"The meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so simple. And yet, everybody rushes around in a great panic as if it were necessary to achieve something beyond themselves".
Alan Watts
Written by Mathew Naismith
Most often and not always, I will come to a
point where I have no idea how to present a topic or view, most often in this
circumstance something will present itself. My wife wanted me to read an
article about how stoicism can help deal with anxiety. Let's be honest, how many
spiritually aware people of today suffer from some form of anxiety which can
lead to depression. Depression doesn't lead to anxiety but most often anxiety
can lead to depression. Of course one way to deal with anxiety in relation to
our present
reality, is to deliberately ignore all the deemed negatives in favour of
desired so-called positives. I say so-called positive because isn't it more
positive to face the present reality for what it is, instead of creating a
desired reality that isn't of the present? In other words desiring to live
within our own reality instead of the, very real, present reality. Are we
not supposed to be living and positively dealing with the present reality within
the present?
We are not doing this; we are instead allowing our anxiety of the present
reality to determine our reaction in relation to the present reality.
Note:
Present means to introduce something to others, or,
to being in the now. Yes, the
English language can be confusing at times.
Stoicism; (philosophy) the philosophical system of the Stoics following the
teachings of the ancient Greek philosopher Zeno. An indifference to pleasure or
pain.
"Make the best use of what is in your
power and take the rest as it happens".....Epictetus
Who would a truly unconditionally loving
soul embrace in love more, a soul of the same love or a soul that isn't of the
same love? The soul that needs love will always be embraced before a soul that
doesn't need love, however, quite the opposite is occurring with so many people
of today. It's like a multinational; would not a like minded materialist person
embrace the multinational before a spiritually aware person? Unconditional love
is not of the embracement of its own first and foremost, it is of the
embracement of what is in need the most.
How many of us are embracing this present
reality while forgoing a desire of a desired reality of the future? The anxiety
created by deeming the present reality as simply negative
and even toxic is a typical trait of anxiety. Ignore an obvious state of mind
for a desired state of mind, and we wonder why so many people are suffering
with depression these days!! Yes, one way traits of anxiety deceptively avoid
going into depression because of so many negatives, is to deceive. How many spiritually
aware people of today think that positive thinking is ignoring the negatives,
not dealing with them and turning them into something less negative? How many
spiritually aware people today think that unconditional love is the embracement
of their own kind and of their own reality first and foremost? This is while
deeming everything else negative and even toxic, including the present!! How
many actually live within the present while portraying being in the present?
One of the main traits of anxiety is to deceive.
Yes, make the best use of what is in your
power to influence and forgo, let go, what isn't in your power to influence.
This reminds me of Confucius; where at the end of he's time he suffered with depression.
This was due to him not being able to influence the present reality to the
degree he desired to influence it by. Another trait of anxiety is to force
change and if this doesn't occur to the degree we desire it to occur,
depression sets in.
There is a difference between trying to force change to simply trying to influence change. I will try to influence change upon the present reality, if this doesn't occur, I will take the rest as it happens, meaning, accept what it is for what it is and make the best of it, not the worst of it. How many people today try, at times very hard and deliberately, to make the worst of the present reality? And this is their representation of positive thinking and unconditional love!!
Do people like me suffer with a degree of
anxiety in relation to our present abusive reality? Yes, but it is what it is
when it's beyond our influence. So many more people desire the present reality,
or, desire to look upon the present reality as something to escape from and
certainly not something one embraces in love. Try to remember, it took billions
of people to create their present reality, who are we to force change upon so many?
Yes, we also exist within this reality and yes, we have a right to influence
change upon this reality, however, to try to force or manipulate change, especially
deceptively, is simply being apart of this reality. You are not changing a
thing.
Stoicisms is simply an indifference to pain
and pleasure, meaning, one is not desired over and above the other, within
this, traits of anxiety are unable to control our lives to any great extent.
You could say that stoicism creates a balanced mind therefore reality, where a
desired state is never forced, only influenced. When you decrease desires,
levels of anxiety naturally decrease as well. You will also look upon the present
reality quite differently, knowing that you may or may not be able to influence
the present reality.
What brought this on is a reaction by a
so-called social worker to a person suffering with depression. At no time was
the person suffering depression seen to be suffering anxiety by the social
worker, this lead to depression being treated and not anxiety which can cause
depression. We need to all be aware in how our present reality can cause us to
suffer with anxiety and possible depression. Be honest with yourselves and face
up to what anxiety creates, remember though, anxiety will try to deceive us
otherwise as anxiety will often ignore the real truth in favour of a desired
truth.
Yes,
the meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so
simple. And yet, everybody rushes around in a great panic as if it were
necessary to achieve something beyond the (present reality).
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