The Significance Of Visual Art
Human beings have been creating visual art for tens of thousands of years. For the intelligence of our race to continually revisit this practice of illustration, there must be significance beyond it just being pleasing to the eye. Superficial trends of behavior, which aren’t actually useful to our society, wax & wane with the times. But themes which repeat themselves across great stretches of history indicate not a luxurious & whimsical want, but a primal need that must be met. A desire to be fulfilled or else unfavorable consequences will occur. When I reflect on the psychological guidelines of our wellbeing, I find myself remembering the famous & accurate Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. A roadmap of stepping stones towards our ultimate destination. If you reference this map, which is in itself a piece of visual art (I will touch on this later), alongside human action throughout history, you will see that although we are an intelligent race of beings, we are predictable in nature. Every one of us, even if it appears different in style upon the surface, follows the same structure of development from wanting safety to transcendence & everything in between. This article is an effort to explain the impact of visual art & our tendency to rely upon it, at each level of this hierarchy of which no person is exempt. Before this dive, you must know there are various lenses to view the world. One can perceive life as a physicist, a biologist, a philosopher, etc. Of the universe’s influence, I have always seen this experience as an incredible mosaic. So I refer to everything as a work of art. Hence my interest & interpretation of the subject at hand. Now, let’s begin.
The first two tiers deal with the physiological & safety. It contains the basic needs for food, water, shelter, sleep, clothing, reproduction, health etc. Let me ask you a series of simple questions. Would you consume bread with mold growing upon its surface? Would you drink water mixed with sewage waste? Would you sleep & spend time in a house infested with roaches? Would you wear shoes with gaping holes in them? Would you engage sexually with someone you found to be hideous? If you feel your skin crawling just by imagining these events, the same way I did while writing them, then congratulations, your visual instinct which keeps you alive & on track towards prosperity is fully functioning! Even without interacting with these moments in your experience, there is already an adverse reaction to them. There is something deep within you, an innate knowing, that’s communicating to your conscious mind to “avoid at all cost”. Each one of these examples which are detected first by the eyesight, although not art as you may typically think, are actually paint strokes of the divine. These scenes of nature can be observed as a piece of work reminiscent of what you could see in a gallery; & your natural response to them, is the key which keeps you on track to live sensibly. We are drawn to food & water that look clean. We are attracted to shelters that look pristine. We desire clothes that look intact. There is a drive to reproduce with people who look healthy. Why? Because they are all those positive descriptions at the base biological level. The foundational level which provides the opportunity to sense higher realms of development. A time old saying which states “you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover”, isn’t all that accurate in certain situations if your vision is clear. Yes, there are false assumptions you can make about a person, place, or thing by using your imagination (as opposed to your attention). But if you look at dirty water, & drink it anyway, because you want to “read the book”, then you could quite possibly die due to the liquid being ridden with disease. At this level, visual art signifies life or death. An incredibly useful tool.
The next two tiers involve love, belonging, & self esteem. They contain the needs of connection & status. At this stage, the role of visual art becomes less about supporting our biological existence, & more about orienting our social identity after survival has been taken care of. This is where us as human beings begin to distinguish ourselves from other creatures upon this magical planet. & upon this spinning rock floating in space, human societies are organized by documented symbols we call language. They are visual tools to concentrate unlimited potential & dispel the ambiguity of our nebulus minds into intellectual, manageable parts. A buffer against chaos. You may be thinking “language isn’t visual art”. But if you look very closely at each word & letter you are reading this instant, past the voice in your head, you will see that they are just interesting squiggles you’ve assigned meaning to. Don’t believe me? Observe the Chinese alphabet. To a billion people, it’s as normal of a tool as how we perceive English. But to us, it’s art simply because we haven’t ascribed meaning to it. When you look upon the signals of this world with a silent mind, everything is art. & this vital vein of art connects countless numbers of people across the globe. Imagine if each person on earth understood only their own written language, had their own currency note, & waved their own flag. The profound convenience we take for granted of our society having amazing levels of regulation & communication would be impossible. Visual art solves this paramount problem of the disorientation caused by isolation. When a group uses the same alphabet, they can connect their ideas & emotions with one another just as I attempt to do now. An agreed upon banknote, which appears different all across the world, amongst a collective efficiently facilitates the flow of goods & services supporting a nation’s prosperity. A country’s flag has the power to bring its people under one belief system to organize its parts towards a common goal. & try to travel by car to a new destination not even thirty minutes away without perhaps the most useful form of visual art, a map. You will most likely end up in the most terrifying state for a human being: lost. This is the precursor to impending doom. The closest we can come to our greatest fear of death, while being alive, is being lost. Maybe you don’t see this fact because as a modern individual whose entire life has been guided by symbols you’ve been educated to understand, you’ve truly never experienced the sensation of being completely disintegrated from your environment & consumed by the unknown. But if you look closely at your behavior, you may even be afraid of striking up a conversation with a stranger because you’re keeping the unknown at bay. & you run towards your old friends with a great smile. The new interaction could be brilliant, or horrifying. We don’t know. But the vigorous tendency to survive wants to keep danger as far away as possible. Hence the neverending pursuit of our societies throughout history to utilize the power of visual art to minimize unpredictability. They serve as our compass & keep our minds at ease. Just as our ancestors used the visual spectacles of shining stars in the night sky to ensure they were moving straight. Even now as I write this piece, I am continually referencing Maslow’s pyramid as my compass to create a coherent string of ideas. Otherwise, I may drift off into an irrelevant tangent & veer into useless wandering. An aimless trek which degrades one's self esteem overtime. We are at our most dignified when we have the sense that we know where we’ve been, where we are, & where we are going. This context would be impossible without the use of vision & visual tools. Why do people acquire large houses? Luxury cars? Expensive watches? Premium art? They serve the same primal function as smaller houses, common cars, cheap timekeeping tools, & basic artworks. Again, it goes back to the significance of the symbol. There is a sense of achievement & rank they wish to convey to themselves, & other people. To proudly exclaim their self image not through the limitation of sound based language, but through universal visuals that “After my arduous efforts, I have attained wealth. This is proof of where I stand amongst the hierarchy”. They desire to continually rise up the totem pole, transmuting work into rewards, ingrained tendency imprinted on everyone of us. Which brings us to the final two tiers of this dive (or climb. Whatever works for you).
