What Is and What Could Be

"I wish someone had told me that my first step, the first step anyone must take, is inward."

"I wish someone had told me when I was lost and desperate for direction and support that I was really longing to meet myself."

"I wish someone had told me I was the only one who could give myself what I asked from and wanted from another."

"I wish someone had told me that from going within I would meet the only person who could give me the love I longed for, the only person who could carry me through my darkest nights, the only person who could heal the hurt inside me through unconditional love, the only person who could truly love me and that, that person was my highest self. The self who knew of my greatness, my capacity, my truth, my limitlessness. That there behind all the tremendous noise my mind created, behind all my resistance to the quiet, was all I had been looking outside of myself for."

Sarah Blondin, meditation guide

These words are from a meditation I have been digging lately - it directs my thoughts to the right place. Either you are there, or you are trying to get there before all is lost. Or you don't care.

"Everybody knows that the dice are loaded, everybody rolls with their fingers crossed. 

Everybody knows the war is over, everybody knows the good guys lost.

Everybody knows the fight was fixed, the poor stay poor, the rich get rich.

Everybody knows that the boat is leaking, everybody knows that the captain lied.

Everybody got this broken feeling, like their father or their dog just died.

That's how it goes.

Everybody knows."

From Everybody Knows, by Leonard Cohen.

Here are my thoughts. 

Sarah Blondin's words are about true life and true self - you cannot live life fully if you do not know and love yourself. Her words should inspire us to go from "wishing someone had told us", to actually doing the things that allow us to be ourselves naturally.

I think we all know that the self has to come first. Trouble is, it's a simple concept but a challenging reality. We get distracted because life demands so much from us. Compromise. Responsible things, survival things, unfun things, things that kill dreams and diminish happiness. And happiness is what we all strive for, endlessly and in great frustration.

Know thyself, and happiness. These are at the core of life. They matter.

Leonard Cohen's words describe the world as it is. No sugar coating. Like a slap to the face. We all know that too. We want a better world, we want it to be fair and just, we want everybody to have an even chance. But the world is a vicious place; always has been, always will be.

The only way to make the most of your life in a world as cold as this one is, is to take Sarah Blondin's words to heart. To look inside yourself, cut through all the defenses and lies and fears, figure out exactly who you are and exactly what it takes to make you happy - and then do it.

The world and everybody else be damned.