Due to fortunate work circumstances (lengthy time off), the sanctuary that is my Brighton home and a killer bout of abnormal (for me) illness, I've come to some conclusions that protrude like little red thumbs in the sea of life's 'down time'. They may seem morbid or somewhat deep, so buckle up, you're in for a thought-inducing ride. HAPPY 2017 people. Do some mental gardening and start the new year spick 'n' span!
(^ New year, new offices...View from the 6th taken from my Instagram.)
THE 3 TRUTHS
1. With increased knowledge comes increased negative emotions – perhaps even a reduction in happiness
2. Awareness is the core / beginning of self help
3. It's ok to die. Because death is part of life.
1. With knowledge comes reduced happiness
Now, I have to be more explicit here; they are not directly and definitely correlated. In fact, I say this as a broad generalisation. It came as a natural conclusion of my own life experiences; growing up, contemplating the Western world and the world's countries' happiness scales, amongst other observations.
My main standpoint is: people have far less but are happier, people know less and are happier.
Example A:
It is probably well-known by now that having more and being richer doesn't always make you happier. Well it does up to a certain income amount, but after that it plateaus. Also, did you know Costa Rica is now the happiest nation in the world over Switzerland and Denmark? Forget the monetary riches of US and UK, Costa Rica has the rich tapestry of social connectedness, the abolishment of the army, and large investment in social programmes on its side.
Example B:
As a child I was free. Free of worry, free of understanding of the state of the world/the horrors of the world, free of responsibility and free of burden, memory baggage and emotional pain (as I was just starting out my journey). Liberation was well and truly engrained into childhood; I felt light, I glowed. My parents dealt with all that.
Through the years of adolescence we accumulate knowledge: of how things work, the state of life today, what's ahead for us, what's going on in our bodies and minds, the array of choice, the array of consequences, the passing of loved ones, new pain, responsibility, emotional baggage and spawn are new experiences of the evolving world – some of which our parents can't relate, so we are the first captains of those ships! It's a heavy ride and liberation slips away with the more we know and the more we understand... 'ignorance is bliss,' right?
It's not to say I am not happy now, but as a child/ knowing less felt easier to fall back into the 'happiness state.' Fewer things burst my bubble and to a lesser extent – I was elastic. With age and knowledge comes a greater weight of consequences, and for me, a greater dent in my conscience, ready to attack the next time a familiar situation arises. With consciousness comes the presence of fear, anxiety, worry, anger, depression – the 'negative emotions gang,' which infect my 'happiness state.' These guys pop up more nowadays and it's because I know more about myself, the world and how they float in and out.
The solution: increased knowledge/wide-scale awareness needs increased emotional management and this leads me onto my next point...
2. Awareness is the core of self-help
I think without it you can get yourself into a right pickle. When I was in my late teens/early twenties I ran myself into the ground always chasing things, thinking perfection was achievable, that something better was always out there and that 'right now' wasn't good enough. At the time I couldn't 'see' myself, although it was easy to notice objectively (said my mum) and in hindsight. I stunted my own healing and happiness because I wasn't self aware for quite some time. I became more unhappy because I couldn't get to where I wanted quick enough (i.e. the looks, the reputation, the career opportunities etc.), and with that, I self-destructed some more, felt sh*t after that and the the cycle went on. I was my own worst critic and couldn't find contentment.
Age 23/24 came and HEY awareness! These years were pivotal. I noticed my own behaviour, my effect on others, took some time to reflect and A LOT of time alone and everything slotted into place. My childhood and adolescent experiences added up to make 1 a.k.a myself today. And I used this awareness to remedy myself, ride with my emotions and manage relationships.
The solution: awareness is super helpful on a personal, interrelationship scale.
3. It's OK to die because death is part of life
I started reading Life, Love, Laughter by OSHO which brought to light the power of pairs (life and death, breathing in and out), the strength in the cycle of life and a rose tinted glance upon the utterly feared and dreaded concept of death. Death is usually painted with a dark brush in society; bad, black, the unknown, scary etc.
But OSHO says 'chin up, there's nothing to fear because wherever you go you won't have the cognitive ability to fear (in worse case scenario) and everyday we die some more anyway' (in my own words).
The solution: See death in the everyday as opposed to an abrupt, final halt in one's life. Even after birth we begin to die because each day we grow...so really there is no binary, it is ONE. Life and death are harmonious companions – inhaling cannot occur without the exhale.