The top two levels of our map of needs is self actualization & transcendence. They involve the desires of realizing one’s full potential, seeking personal growth, peak experiences, & ultimately awakening to dimensions of life beyond one’s ego to join the larger picture. The true composition which surmounts the spiritual problem of attaining enlightenment or self awareness. This, I believe, is the only real longing of the human being because it isn’t a detour conjured by the imagination subject to cultural conditioning. It is the existentialocean where each flowing river, in their own styles, meet at the end of the journey. Those who travel along the continual adventure of being all that one can be, most likely have role models they look up to, or vision boards used to counteract distraction. They create environments within their physical surroundings & their mind which keep their eyes on the target to allow the power of inspiration to guide them. Every major religion on the planet has these symbols, these blueprints of morality & excellence within the framework of their structure. Christianity has Jesus & the cross. Islam has the prophet Muhammad, the crescent & star, & the kaaba. Taoism has Lao Tzu & the ying yang. Hinduism has Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva, & the aum. They are examples of human behavior optimized which we can envision & remember which way to go in this world where there are endless directions to walk. When we find ourselves overwhelmed, disconnected, or lost, we can recall a symbol, a visual representation of our chosen path, to orient our senses towards victory. These psychological tools bring us to a mental state beyond the appearing & disappearing frames of reference caused by passing thought & emotion into a more stabilized, truthful being. Just as pilgrims travel to Mecca & circle around the kaaba, every persona revolves around some symbol whether they are aware of it or not. It is the nature of thought structure to identify a center (or else it will devolve into psychosis). An immovable point from which all ideas circulate. & because the basis of thought is imagination, this point must be an image one can rely upon to transcend the temptations of low hanging fruit. These upper echelon forms of visual art have the power to dissolve the allure of egocentric entertainment. They guide our life energy & attention to depths of meaning which lead to those peak experiences we all desire. From perceiving only waves of water to the oceanic feeling. From fragmentation to union. I have experienced myself that equanimity is the key to a human being reaching their full life’s potential in perception & expression. It is the fertile soil of mind that delivers one from compulsion to choice. & for this reason I create photographic artworks infused with this meditative perspective I have been developing over the past twelve years. In short, I paint with light to pause the mind. It is my wish to open this ocean within you through my work. & I hope after reading this text, your daily life is filled with a vision rich with meaning.
The Night’s Value
As you know, absolutely everything in our solar system depends upon the unrelenting warmth, light, & power of the sun. It is the ancient engine of all life on Earth. In my experience, I have noticed a direct correlation to my wellbeing & me improving my relationship with our star (enhanced mood, sharper eyesight, greater ability to concentrate / think, better sleep, & a sense of being included). The desire to intentionally commune with it began from my deteriorating psychological & bodily health. On my path of building a business, I decided to use the stability of a typical 9-5 corporate job to fuel my dreams. For many people, these situations can be soul crushing, which it was for a time, until I began to understand the mechanics of how to optimize my health through trusting my sensitivity as opposed to running from the pain.
Within this circumstance I placed myself in for various reasons, it has connected my nervous system to extended periods of time indoors, no sun exposure, & fluorescent lights. There was a particular day where I felt especially distraught. Almost as if my experience was being oppressed. & instead of pulling the obvious “I’m at a job I don’t enjoy. That’s why I’m upset.” I looked deeper because the problem seemed to be a biological issue. My intuition then led me to focus on the lighting. The aspect of office culture that is so pervasive it almost becomes invisible. It’s almost like noticing that grass is green, & your skin is brown. Yes we all know these simple things we gloss over, but we can become aware of the effect of these aesthetics if we employ our sensitivity. So I began observing the objects around me very closely, noticing how the light reflected off of them & into my eyes & understood instinctually that something was wrong. I then conducted research on fluorescent light discovering that it’s basically an abominable invention to make the inside of man made structures visible. They are the unnatural illuminators in unnatural environments that emit subliminal flickers. These are registered as chaotic signals that get sent to the brain causing increased blood pressure, panic attacks, anxiety, depression, & fatigue. “According to some experts, just 6 hours of exposure to artificial light is enough to impair your cells ability to produce energy efficiently. This rate of production also decreases as the duration of exposure increases. Besides contributing to fatigue-induced glare, fluorescent lights have been shown to trigger autoimmune conditions, slow down metabolism, disrupt the immune system, interfere with focus & concentration, & contribute to skin aging” (Molly Duong). So the mechanism which allows people to see & operate inside & be excluded from the elements for forty hours a week contributes to a slow death. Just as we shouldn’t consume processed foods because of their well documented degrading effects on our system, so shouldn't we consume processed light. We need whole foods & whole light that can only be provided by nature. I believe most people don’t perceive light as something we consume, but it has a profound effect on the development of our bodies which translates into mental health or lack thereof. All other diurnal (as opposed to nocturnal) creatures depend on sunlight to support their activities except human beings.
