Nothing in life has any meaning, except the meaning that we give it.
Throughout our existance, we seek to change how we feel about the experience that is our life.
And we always want to feel good or at least avoid feeling bad about ourselves, our choices, decision, in short “our” world.
What determines when we feel good or when we feel bad?
Whether we feel good or whether we feel bad, is entirely based on what think certain situations in our life mean to us.
That is why two different people can be in the exact same situation but react completely differently.
Just think about people that grow up under difficult circumstances. Maybe their parents were abusive, or they didn’t even have someone that loved them and taught them about life.
What happens?
Some of those people take this experience of growing up and make it mean: “I never even had a chance. No one loved me!”
Others take this experience and make it mean: “Because this happened to me, I will give my all, so that my kids won’t experience the same.”
Similiar people. Similiar backgrounds.
But don’t you think that one of the two interpretations of meaning will have a radically different outcome on how life will turn out for that person?
Who of the two is happier, more connected socially and lives a fulfilling life?
You’ve got to take control of the meaning that you give events, people and situations in your life or else you will be controlled by your gut-level reactions of fear and laziness.
The next time you get angry or frustrated ask yourself: “What do I have to believe in order to feel this way? What do I think is the meaning of this?”
When we get frustrated or angry it is usually because we perceive things to be out of our immediate control or agianst the notion of how we want things to be.
But when we take a closer look, is this really so? What is the real meaning behind this?
While you are still pondering on this, lemme go and fry plantain.
