As a result of our illusions, we are never satisfied.

In order to see this reasoning clearly, it is necessary to remove everything except for common sense.

There is no doubt that the earth began somewhere.

The earth was here long before we were; in geological terms, there are eras and eons that label its stages of development. If scientists and researchers agree on anything, it’s that the earth is around 4.5 billion years old. Even if that is un-true, we can agree that, in human terms, it is very old.

But what concern is this to us?

It is something to think about when we are dealing with our own anxieties.

When we wake each day, we face social anxieties that we often get “caught up” in. If anything, it’s our way of thinking, where we are taught that you have to compete in order to get somewhere—eat or be eaten. For instance, business is, by example, an environment where people are paid to watch for vulnerabilities in others and/or to create situations with opportunity which, in-turn, will nurture the impulse to act. It’s the way in which anxiety is made to manufacture profit. This is how human civilizations are built and maintained. While this benefits us on a massive scale, it also greatly increases the impact of failure.

We’ve seen examples of this failure over the past several years either through our own experience or through the experience of someone we know who is struggling—not knowing what to do next.

Most of these struggles are financial. Whenever the tower that you’ve built is at risk of crumbling due to the lack of support, it becomes stressful. This is a problem on a ‘massive’ scale for the individual but it also becomes a major problem in a much greater context when it affects a large part of the population which is rarely seen. The suicide rates have escalated world wide; in some more popular new reports, you have seen investors jumping out of their private planes while they are in the air. How tragic that the stress was that unbearable and to the extent where random sections of the population were at risk of having a neglected aircraft crash into a community?

We have to look at our situation as if we have materialized into this reality and bear witness to the environment around us. What are we looking to accomplish in this reality? Is it that we should “aspire to become better” than everyone else? It’s clear that we’ve never prepared ourselves to consider our reality more than property and a realm in which to succeed.

The universe doesn’t care about our crumbling towers and it will continue to survive regardless.

Our towers are just an illusion and we have to take that into consideration when we stress out. This is what people mean when they say that we take life for granted. We set these unrealistic superficial goals that exhaust us; the “bar” is always set higher as part of the illusion. To know the difference is a great challenge to us, and yes, we do get lost in them.

Unfortunately, we find real dangers in our society which reveal themselves daily and in some places, they are right around the corner–regardless of what you do. Often there is no time to prepare and you go through real trials and tribulations. It’s natural for us to want to help people in trouble; we can do this but we cannot get over the fear that something will happen to us. You many decide not to get involved because you would rather gamble with minor discomforts and manageable guilt than loss of life, which is, at the most, the only thing we have to fear.

As a result of our illusion, we are afraid of death because we’re never satisfied that we don’t have that house, that car or the social status we want.

This is a powerful type of reasoning that might take overcoming inhibition to pursue. In order to see this reasoning clearly, it is necessary to remove everything except for common sense, for instance:

Remove the influence of denomination.

While religion is therapeutic and helps many people; it also creates guilt and anxiety. That is internal suppression of common sense. Suddenly you’ve become afraid of unseen forces–imaginary landscapes that control you to respond out of fear. This takes rehabilitation if the person wants it. It is usually enough for them to understand reasoning but it’s usually their fear that prevents them from embracing this logic. In this case, they will always be anxious, no matter what.

Be aware now.

It’s interesting that we feel we have to separate ourselves from the mundane moments to have time to focus on our reality and the present. Washing dishes, driving somewhere, conversing with someone, etc. These are all taking place in the present and are just as good a time as any to become aware. Focus on the reality, think about how you are able to taste food and experience it while others might experience something different. Doesn’t that calm you? Notice how your senses to your environment are the highest definition experience you will ever have. Better than shelling out money for a system. Be aware of these things–be conscious.

Have patience.

Think about what is stressing you and if it is worth rushing for. You might find that you’ve made too many unreasonable promises that you can’t keep; realistically you can’t do them. The difference between true success and your success is that you want to experience it. It’s better to be calm for clarity than it is to be rushed and confused.

We often stress out about the things that don’t matter; we forget to become aware of our surroundings and of others in order to feed the illusion. It’s interesting that, in the age that we live in, identity information is used to market products and services. This has become major revenue for businesses and has increased the opportunity of wealth in places where there was none. The data is always changing and is now even more dependent on trends–so when there is anxiety or stress in society, the markets adjust to it and determine the wealth and nature of all business.

This is never ending, and it takes something more than human to handle this if we want to live a stress free existence.

For our health, we have to learn when we are living for ourselves or living for the illusion. The more cynical of us might expect some taoist saying or the promotion of a denomination but in the attempt to wipe the slate clean, I will only refer to common sense. The next time you’re anxious, think about life on a greater scale than the span of the illusion.

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Assistant Ed.: Stephanie Sefton/Ed: Sara Crolick

{Photo: via Jonay CP}