This led me to question with our levels of intelligence & sensitivity, why have we created environments which displace us from the source of our health? I’ve theorized it arises from our fear of the dark. An age old paranoia we have yet to integrate in our lives. It is in this darkness that our greatest dread lies: the possibility of death due to unforeseen danger. As human beings, we are incredibly reliant on our eyesight to the point where we are pretty much useless without light. & this ability to see & manipulate the world & protect ourselves which would naturally be stripped from us while the sun is on momentary leave has freaked us to our core. The invention of the lightbulb, I believe, is deeply rooted in this primal attitude. As a modern person living in the year twenty twenty four, I’m sure you’ve never experienced pure, open darkness (unless you’ve been fortunate enough to leave the metropolis & camp). I feel there’s always been some sort of way to see at all times whether it be from streetlights, city lights, flashlights, etc. Our society is created in such a way that the stage is always prepared to act upon; even crowning our commerce headquarters of New York as the city that never sleeps. A city which is always awake. Did you know that if you endure twenty four hours of wakefulness, you’ll experience similar symptoms as if you were exposed to fluorescent light? If you’re awake for thirty six hours, you may experience blurred vision, confusion, anger, & illusions. At forty eight you’ll be met with depression, hostility, extreme emotional dysregulation, poor auditory judgment, memory loss, & an inability to form coherent thoughts or sentences. With seventy two hours of sleep deprivation, your brain will produce vivid hallucinations you wouldn’t be able to discern from reality. These are of course, extreme examples, but look within yourself & around our society & you will clearly notice these symptoms sprinkled across the human race. In our fear of darkness, of the void which holds all of creation together, we have completely removed it from our lives along with its profound physical, psychological, & spiritual benefits. Because we have become so intellectually focused which drives us to control (rather than cooperate with) nature, we have praised light as being our only companion to live well. With the use of light, we are able to notice distinct parts of the whole we can then use for our purposes. But in the darkness, we can see nothing. No-thing. The nondual existence of life that supports the dualistic. If you consider this truth carefully you will see that darkness is actually the foundation of light itself, so it must be profoundly important to commune with & understand because it cannot be destroyed. Even the sun can explode into nothing, but darkness is immortal. In our incessant desire for comfort & convenience, we have built our civilizations from the materials of the Earth but have picked which parts we like to keep & which to leave. In our ignorance caused by personal preference, we’ve concocted unbalanced, nutrient deficient environments. Just as we have with processed food.
It's no coincidence that egos become large in cities where artificial lights never shut off, & the people there have effectively hidden the night sky. The same sky which naturally would be the visual opening to observe the rest of the cosmos off in the great distance. Imagine how small & quiet your mind would feel if each night when there was a clear sky, you were able to experience the majesty of our galaxy in which we live. You would wonder each night what created this incredible brilliance, & understand completely that you aren’t the center of life. That the creation in which we live is beyond our comprehension. The lack of light pollution would dissolve any limited & separate identity because you would see yourself as a citizen of the universe. Your mind would be blown with the nightly reminder. But we have become intrigued by our own creations to the point where we have become unknowingly trapped in them where we develop a myopic context. Within this safety we created enclosures where we can fall asleep to entertainment while we’re designed to be vibrantly awake. In cities if you look towards the sky, all you’ll see is a blankness which more than anything draws the attention away because the eyesight is drawn towards points which it can fixate on. There’s no opportunity to see as far as you are capable. & this limitation, on our human being, creates the sensation of being caged. Our consciousness, a boundless tool to experience any dimension of human life, becomes suffocated to only see a sliver of life. & mostly within this sliver are the processed environments we created where we are hoping to find fulfillment. But because we are inventions of the Universe, only other inventions of the Universe will fulfill our desires as they are within the same system designed by the same architect. There is a wholesome unison. This is the key to wellbeing. Our awareness, our consciousness, can expand without limit, so we need to enter an arena which stretches without limit which is complete darkness.
Our identification with the intellect has caused us to attach to its voice & attribute who we are to the mind & body. As a result we keep the lights on to support mind & body pursuits. But as we are seeing in society, this simply is not working to generate long term wellbeing. It is the accessories of life we can be involved with while we have physical visibility, but our true self is discovered only in the dark. Beyond our ideas, our social identities, our possessions, our lifestyles, etc. It is in the embrace of the night that we become intune with our intuitive genius by merging with the great rest which provides insight for activity of the next day. Our 24 hour society ultimately breeds human mediocrity because it removes the opportunity to abide within a sacred space. The crawling caterpillar only evolves into a flying butterfly after its hiatus from all activity within its cocoon. A great oak tree only sprouts against gravity, pushing through the ground only after its seed has spent time becoming situated underground. & all mammals develop within their mother’s womb before they are born, where some creatures can even walk & run upon reaching the world.
The Earth & its natural cycles serve as an additional womb after birth where we continue to grow our energy. There are finely tuned periods of contraction in stimulated activity, moving against resistance powered by sunlight, & sections of expansion in inactivity existing without friction while darkness pervades your plot of land. If we praise one side of this coin & forget the other, we will become a people out of balance that will eventually be unsensible enough to create our own cages with their complementary lights which never shut off. In this state we will never truly sleep. We will become inspired by fatigued induced thought patterns woven with fear & believe building walls around ourselves is an excellent epiphany of genius, when in actuality it is the digging of our own graves. This sleep deprived ideology which translates into action all around the developed world is the ax with which we use to cut the brand we sit on.
Now, that’s enough ranting. I hope I’ve painted the picture well in your mind. I know most of us are entrenched in this nonstop metropolis lifestyle, so it’s hard to leave. But, with intentional action, it is possible to accumulate the resources to create a life that is intune with the sun & the moon. Not the marketplace. It is my dream to be aligned with the natural celestial rhythm. It will be so in due time. & I’m sure I’ll have countless mystical experiences & insights & share them with you. Until then, I work with patience.
