You don’t suck, and here’s why…
Damn, you’re awesome, you really are amazing!
You know why? Because you’re here, you exist, you are alive, and that’s a magical answer.
The odds of you being alive and reading this is 1 in 480 billion! Yes 1 in 480 billion according to a recent study. That’s is pretty damn incredible if you ask me, and that is a lot to be grateful for.
Just think, you made it this far from coming out of the infinite universe as a tiny speck made up of molecules and atoms and star stuff that all aligned to form “you”. Yes you, the one with your own unique DNA, fingerprints and quirky personality existing here on a grain of dirt in this massive universe floating in a colossal cosmic soup. It’s pretty incredible. Rarely do we ever sit and think about just how special and lucky we really are to experience “l-i-f-e”. Don’t believe me? Have a look at this chart below.
As impressive as this is with the jaw dropping odds of existence we are blessed with, which are truly beyond comprehension, we wouldn’t be human if we didn’t bitch and rant about life anyway.
Humans have an insatiable appetite for complaining and not being satisfied and always looking for “m o r e”.
Don’t buy into the culture
What if I told you that all that striving to “be better”, “be smarter”, “work harder”, “look better” and the non-stop obsession to “climb the ladder of success”, to “eat or be eaten”, is exactly why modern society is the mess that it is and is the reason for all our personal and collective suffering we are facing today. Further, this ravenous obsession with consumerism to want more at any cost is wrecking havoc on the planet with our disregard for nature. We’re just so wound up on “M-O-R-E” that we’re losing ourselves.
I believe our egoic human tendency of competition, “look at me” “look what I can do” has a direct correlation to why we’re sicker than ever and taking more drugs than anytime in history. The population around the world in developed countries are getting fatter, and suffering from depression and mental disorders, especially in North America. Society as a whole is simply more miserable and unhappier at any other time in our history.
In this superficial society of a fake virtual reality through the advent of technology, we judge ourselves against photo-shopped images of others. We see glossy pictures of happy people who seem like they have it all and we feel bad and less that we don’t.
I used to search for “more” outside of myself. The belief if I had just this or just that, I would feel complete, that I would be a somebody. That new shiny phone, that new car, the bigger house, the cool job, and that photo-shopped Instagram picture of myself I just posted is all an illusion, and it doesn’t equal happiness, it’s just “stuff” and appearances.
But, in this technological world of happy-washing with doctored pictures, what is real anymore? Shopping to find ourselves” is ingrained into our culture and consciousness. Our attention is very valuable to companies that want sell us stuff. It is a vicious game to be caught up in the world of consumerism and feeling less hoping for the next thing that will give us a temporary dopamine hit. Once you’re hooked into that rush, happiness starts to dwindle, even evaporate.
You can’t buy happiness!
But you start being mindful and can buy meditation lessons, and that’s kinda the same thing.
So here is the deal in my opinion: invest in finding yourself. Start looking inside for balance, comfort, and feeling good, especially about yourself and who you are in this very moment. The more you turn inwards and be present and gather a deeper appreciation for who you are, the more you realize you need less of everything else.
Remember the odds of you being on this planet, hold that in your heart as you become richer in experiencing your life everyday and every moment.
Metta
Ken Rueter 