Know Jack #500 That’s Life

Life is given to us without our consent. We weren’t asked if we wanted it. We were not asked when or where we preferred to receive it. We had no say as to who would work the physical reality of our creation. We were just kind of dropped into life.

What’s more, we have no real say about how long we can keep this life. However long that may be, it is certain that we will face situations, not of our making, and that are beyond our control. It is also sure that the situations we do create will have consequences we did not intend.

Life is more than being alive. Life is a reward we give ourselves. The hard part is that the reward we desire seldom takes the shape we imagine. We waste a lot of life chasing mirages. The things that enrich us do not wear the trappings of wealth. Fame is not about who knows you, but about who values you. Peace, joy, and contentment are not environmental issues. They are internal ones.

I’m not trying to frame the world as a trouble-free utopia. That’s the work of politicians, technicians, gurus, and social influencers selling their plan for guaranteed bliss. There’s something wrong with all of us. That’s clear to all who are not willfully blind. Finding out what it is and how to fix it is the starting point on the road that leads to life’s great reward.

Be kind to yourself, give yourself the life that gives you joy in any situation, peace in the storm, and riches that never fade away or lose their value.