The Man & The Gold Coin: A Lesson On Gratitude
Before the age of IOUs & paper based currency, there was a man who amassed a great fortune through arduous effort. His money was entirely made of gold coins. At his older age, he had earned & saved enough to receive his net worth from the bank, & retire. From his home, filled with pride, he strutted through town & boldly requested his money in full; upon which he received a large burlap sack of gold. His treasure was heavy, but somehow felt light atop his shoulders as he reminisced on the past era of hard work which translated into opening the new chapter he entered on this day. Walking with his sack, he imagined the life of leisure he would live until his final hours. He thought of the fine silks he would wear. The cured meats he would eat. The pristine silence he would hear. & ultimately the ease of his own mind & body which had been continually disturbed by his exertion throughout the decades. He was nearly overfilled with joy as anyone would who received this great of a return on their investment. As he walked closer towards his home, the pounds of his fortune weighed upon the muscles of his body, & he decided to sit by a river to rest. This was a large body of water which his town depended upon for survival & trade. There were fisherman & merchants who populated the area taking advantage of the opportunities for fresh food & frequent business. It was a bustling scene. Due to the affluence concentrated in this area, there were also thieves looking to acquire through theft in a moment what other people had worked for years to attain. The man was fully aware of this having spent his whole life within the town. He knew which places to be & which not to be. So he sat peacefully observing the scene allowing his body to recover for his continued trek home. To pass the time, he put the sack of gold on the ground by his side & took out a single coin with his aging hand. He admired the way it glistened in the sunshine & the integrity of its metal. Still taken aback by his accomplishment, he sat there in awe that his dreams had finally been realized. He began to flip this coin in the air, enjoying the premium sound & its spectacle with a childlike grin painted across his expression. He flicked his coin with ease three or four times, but on his next go, he gauged the trajectory wrong & his coin fell in the river. He watched his metal with horror as a piece of his new life was in the process of being swept away. In an unacceptable attitude, filled with pride & a protective emotion towards his entire treasure, he didn’t hesitate to jump into the river in an effort to retrieve the one piece. The man acquired his earnings through focused perseverance, & wasn’t going to let his age get in the way of this habit. He had gotten so fixated on his blunder, he left his sack of gold behind on the shore. With endurance he fought against the current, grabbed his coin, & made his soaked way back to where he was sitting. His expectation to toss his once misplaced item to join the rest was contradicted by a paralyzed terror. The sack was gone. Bandits watched the stream of events closely & of course, saw moments of the man desperately jumping into the river as the window to steal his prized possession. The man looked around & saw no signs of where his treasure could be. The scene had too many moving parts to discern a trail. It was lost. With his one coin, he put his old hands in his head with agonizing tears knowing that he was responsible for ignoring the full picture. By placing his attention on the one percent he didn’t have, the other ninety-nine disappeared.
I wonder what precious things we have lost because we were giving our attention to this one percent. When we were unaware of the importance of transitioning from tunnel vision to an inclusive one to maintain what we have achieved. How quickly we forget to be grateful for what we have by always looking for the addition, or replacing what we believed we have lost. We may desire “perfection” because of the longing for wholeness, but at times our perception of what is full is distorted by our fear & pride. By what we imagine is right instead of what actually is. Instead of what actually works. Take a closer look at what’s already around & within you. Because once you lose sight of that & take your treasures for granted, you’ll have nothing. Even if you once worked for something. I have felt the pain of this, & hope this timeless lesson told in a new way allows you to divert a similar fate. If you truly take this to heart, life will reward you.
Understanding Wealth Creation
The current of money is located at the transaction: the exchange of buying & selling. Master the art of transacting, actively participate in its dance, & you will acquire more than enough money to do whatever is possible in society. The origin of the word transaction means “to settle.” Meaning both parties involved come to an agreement that produces mutual emotional stability, which ultimately grants everyone access to a closer position towards their ideal experience. Towards a higher standard / stable platform of living. This is the only reason people engage with the market: either to maintain or elevate their living standards which requires constant energy & resource input to uphold. & this continuous flow of rising again, the origin of the word resource, is the byproduct of successful transactions facilitated over & over again throughout the course of one’s life. Just as the breath continually flows in & out the body to renew itself & stay alive / intune, so does the wise merchant keep his or her eyes on the market looking for people whose standards to improve or maintain through his or her offer. & with enough manual transactions, the wise merchant eventually has the capital to create a system of automatic transactions that can interact with the market’s cycles without his or her conscious effort. This is the pinnacle economic position every wise person strives for. Because from there, societal life becomes effortless & one can take their attention away from the tedious process of attending to survival, & into the expansive, exuberant process of devotion to one’s passions for uninterrupted periods of time. This, in most minds, is heaven on Earth, & the most sensible way for an intelligent being to live on this planet. Not as a slave to its society’s customs, but a conscious player within it. Embracing its change, aka opportunity, to receive higher quality rewards as a result of continually growing wisdom of the world & self. & the best exchanges are seamless with the after effect of bliss. Like the experience of smelling your favorite dish on an empty stomach, seeing the smile of a loved one, or hearing the waves of the ocean. It is so smooth, so frictionless, that it's almost imperceptible to understand a transaction took place. & that is the quality of life: uninhibited energy gliding across the eternal stability of consciousness. The sun sparks energy, creates resources, through the collision of atoms; & so does a sound business do the same each time it interacts with customers. It is the involvement, or collisions, of life that release its bliss; its resource. So if a merchant has isolated him or herself, he or she is finished. The whistle of trees is not made by the leaves or the wind, but through the play of both. & in this technological age, many of us are tricked into believing we can have a lively relationship with computers, but this continual exposure to gadgets only leads to stagnation due to lack of proper feedback. Life must interact with life to flourish, not with machines.
If you could touch another human being, & dissolve their boundaries against life, sending them into an ecstatic experience; this would be the best way to transact. & the best each one of us can do is discover how we can remove our own boundaries & deliver our solution to others. Whether it be through artistic expression, spiritual practice, culinary creations, public speaking, scientific engineering; anything that opens your door to the boundless is your gift to the world, & your “item” of exchange to transact with the market for monetary trade & life itself for energetic trade. You can make this “item” a physical thing, which will open doors of society specific to its genre, but if you make it your very being through leading your life with keen awareness, then all of life will open to you & you will be greeted anywhere there are sensible beings. Most of the time, simply being able to see another at their core is enough to unlock their bliss; their resource to rise again. To have a vision that can notice, & therefore interact with another’s essence beyond the illusions of conditioning they have attempted to place around it, is enough. This is the power of observation, not information, that has the ability to not necessarily break barriers, but to see past them because it is attention that was made by the divine, not accounts. Therefore it is intune with the divine system, the true system that symbols could never interact with. So to get to the bottom of anything to generate valuable transactions, you must first be willing & capable of clear observation undistorted by the libraries of society, which allows everyone involved in the exchange to settle for an improved standard of life. Understanding this has significantly improved my life in the world, & beyond it in every way. I hope this blesses you as it's done for me!
