We live in two worlds. There's the outside world we're all familiar with. That's the one we spend our lives trying to change, mold, and influence. And then there's our inner world. This world often gets neglected. Yet, ironically, it's the one we actually care about.
We don't actually care about what happens in the outside world.
You don't actually care where you live, what job you have, or who you marry. You don't. As ridiculous as that might sound, you don't care about that.
Amidst all this clamoring to change the outside world, it all points back to one thing: The desire to be okay inside.
What you care about is how you feel in each of those situations. Furthermore, you're under the illusion that living in the right place, having the right career, and marrying the right person will be the answers to you being okay. You see those things as keys to open the doors to your well-being.
And make no mistake, there's absolutely nothing wrong with any of those things. Beautiful homes, fulfilling careers, and deep love with a spouse are all incredible things to enjoy in life.
However, they're just not the answer. The only answer is within, because that's all you care about.
The point isn't to stop going after things in this world. It is not to dissuade you from working towards your dream home, job, or spouse.
The point is to shift how you approach life. It's to get you to realize that perhaps the way you're living is backward. Not that it's wrong, but rather, it just doesn't work.
You claim you're trying to be happy, yet you're going about it the wrong way. You're trying to fix the outside world to get your inner world okay, when in reality, all you have to do is get your inner world okay, and then let the outer world take care of itself.
If we can shift our approach to life such that we start from a place of being okay, then we don't need anyone or anything to make us feel whole. When we don't need anything, we're able to approach life with a sense of contribution and kindness that we wouldn't otherwise have if we're in need of specific outcomes.
That's all it comes down to. There's an outer world, and an inner world. The outer world is really out of your control, and luckily, you don't care much for it. The inner world is all within your domain, and that's fortunate, because it can make a heaven or hell for you.
Live with substance!
Gabe Orlowitz
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