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| Yeah house, don't conform to society's so-called "standards" |
Each morning when I wake up I think of what the answer to how to live a meaningful and authentic life will be. The answer doesn’t dramatically differ from year to year, those basics remain the same. And now that the year is almost over, I left wondering whether or not I learned anything from the year.
One thing that happened this year was everybody got more negative. There was a lot of hate vibes floating around not just in these interwebs but in real life. So I’d say to have a meaningful and authentic life in 2010 you had to be positive. I mean, there needs to be someone to combat this negativity. And when somebody did seem to truly love life (that double-rainbow guy) everybody laughed at him. Sure, maybe it is a bit ridiculous enjoying a rainbow THAT much, but he really was appreciating everything around him. Being a little overly optimistic is better than being overly cynical, a problem I used to have in a big way, before I overcame it somehow.
Authentic and meaning I feel is very geography-specific. New York this summer had beautiful, gorgeous weather. I spent a great deal of my time at the beach, which sort of inspired me to name this blog out of that positive experience. Beach-going and swimming might not be important for everyone, but just being able to zone out for a few seconds under the water makes you more authentic. You bob up and down allowing the current to move you. No longer are you in control, you’ve given yourself up to the larger currents in life. Authentic means you occasionally surrender to larger forces, allowing the environment to shape you rather than you imposing yourself on the environment. Despite this belief I’m still a fan of heating and air conditioning.
2010 meant being dissatisfied. People complained so much I couldn’t even talk to friends about politics, music, or literature. They’d just tense up and say “I don’t want to talk about it.” Nobody felt happy. Being authentic means avoiding these little personal dramas. Realize you don’t necessarily have control over others. I’ve seen countless relationships break up due to control issues.
I guess to have an authentic and meaningful life is to be content. It is the understanding that no matter what your problems are, they are minor in comparison with the bigger picture. So when I see things like “these are your problems” and it’s a sad looking Goth kid, and seeing a picture saying “these are their problems” and they are homeless, you should count your lucky stars. Be thankful.
Listening to good music doesn’t hurt either. But realize that maybe not everybody sees eye to eye with you. That’s alright. Make heart waves, not hate waves. I know this is something that is universal but I feel it makes life so much easier for me.
-Note: original question asked by those seekers of truth, the LOLZ dolls found here: