Something isn’t right here with our systems.
Anybody else feel this?
The Earth provides every resource we need
We, the humans, use our intelligence to manipulate materials into goods for our use
We cut the tree, turn it to wood
We take the wood and turn it into houses, chairs, tables, paper
We, the humans, invent our systems… we co-create our reality. We’re just making it up. We make the rules, the laws, the systems.
Let’s chat on the money system…
We’ve invented the money system to aid in the trade of goods and services
But the way we are currently operating feels to me less than optimal
It’s NOT optimal that we capitalize on our basic needs, because then so much of our energy is wasted when it could be better allocated for improving operations, well-being, enjoyment, pleasure and an overall better life experience across the board.
Because of the current operating system so much of our time is spent working to make money to pay for goods that would otherwise not be necessary to continue to pay for, but we do because of capitalism.
I’d like to speak specifically on HOUSING for the sake of illustrating this point.
After you have built your home/shelter, the thing is built. It’s DONE. It need not be bothered unless some repair is needed. Outside of repairs and upgrades being made over the many years, for the most part the home is DONE. There is no need to keep “PAYING” for it, AKA exerting ENERGY, AKA make MONEY to keep PAYING for a thing that is already DONE. But whyyyy do we do it? CAPITALISM.
And beyond that, we have governmental forces wanting to TAX (aka make money) on LAND, whereas LAND is intrinsically free of monetary value. Land is a natural space that has no actual intrinsic monetary cost. It is humans that are putting a monetary cost to an otherwise costless thing. Why? Because of the current system at hand.
There are many people who benefit from the way things are who would have no incentive to make any changes. There are many who have studied and understood the “game” and are playing the “game” and thus perpetuating the system as is. Even if a new person becomes wealthy from capitalism and now is blessed with riches, opportunities, ease and comfort, that person will still not thrive as optimally as possible because the world in which we are co-creating isn’t an optimal world.
Ok, I kind of went off the rails with that last point there as it’s quite a high level perspective.
The point I am making isn’t that capitalism is bad or good. The point I’m making is that there is something off about how we are currently operating and I believe it could be better.
I believe we could have much better systems that waste less of our personal energy. Systems where we don’t have to waste time to make money just to pay for certain resources that could simply be a given. Instead our energy could be better allocated and put towards doing epic things that make us more intelligent, help us have more fun, joy, pleasure and have an AMAZING TIME on this beautiful Earth.
The point is we could be LAUGHING more, loving more, we could be healthier, happier, and more at ease in our bodies. We could be seeing the world. We could actually make it to MARS in our lifetime. We could feed EVERYONE. We could probably even figure out something mind blowing like creating a TIME MACHINE!!
But no. We are POORLY allocating our time to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for wood we found of the Earth in nature for free just because it turned into a house.
Like come the fuck on. I KNOW we can make a better system than this.
Sometimes I get down on myself because of where I am in life. I get stuck thinking that I should be doing more, accomplishing more, believing that through my accomplishments I will be finally fulfilled. I keep thinking that once I have a high paying job, a nice house, a nice car, a couple of degrees on my wall then I could look at all the things I’ve achieved and say “OK. You did it. Your life is now perfect.”
Where did I get this idea? Why do I think that fulfillment comes from external accomplishments?
I mean, sure externals can bring fulfillment, but if you’re like me struggling and straining through the externals in hope that your strain will later bring fulfillment – then maybe we need to refocus ourselves.
I keep thinking I need to achieve some big thing so I can prove to myself and the world that I matter.
But today I woke up with the realization that I don’t need to do anything in order to matter. I already matter simply because I exist.
I realize that I need to appreciate the little things and that these little things are really big things in and of themselves. I was wallowing around thinking I have no purpose because I work a “meaningless job” at a storage company. Then I realized “Hey, wait a minute. I do have a purpose. I am the storage girl. My purpose right now is to be the best storage girl I can be. My purpose is to smile and give good service to my customers and to make sure that everyone who comes in looking for a place to keep their stuff is helped in a warm and friendly manner. I am the storage girl for now and this is my purpose right now.”
I was undermining myself simply because I didn’t feel like my job was meaningful. But it is. Even if I was flipping burgers at McDonald’s, that is meaningful too. If flipping burgers is my job, I simply need to know that for now my purpose is to be the best burger flipper I can be! Or if I am a cleaning lady, my purpose right now is to just be the best cleaning lady I can be.
I realize now that no matter what position I am in, whether it is president or servant, I have a purpose to fulfill in my particular place in time. I need to know that my purpose right now is whatever that purpose is right now and that I am not less than anyone else simply because of the title I hold.
I realize also that I have a tendency to compare myself to others making me feel inferior because I believe I should also be doing what others are doing. I need to understand that I am ME and not OTHERS. And that whatever I do in time is just as meaningful as what other people are doing because in the grand scheme of things we are all operating for some greater purpose – to move forward in time.
I need to improve my faith. I need to learn to trust that tomorrow will be ok and that I will be provided for. I don’t need to work-out the future, I just need to be here right now fulfilling this very purpose in time. I need to understand that my worth is not defined by my accomplishments even though that’s what our society often wants us to believe. This kind of mentality only serves to discourage us when in truth we are all the same.
Ultimately, what I am saying is: This moment, right here, right now – this is my life. My life is not in some future place or in the past. My life is here and being here is my purpose. I don’t need to feel like I must accomplish some great thing in the future in order to feel great. I am great because I exist. Life has chosen me to come to be and to be is my primary purpose. What I do at any point in time is big. Just coming in to my job and helping people get their storage room is big. Life has all these little moments that make big things. Let’s marvel in the little-big things of every day life.
Just relax in this moment.
Let yourself know that this moment is enough.
Let yourself know that tomorrow will be ok.
Let yourself be here and now.
Whatever action needs to be taken in this moment, take it.
If no action needs to be taken, just be.
You don’t need to plan your whole life.
You don’t need to compare yourself to others.
You are enough just as you are in this moment.
Your presence is a big accomplishment in and of itself.
Marvel in the little-big things.
Your purpose is to be and that is very, very big.
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