Knowledge or Baggage?

Often, when we do things, it is determined by our perception of how to do it. The perception itself is determined by our knowledge based on beliefs, dogmas, past memories, insecurities, worries, fears, etc. So, is such knowledge knowledge at all?

Merriam-Webster has these definitons for knowledge

• the fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association
  
• acquaintance with or understanding of a science, art, or technique
• the fact or condition of being aware of something
  
• the range of one’s information or understanding

Let us consider the first one – The first definition to me means “baggage” – not knowledge. How can you understand something objectively if it is based on our previous experiences? Isn’t that flawed? This contradicts all the other three definitions following it. Knowledge is the process of learning something. You cannot learn something if you already have a closed mindset or under heavy influence of your past experiences. For learning something, one has to start fresh by clearing the mind of all the trash.

So, the first step to acquiring knowledge is to get rid of any old baggage that you might be carrying with you. Then, you will be surprised that the amount of information you can learn from anything. From a flower in your garden to your neighbor talking about his new car to your child babbling away happily…

You don't need your baggage in pursuit of knowledge

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Achieving

It is easy to be an achiever. On the other hand, it is very hard to be ordinary. Every person is born to do great things. However, we constrain ourselves within false boundaries and settle for something less. We try to get a job at Google when it is easier to start a company like Google. We strive hard to keep our jobs intact by curbing our natural creativity and flair, while we are born to do otherwise. Achieving is easy. It is actually much easier than convincing ourselves that we should walk by the rules of this world.

The problem is that every one of us has been told in some point of our lives about what is “safe” to do to gain society’s respect. We take these lessons to heart rather than the lessons that come from within us. We “learn” to believe that these fake rules created by people who were scared to explore their inner selves are the rules to live by. Look at every child – he/she is an achiever. They play by their rules and they are not scared by what you think of their perception of the world.

Being an achiever is the easiest and best thing one can do for themselves. All they have to do is be themselves and do things that really make them happy. They have to let their inner child take control of the outer world. If only everybody could do that, we will have this world overflowing with happiness and tale of accomplishments.

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For who?

Have you ever asked the question – For who?

Whom do you work for? Who are you trying to impress? Whom do you write for? Who are you trying to make happy?… so forth.

The fact is that if the answer to your question is not ‘myself’, then rethink your actions. Because, the best way to achieve something is when you do it for yourself. If you are an author, if you constantly think if people are going to like your work, you can never be yourself. Be yourself and you will create a master piece.

It is a simple rule – try it out, you will definitely see a change in the quality of your creations.

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Probability of Happiness

If your happiness depends on the outcome of your actions, you will rarely be happy.

We can never control the outcomes of our actions All we can control is the the actions itself. Our quest for happiness should end right there. I’ve seen people getting worried about something that “might” happen. The thing to remember is that the said thing that “might” happen may also “might not” happen.

For instance (hypothetical), we go to a grocery store to buy some fruit. We know that we might either get an Apple or Orange, not both. If our happiness depends on getting specifically either of these fruits, we not going to be happy 50% of the time. However, if our happiness depends solely on our action of going to grocery store in search of a fruit without caring what we get, we will be always happy.

It is interesting that despite the probability of something happening our way is almost always 50%, the probability of finding happiness is rarely 50%. It is around 10% or even less because we keep worrying about the “what if that does not happen factor”.

If you want to be happy, find it in the journey, not the outcome.

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Doing things

Do things only because if you don’t, you will lose your sleep. That’s all. No other reason.

Once you have decided to do it, ignore the world for good. Don’t fear or mind what the rest of the world is going to say about this. You are doing it for yourself. You are doing this because it feels like it is what you must be doing. It is a call from your higher self. Nobody else is going to feel the same way as you do. Hence, why are you listening to them?

Remember, the first line is VERY important.

How aware are we?

Are we living or just motoring along? How much aware are we to our surroundings? How much of that awareness tranlates to learning?

Awareness + learning = Happiness

A simple exercise will illustrate what is going on with our lives – Just for 10 minutes, walk outside in the open (your community, college, workplace, anywhere where you can see the sun and feel the wind) and observe everything. Don’t ignore anything or take it for granted. You will surprised to see how many things we take for granted on a daily basis.Simple things like growing grass, scent in the breeze, your neighbor’s kids playing, cloud patterns, etc. Once you observed these things, ask yourself, WHY? See if you can explain the reason behind these to your mom or grandmom or your kid. If you can’t, that might be because you don’t know yourself and you’ve been taking these simple things for granted in your lives.

The real secret of happiness is awareness translated to learning translated to knowledge. Once you become wise, world will make much more sense. But for that, you first have to step out of your ignorance and become aware of every wonderful thing that happens around you.

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