
No philosophy of life required.
Happy trails,
R x