The Power Of Conversation
What changes the position & course of one’s societal life is one: developing the being to initiate new conversations with self through imagination & with others through articulation. & two: taking the moment's action to bring the intention into reality. Repetition of this at greater levels of skill is the key to greater levels of access within civilized nations.
To con-verse is to share a pattern of sounds & symbols with another. It is where two minds become one though attending to the meta-structure of the discourse which both parties add to moment by moment. This is opposed to a lecture where a single voice dictates the thoughts of an audience in a one sided force of influence. Lecturing is effective for a group to know the mind of the speaker, but the speaker knows nothing of the audience. Its social function is to create a hierarchy. Whereas the conversation’s social function is to create rapport. To balance the playing field. To share each other's humanity without resistance. This is the only route to sensible coexistence because everyone’s intelligence is free to play & welcomed to engage. & those who present unsolicited lectures automatically get talked about behind their backs because they leave no room for the con-verse. They slowly believe only in their own uni-verse, & fall into narcissism. The people will tolerate their expressions to maintain the benefits of their dynamic, but they will despise him & have no desire to coexist to share their humanity.
This is a foolish way to behave: to be on a self created pedestal that simultaneously ostracizes oneself from those who he or she could learn from & care for with sincerity. So if you desire connection, initiate conversations. If you want neurotic isolation, lecture to people who didn’t ask for it. Of course, if your tongue generates words of wisdom from your heart that intends to uplift others who yearn for your message, then by all means take the stage to articulate with passion! But if you have the common sense to see the situation at hand is a mutual dance of expression & discovery; & not an opening to dump your “insight” upon an unwilling other, then please, have the humanity to con-verse. If you handle these two methods of communication sensibly, the world will open to you in ways you couldn’t have possibly imagined because there will be outcomes manifested by collaboration: life’s magical production.
The Case For Entrepreneurship
The only hurdle that gets in the way of a human being moving from mediocre to monumental is mastering his or her survival process. To become efficient enough in this arena to create the space & time to attend to what life has to offer beyond the obstacle. If you pay close attention to the blockades of yourself & others close to you, you will see everyone’s being interrupted by some aspect of attending to survival. Otherwise, we would be attending to what resonates with our higher faculties such as searching for truth, connection, & fulfillment without breaks in focus. Most people become so occupied with their process of survival, arranging their lives to where it takes up the majority, that the thought of even planning for a life where it takes up the minority doesn’t occur.
The massive pursuit of survival that consumes the schedule of 9-5 players is truly only the foundation of life that provides the opportunity to live as a naturally intelligent human with the means to experience larger aspects of life. The building of this foundation is hard work, yes, but it shouldn’t take 60-70 years to complete. I feel 5-10 years is reasonable once one has the skills to actively play in the economy. But this can only happen if one trusts their creativity enough to pursue entrepreneurship to receive their full worth & receive money at their own rate through their own offers to the world. The income is inconsistent yes, but such is the flow of life. Naturally we reap what we sow, & then hibernate with the earnings we acquired in bountiful seasons; not work for the same rate all year round regardless of effort or environmental factors. The salary keeps survival steady, but it also prolongs the process of completing the foundation. It’s a construction that takes an unnecessarily long time to complete & includes many who never finish. These people are compelled to work on another's idea until they reach the age where they physically cannot. An incredibly limiting model. It's far more sensible to exchange unique offers for money that uncap the risk taker’s income which allows him or her to finish the build in a reasonable amount of time so they can get on with their real lives.
One of the greatest opportunities capitalism has to offer is the ability to create wealth through one’s own operation at their own prices that places oneself in the position to influence their level of income & survival process with greater precision than if one were to work a job whose money faucet is turned on & off by his or her employer. It is the wisest way to participate in a free market economy. To become monetarily wealthy, income must be flexible which aligns with the elastic structure of life. Anything which isn’t malleable cannot grow hence the ignorant structure of salaries.
Of course, if one has no ideas, connections, or skills to enter into entrepreneurship, they must begin with a salary to sustain their lifestyle as I have. But this person, if they’re awake & aware of their own mortality, will do everything he or she can to mature into relying on pliable natural processes to thrive instead of rigid mechanical ones. Not only do these remove the limit from one’s financial growth, they improve the wellbeing of every aspect of a person's life because they are required to live & abide by understanding as opposed to automations. The entrepreneur places his or herself into a setting where they either learn how to build something of unique value for others, or starve. They must dig deep within themselves, past the immature tendencies of narcissism to perceive the holistic network in which they exist. Building rapport with entire communities, as opposed to just a single boss is not only advantageous for the entrepreneur, but a requirement to succeed. One must have a sense of aliveness & vigor to fulfill this role; unlike the employee who can afford to be half on to repeat habitual tasks & receive a full paycheck. There comes a certain point in a human being’s evolution where he or she must admit that salary is ultimately sedation, commissions require consciousness, & useful creativity is only one way to liberate their rates of income from their God given limited time.
Salaries, frivolous entertainment, mundane administrative work, processed foods, loans, sex, drugs & alcohol, etc. these kinds of shallow things people depend upon for their emotional stability are what one must divorce themselves from, at least for a period of time, if they desire to consolidate their energy enough to wake up. To see the caged game they’re in, & have the determination to proactively study the real game board of free markets to use the markets to become free.
Capitalism is inspired & fueled by self actualization. The one who seeks the true self through introspection or meditation to uncover its unique wisdom, & shares it with their inclined markets will be rewarded by those yearning for substance like most of us are. Capitalism was created by rebels intelligent enough to see their open prison, driven to use their available energy to break free. It was not found by those who found comfort in their distractions; entertained by the limitations of their circumstance.
