"be in this world, but not of it".

So I have just created a new post here;

http://livewithoutconflict.com/blog/follow-bliss/

The world is mostly filled with people who believe that the external events of the world determine their level of happiness. So they jostle and strive to get what they want. Even at the expense of others.

So then we get the situation we have, where we have far greater possessions and wealth than 50 years ago, but also much more stress. Less happiness and more depression. Surrounded by toys and lovely things, but still feeling empty, frustrated and unhappy.

Economic and social systems are based on the lowest common denominator. Something that most can understand and work within. So individuals that are seeking a more evolved path will always be ahead of the system. So you operate within a context that is judged by profit or some other external measure.

Yet your integrity demands that you measure your actions by your internal standards. Less enlightened Colleagues then are going to always judge you as being wrong.

Many businesses deliberately avoid being first to do anything. The reason is because they say Pioneers always end up with arrows in their backs. Every great person was persecuted for being ahead of those who did not understand. Copernicus, Gallileo, Jesus, Suffragettes and so on were persecuted not for being wrong, but because they made injustice and falseness harder to live with for those who wanted to live with them.

You just have to develop the ability to supply your own happiness and sense of self esteem and not seek it from the world around you.

I have a question about this…. what if you act on your conscience and integrity, but you're in an environment where the vast majority operate on the "whatever I have to do to get by" system and you find yourself completely at odds with colleagues and management, and you're slammed and made the scapegoat for standing up for your principles……? How can you stay strong in your own beliefs in what can be (oftentimes) overwhelming opposition?

E

I wrote a post inspired by your comment, but it was too jumbled. So I’ve broken it up. The first part is posted at;

http://livewithoutconflict.com/blog/2008/08/21/the-breaking-point/

More to come.

Pinky,

Exactly, nothing can take the place of direct experience.

But what if the struggles you’ve had through the years are because you simply have never figured out who you are? who you are suppose to be? you’ve never found your identity? or, to put it another way, you’ve always relied on others for your identiy? that is, your self esteem has come from others. Then everything you have written is totally worthless.

It’s not that the second group is looking for a quick fix, they are struggling to find an answer, any answer, to their problem. But you can’t find a solution to any problem until you fully understand what the problem is. And to simplify the problem as being one of “integrity and character” vs “no integrity and no character” completely misses the real issue.

Identity is developed at an early age. It is difficult to find later in life, so people tend to grab on to whatever is put in front of them in a desperate attempt to find some resolution. Some peace. Some happiness. What isn’t understood is that it all comes from within! To look outside of ones-self for answers is the real waste of time. The answers are within, but we don’t teach people how to look inside,. How to control emotions and thoughts. How to be happy simply because we want to be happy.

There is usually a consistency, but every time you have to make a choice, your decision is between choosing to be whole and true to yourself or to get a result you want.

Essentially it’s about trusting that you are worthy, as opposed to believing the result makes you worthy.