| Are you in control of your life? When a friend starts | | | | This can explain so much to me. Two specific |
| a new yoga class or reads a "fascinating" book about | | | | instances: I know a woman who has always made up |
| astrology or the latest benefits of cinnamon, they | | | | her own version of reality and I never understood |
| suddenly become an expert and want to tell you | | | | how that was possible. As a child, she had quite an |
| how such and such is going to change their life and | | | | imagination. Maybe as an escape from life with a |
| you should start doing the same thing right away. | | | | rotten step-father, she slipped up and made sort of |
| What do you do? Being the responsible, skeptical | | | | a fantasy map of reality where families were |
| Capricorn that I am, I never pass along far fetched | | | | supposed to be a certain way, her career path was |
| email messages without checking them with | | | | far beyond her abilities and everything in general |
| scambusters or etc. Yes, it would be easier to just | | | | would be perfect. (I totally understand and may have |
| pass on the information like so many other people | | | | done something similar) The problem is that she |
| do. Have you become just one of the mindless | | | | burned the map into her mind as reality and |
| followers? | | | | everything that didn't match the map was caused by |
| Combining the experience of having my in-laws move | | | | some unreasonable person or extraordinary event |
| in with us and the research for my "great retirement | | | | beyond her control. She has probably lost a dozen |
| guide", I have once again come to the conclusion that | | | | jobs and not a single one was because she couldn't |
| 80% of the population are sheep, maybe another | | | | do the work. They were all "politics" or someone lied |
| 15% are vaguely aware that there is a better way | | | | to her when she was hired or the people she |
| to live but can't seem to take any action, maybe a | | | | worked with were jealous, etc. The "truth" didn't |
| few people who "see the light" too late in life and | | | | match her map so it couldn't be true. |
| then that 2-3% of enlightened souls who actually | | | | The second instance was when I found out that |
| "get it." If it feels good, it is good; happiness comes | | | | some people actually don't like me! (can you imagine |
| from within, only you control how you feel and react | | | | that?) Of course I knew I wasn't a "fit" with the |
| in every situation; and everything is part of the ever | | | | jocks or high society types and accepted that I could |
| expanding energy of the universe. I may be just too | | | | just rate a neutral "zero" with some people. I was |
| "practical" to ever be truly enlightened but little by | | | | never openly mistreated by anyone so it never even |
| little I'm being convinced that we create/control a lot | | | | occurred to me that someone could actually not like |
| more of our life than we realize. | | | | me. Maybe just my ego but that possibility wasn't |
| Ok, my point is...you and I have another thirty to | | | | even on my map. I'll admit that I was a little shocked |
| forty years of life left in us. Are we going to live | | | | for a few days. But unlike the woman above, I |
| those years pretty much like we lived the last forty? | | | | adjusted my map and it is something I have to |
| I say we will, unless we stop what we are doing and | | | | consider when dealing with new people. |
| try to rise above, detach ourselves from what our | | | | Back to thinking about the next forty years. Do I |
| bodies are doing every day and sort of look at the | | | | continue to work constantly, feeling guilty when I |
| big picture. They say we all have made our own little | | | | "sneak" in some time for myself? Grow old, feeble, |
| map of reality. From our teachers and our own | | | | deaf, blind and finally die? In other words, do we |
| experiences we created this map and it comes in | | | | follow the same path as our parents and 98% of |
| handy so we don't have to re-learn everything every | | | | their generation? I am trying to flesh out the idea of |
| day. We know how to drive a car, we know what a | | | | re-inventing myself for my second adult life. There |
| good mother or father should do, we know the | | | | are many people who believe that we can make at |
| process of aging: getting older, weaker and | | | | least the next 25 years, the very best of our lives. It |
| deteriorating until we finally die. The thing is, most | | | | wouldn't be easy in the beginning but they could be |
| people believe their map is reality. So when | | | | right and I think it is worth taking a closer look. If |
| something happens that they don't understand, | | | | you were living with your parents, you would be |
| instead of adjusting their "map" to match reality, they | | | | reminded every day of exactly what I am saying. I |
| cling to the map and clash with realty by getting | | | | am determined to find out exactly what it will take |
| angry, depressed, sick or just go into some kind of | | | | to make my next forty years extraordinary. What |
| denial. | | | | about you? |