But in the meantime on your road to freedom, if you have temporarily chosen to play the 9-5 game, like where I find myself now in crossroads between it and entrepreneurship, use its tasks to develop the ability of self governance & concentration to transcend the temptation of supplementing the mundane atmosphere with entertaining multitasking. You will need this coherence to one day govern your own operation to earn your freedom. With patience & the will to succeed, all possible things can be done.
Peak Or Platform
Would you rather climax with excitement & fall back towards the bottom, or gradually rise to new heights without ever hitting the ground? Your answer for this question, & search for either choice, has a profound effect on the quality of your life. One begets instability & addiction, while the other slowly enhances your being. & the primary difference in outputs between the two is the timeline of gratification. If you simply learn how to wait between the time you begin a process & the experience of its payoff when it’s complete, without removing attention, you will see the greatness of your potential unfold into reality. The key to this is building not for the pursuit of pleasure, but from the seat of joy. So, if you are to realize any blueprint of value, its operation must be a flow you appreciate. Otherwise the power of focus to break through barriers & reach the next platform will be unattainable. Everything reverberates & is made up of parts which have space between them. Even if you can’t see it. Therefore, there is always room to weave through an obstacle. But only for the action that is consolidated enough to fit amongst its cracks. If it is too broad, it will not pass. Just as the tip of a pin can pierce your skin, but the blunter handle on its opposite side cannot. & if you carry your attention along the stimulating, turbulent path towards an imminent peak, you will not have the steadiness to hold your pin of attention with a grip which can penetrate towards a higher state. Your life will be defined by a continuous cycle of summits & valleys. It will have the sensation of change, but you will get nowhere.
In 1970, there was an experiment conducted by Stanford University which studied the ability of a child to delay gratification against the sugary temptation of marshmallows. Scientists placed a kid in a room alone with this treat, but told them if they wait 15 minutes, they would be awarded a second one. An intriguing offer to a young mind. There were some children who couldn’t wait for a larger experience of deliciousness, & gobbled the one marshmallow before they were eligible for another. Then there were some who had the wisdom to consider that with patience, they will receive double the goodies. They tracked these people throughout the course of their lives & noticed differences in their destinies. Those who could not wait, ended up achieving less than those who exercised their will power as a child.
Michael Jordan, perhaps the greatest basketball player of all time, was cut from his high school team. J.K. Rowling, the literary genius & founder of Harry Potter, was rejected by 12 publishers on her way to distribute the now ubiquitous story to people across the world. Sir James Dyson, creator of the Dyson vacuum, a billion dollar venture, created over 5000 prototypes over the course of 15 years until he discovered the correct model. Walt Disney, was told by his first newspaper editor that he lacked imagination & had no good ideas. Theodor Suess Gisel, creator of Dr. Suess, was on his way home to burn his manuscripts after being rejected by 27 publishers before a friend found someone who could print them.
What do all of these monumental people have in common besides the fact that they refused to quit? Each & every one of them went through an arduous process which did not give them immediate satisfaction. In fact, they all must have gone through incredible pain with the knowledge that their calling had been rejected by their peers. That reality had placed a barrier delaying their dream’s fruition. The person who's searching for a peak experience just around the corner could not fathom continuing after such defeat. If the goal was simply to have quick fun, not to transform their own lives & those around them, they would have dropped their ideas at the first sign of resistance. None of these profound inventions & feats which have given large amounts of humanity a platform to stand upon would have seen the light of day.
It seems we are given ideas & levels to reach through our execution of those ideas not simply for selfish reasons. We receive missions supported by our natural & specific inclinations which have the power to uplift humanity as a whole. Obstructions are simply a test of resolve. “Do you trust me”? The universe asks as it simultaneously gives you a path while creating obstacles along the way. It’s a mysteriously intelligent game of developing our character into one that cannot be copied. Truly, the only reason we look for the climax is because of a false, conscious or unconscious belief that we are unable to withstand the discomfort of a meaningful journey. This, of course, is far from the truth. But if you’ve handicapped yourself through consuming snacks & rendered yourself unfit to travel up a mountain, you’ll choose a mound instead because you can see its top from where you sit. It’s approachable yet degenerative pursuit does you no good because it does not support the universal program of evolution. How much effort does it require you to reach into your pocket, open your phone, & watch a tik tok. It probably takes less than 1% of your power to do so. If you repeatedly pull these slot machines across our society, of which there are many, the “muscle of greatness” within you will atrophy because of the time old truth: if you don’t use it you will lose it.
So although you may see the desire to climax to be a natural & common destination, I implore you to look deeper into the implications of seeking these parabolic joy rides which marketing departments conveniently leave out of their campaigns. As a human being, you are designed to dream, to build, & to endure. Use these divine gifts to patiently bring your valuable expression from your mind to the Earth. The world will thank you!
The Utility Of Change & Silence
Once you are able to fully see there is both the light of knowledge & the darkness of ignorance in your mind, you will have access to a profoundly useful flow of information. If you have convinced yourself that the data you have within your limited thought process is enough to navigate this ever changing world, the enrichment of your life will be over. It is the reception of dynamics which brings fulfillment, not the acquisitions that truly only add up to stagnation. The wind that passes through your hair on a hot day. The mystical aroma of your favorite dish amongst the laughter of friends. The gradual transition of orange to purple hues during a spectacular sunset morphing into twilight. The influx of emotion from gazing into the eyes of a lover. All of these in common, cannot be brought to a halt & contained for safe keeping. They are the seemingly immaterial magic of living that comes & goes like a whisper. It is this hide & seek act of life, this impeccably subtle game of existential novelty, that keeps us engaged. An experience of perpetual refreshment is open to the one who knows he or she does not know. Imagine how our nomadic ancestors, before the time of settlements, must have lived. What adventures they embarked on & sublime events they encountered along their travels. Irregular patterns, the ones we crave from entertainment due to our largely sedentary society, is what we all desire to know; so much to the point where I suspect it is a need of human wellbeing to be intune with continuous novelty that is a never ending happening within the natural world. Many of us have taken our longings for real a journey, & suppressed it into desiring to observe simulations. & in this pursuit to engage with curated environments, the ability to even want, let alone be involved with the authentic planet, is lost. Forgotten & replaced by man made replicas.
So how has something as important brought fear to many minds across time & space? Why has the utility & enjoyment of change been accepted in certain situations while in others it is rejected. It seems to be a result of perspective. Of preference derived from personal interest which can never align with how things are. Generally, we want things we like to stay, & things we don’t to go away. & because the modern attitude is of competition with nature, not of cooperation, many millions of people have shrunk every aspect of their life down to avoid this competition that cannot be won. We cut instead of cultivate. Our hair. Our imaginations. Our idiosyncrasies. Our wildlife. We even cut off our friends & family’s speech when they are going too far “outside the box”. But if you look into the abundance of the natural ecosystem which has been thriving far longer than human civilizations, you will see there are things being trimmed to facilitate further growth. Not cut. Even forests have the intelligence to create fires, not to destroy themselves, but to clean the accumulated decay which lies at its floor in preparation of a new flowering. The snake sheds its skin. The crab replaces its shell. Butterflies break their cocoon. The fundamental desire of life is expansion & this relentless happening necessitates change.
We all have the visceral craving to observe transformation. There needs to be regular first hand experiences of life’s magic to live well. But the effort required in discovering or creating a genuine metamorphosis in overstimulated metropolis environments where many of us dwell, becomes out of reach. The feat of keeping our emotions intact in atmosphere’s where the nervous system remains on edge is an accomplishment in itself. So existing with chronically low energy, but still wanting novelty, we grab for the addicting & instantly gratifying sources of dopamine. & simultaneously, we move ourselves out of alignment with our inclinations to deal with the dualistic outcomes of change. Refusing to embrace the dance, we put our heads deep into the sand of ignorance causing anxiety.
So what’s the solution to turning these burnt pots into malleable clay once again as they were when we were children? The answer I’ve come up with is rest. Have you noticed how flexible you are in all aspects when your mind & body is fully rested? When was the last time you’ve felt truly at ease? It’s probably been quite some time. Too long ago for you to remember. But I’m sure you’ve had moments where you’ve awakened feeling at least refreshed on a rare morning & were ready to take on the world. To bend, but not break with the flow of change. & your natural creativity seems to be an unending force to surmount every obstacle, & enjoy even the smallest moments. It’s a graceful, quiet superpower that’s been overshadowed by our modern lifestyles. Amongst all the noise we invite into our lives, not even realizing that sound is perhaps the greatest stimulant, we lose sight of the signal. A way of being that is attuned to the stability & ingenuity of the cosmos. Silence, I believe, is the way to internal prosperity that inevitably reflects into outer wealth overtime. We may not think of quietness as a resource, but it's as valuable, if not more, than silver & gold. & it is truly in short supply. But for those who are determined to remove themselves from noise, towards pockets of serenity, greatness in their life is ensured. The very foundation of creation, of change, is silence. If this immovable & boundless resource of which we all have access too is relied upon instead of instantly gratifying snacks of all kinds, I guarantee you will move from a mediocre, addicted & constrained life, to one that is profoundly explorative & filled with strength. You will be able to voyage through the waves of life & no longer be afraid to set sail because silence gives you the integrity to release your anchor. To detach from the checkpoints you hold dear. To let go of stagnation caused by chains you have placed upon a pedestal & embellished with gold. If you decide to look for less stimulation, as opposed to more, your moment by moment experience will become a conscious vessel for change itself. Its rolling tides will include a familiar sense of an inviting dynamic zeal as opposed to a reluctant, chilling fear.
Try as hard as you might to transform through constant noise, it will not work. Human life, just as an oak tree, takes a great deal of undisturbed time to develop properly. If you find yourself pushing without making progress, it’s time to submit to how things work. Create a quiet temple for your mind, & patiently observe what life’s bounty will deliver to you. Best of luck along your journey towards the riches within.
On Breaking Conformity
Where there is an attempt to manipulate another, there is also the compulsion of envy that cannot tolerate the freedom it observes. The constant reminder of its own self generated prison. Instead of using one’s energy to transcend, the one possessed by envy uses it to destroy the other to its own level of awareness, to feel once again like an insider: emotionally safe from unfamiliarity that sparks their mind to question about the nature of their life beyond the uniform they conform to. So the one who is committed to finding their full expression, even amongst a land where most are not, one must have the emotional stability gifted by the skill of introspection to continue the journey; because there will be attempts for their freedom to be brought to halt. The conformist will preach to you with their sound logic only relevant to supporting the existence of their tribe, with bargains of safety & advancement up their totem pole. This is of course without the consideration that there are other poles to climb that are far different from theirs. These messages will be emotionally charged & pervasive across the setting which suggests there is no other way to prosper in life. That the worlds which exist outside of their limited sphere are impossible to navigate, & are characterized only by treacherous waters that lead to a gruesome death. They will repeat tales of distant stories of those who met their doom; & will have no rapport with those who succeeded in those same waters. These logical & convincing monologues are expressed not for the wellbeing of the aspiring adventurer, but for the validation of the tribe’s beliefs & code of conduct which suffocates the chief’s mind into thoughtless submission to the dogma. To climb the ranks requires greater & greater levels of embodying not one’s authentic values, but whatever values the fearful tribe has decided keep their unit intact & inflexible. So the chief scoffs at the fledglings who still remember their natural expressions who bide their time at the ground; waiting patiently for an opening to appear to leave the circus for good. “Why wouldn't you want to climb the ladder I have? You must be confused or incompetent,” the leaders will say to the ones whose eyes are still bright with ambitions for their inevitable departure. & upon their leave which they have diligently prepared for, will come the loudest emotions of rebuttals from credentialled members with their most intricate logic as a final effort to save themselves from introspection. To buffer themselves from the truth serum that begins to flow of “Maybe I was wrong. Maybe there is more out there beyond these walls.” But because this would ensure their hypocrisy would be exposed to themselves & their audience, they suppress it in the form of rebuking change.
At this final push for transformation, the individual must remain as inwardly focused as those who are shouting outwardly. For if their line of focus with their inner guidance is broken, it will create the opening for the elaborate distraction to work as intended. To seep into the emotions of the intended receptor to control him or her from within. The one who resists this will be considered the largest fool of the tribe. People you used to know & communicate with frequently will give you expressions of fear. But this is only because you have found yourself in an arena of the lost. So continue the discovery. Meet others along the way who went through the same, lonely right of passage to attain their newfound freedom. Share stories of your courage to become the tipping point for those whose minds are half awake half captured. Be the solution which dissolves the conditioned barriers of minds who desire to remember the real path of evolution; undistracted by the entertaining open prisons of the world.
The Trap Of Vicarious Living
Disembodied & entertained, vicarious living allows one to indulge in simulations while the nonrenewable resource of time fades with every breath. Our system has the profound ability to conjure sensations of all kinds through sheer observation, a magical attribute which serves as an incredible tool for compassionate learning, dually functioning as a psychic snare which demotivates one into action. Perhaps the greatest inspiration in life is a sense of longing to be involved with whatever one is inclined for. An inner calling which influences one's entire nervous system into an organized series of movements producing idyllic waves of joy. The initial exposure to a phenomena is all a human being needs to stay focused on an authentic desire: to dream about a course of action & imagine what it may feel like to accomplish such a grand subjective feat.
Anything which touches our attention immediately enters our minds as a memory of which we have access to at all times through the power of reflection. Do you remember the first time the love of your life was revealed to you? Wasn't this enough for the fire of your desire to orchestrate a second & third interaction? Yes, this initial touch you lived through was sufficient to manifest a lifestyle, career, or person in your life again for the long term. So why then is our culture filled with opportunities to dilute the lucidity of events facilitated by presence in replace of moments brought to us by screens? Like Plato's allegory of the cave, many human beings have become satisfied with "shadows on the wall", with figures on the screen, ignoring the dimension of life that can truly inspire one into living a historical life. But when we travel further away from what truly matters to us for the sake of safety, & our minds become consumed by regular logistics of day to day living, & our bodies become fatigued from the seemingly infinite rat race of survival, we may opt for the easiest, cheapest route of watching another live our ideal moments instead of planning for those times of magic to become our normal.
When we are distant & tired, those are moments especially when we must remember what creates that spark of life within our hearts. If we do not, & revert to the societal constructed simulations of pleasure, we will be no further along our journey because we put the pursuit of truth on temporary hold. A hold as long as one forgets what they truly desire; & there are a plethora of ways to do so: to become ignorant of one's own calling in this culture of mass vicarious living we call home today. A world where we value the characters living within the two dimensional projections within our pockets & living room screen more than the people who are living in our room.
Many fantasize of interacting with people they have only seen through a fabricated peephole where this ideal person's best qualities are on display at all times through a camera's lens by design. We do not see the shadow of a media personality's light, but many want to have their lives, all the while leaving a blind eye to their own existence. This would be obvious to you if you were forced to sit & watch this grand experiment of siphoning power to strangers. An incredibly unnatural behavior for human beings who value what is familiar. What we can touch & feel holds magic, but many voluntarily use their nonrenewable resource of time to champion those who appear to be the embodiment of greatness. The more fragments of media one distributes into the world, the more one can convey an illusory whole picture to a potential audience member who begins to feel they truly understand their two dimensional role model. We even have the phrase in our culture that "we grow up with" those we vicariously live through, but the reality is you've grown up with bits & pieces of not only these critically acclaimed personalities, but everyone around you.
You truly can only know yourself inside & out because of the design of this human experience. Even I, who believes I have a keen sense of attention, am still learning aspects of my twin brother who I literally have been close with since before we were born. This is not to ignite melancholy in your mind, but to reignite the sense of wonder you should have as a human being who cannot & could never know everything about anyone. & this wonder is the very engine which propelled innumerable human beings into action living the most incredible lives documented. They were all driven to be active players in the world motivated by the gap in their knowledge, not afraid by it. What would these characters have done if they simply watched over & over again, for example, movies of others sailing through the ocean instead of getting on the boat to do it themselves? Their subconscious mind would have convinced them the feat has already been accomplished & there is no journey to voyage. This effectively robs one of the very experiences they claim to want. Those great individuals of the past saw a sailor once & thought, "This is it. This is what I shall do with my life", & had no chance to observe a flood of videos on the topic to allow them to second guess the decision. & those great beings of the present do the same, having the willpower to abstain from excessive simulations.
If you omit this ubiquitous, strange behavior of simulated living, you will automatically become a pioneer because life never repeats itself. Its infinite creativity makes this so. Meaning as you sit here & read this text, you are a uniquely designed being with your own inner compass which you can choose to waste on what is synthetic, as opposed to applying it to what is real. Allow enough space in your mind to dwell upon what truly matters. The temptation to fill your psyche with degrading shadows is strong, but the fate of your life is at stake.
Simplicity of mind allows one to enjoy the complexity of existence. & this simplicity is shrouded when you attempt to accumulate the experiences of another. If you wish to clarify your own perspective, which is the most valuable thing you can contribute to the world, you will refuse to vicariously live through the views of another, which slowly you become capable of once you simply stop the detrimental habit; naturally, just as trees grow towards the sun if they are left to their own blueprints. Stillness is the source of creation so the more you align yourself with this indestructible balance, the more creative you will become, filled with the vitality of pure energy, not by the memories you accumulate watching another self actualize. Either you self actualize, or you watch another do so. Flying a plane is far more invigorating than watching it fly from the ground, I assure you.
The Importance Of Integrity
It all begins with an idea.