Ikigai

Greek philosopher Socrates's most famous quote is "Know yourself". If you really know who your true 'self' is, you are also aware of what your purpose in life is. A Japanese concept that explores "a reason for being", called Ikigai, invites you to become aware of the deepest pulsions  of your heart. If you feel driven towards a certain path which you believe your life should follow, if you are convinced that only such path is worth walking upon in order to achieve, not necessarily worldly success but rather inner satisfaction, good for you. If these are your true beliefs, you have discovered your Ikigai. You can consider yourself lucky indeed, because most people don't and probably will never know what Ikigai (a reason for being) is. 

This or That?

If you look in a kaleidoscope, you see wonderful patterns and colors brilliantly arranged in order to create always changing images for you to enjoy. Now look from the opposite side. What do you see but a chaotic mixture of tiny insignificant stones? Have you ever thought how this could be compared to the two faces of "What Is"? On one side you have confusion, indetermination, a kind of mess called quantum field. But you are unaware of it because you never think of taking it into consideration. On the other side you have you Reality, the world that you easily perceive with your five senses. Which one is right and which one is wrong? Neither. As they both form the 'coin', it's up to you to accept or refuse their "Being One".

Still The Same?

Some people undergo a transformation in the course of their lives, while others do not. What about you? Ask yourself if the thoughts, the beliefs, the opinions, the judgements are now the same as they were years ago. If you are not too young, you may check this easily: remember how you talked and behaved when you were younger and compare it to now. Are your interests still the same or have they changed? What about the words and expressions you use when you talk? And the topics you enjoy having a conversation about? If you realize that no change has taken place, good for you. Probably you define yourself as consistent. On the other hand, you may perceive yourself as a "new" person. Life has taught you lessons, experiences made you more accepting, your 'self' has gone through a deep transformation. If this is your perception, good for you. It means that you have acquired maturity.

On The Stage of Life

Picture yourself in front of Creation. What is the place you see yourself in? If you conceive Creation as a theatre, what is your role? First of all, ask yourself if such role has been assigned to you by someone else or you have this role because it was your own choice. The difference in such perception is of capital importance. In fact, if you believe that it was not your choice, you are also convinced that you are powerless. If, for example, you see yourself as an actor, you are bound to follow the director's instructions. On the other hand, if you are the director, you must compulsory stage "that" play. But you can decide to imagine yourself not only as the director and the main character, but also as the playwright. The 17th century French artistic genius Molière was all of them! Is it possible to do the same in the "performance" of real Life? (Why not?)

No More Fear

Fear is a feature of our time - undeniably. Although you see the present moment as the step toward a new phase of your life, you are afraid. Why? It all starts with one or more questions: What should I actually do? What my best action could be? How to move towards my goal? Where to practically look for it? Fear tends to make you move in the same direction, it makes you doubt your motivations. It silently tells you not to dare face new challenges, not to look for new opportunities or solutions. It is so much easier to walk on the path of your last choice, to proceed at the same pace, to blindly move as you have always done. But your inner 'self' tells you something different. It tells you that you can look at a possible different path, and then move in such direction. All is needed is an act of courage: the decision to get rid of laziness, of conformism, of passive acceptance, of any kind of conditioning. You simply have to wake up and open your eyes.

Happenings

You may find yourself in a situation that you believe to be the least (or the most) favorable to your needs. Later you might realize that the reason or purpose for such happening is not what you thought it was. Sometimes you understand why what happened was necessary, other times you don’t. So? A possible conclusion is that you can never say for sure why things happen in a certain way, and even what something actually "is". You are incapable of knowing the real nature of things. Why? Because you can only ‘judge’ the meaning of things according to how you see them, according to how you interpret them, following your personal ‘way of being’. Therefore, it is always subjective. Nothing wrong with this. Only...don't forget that it is only an opinion. "Your" opinion.

Wasting Time

Time is one of the greatest assets of Life, and you simply cannot afford to waste it. Why? Because once it is gone, you will never be able to retrieve it, not even one tiny bit of it.  How can time be wasted? In many different ways. Just a few examples: When you read a book that is dull, or an article that only tells nonsense; when you listen to news that keep repeating - although in different ways - exactly the same things; when you watch trash TV, a silly comedy or a meaningless movie; when you gossip, when you spend hours on computer games, when you engage in idle thoughts, etc. Time is precious and not using it properly is a big mistake. Using it properly doesn't mean that you should only apply yourself to serious or useful activities. You can have fun, you can be entertained also in an 'intelligent' way. It's up to you to make the wise choice.

Genius

It is an undeniable fact that some people are smarter than others. By 'smart' I mean that they are able to grasp difficult concepts that are beyond the common general thoughts. In fact, not everybody can understand advanced maths, quantum physics, or the structure of the DNA. But what might seem stranger is how a few human beings's minds are capable of recognizing patterns in the structure of our world that are totally 'invisible' to everybody else. I'm referring to genius. Such word is usually referred to one individual whose intellectual capabilities are above the normal ones. But, I wonder, where do these beyond-normal capabilities come from? Can't beyond-normal mean beyond-human? Just speculating!

Rebellion vs. Perspective

There are people who feel the need to always be against something. They have to protest, defy, criticize, not matter whom, no matter what. Sometimes their cause is just, and their demonstrations deserve to be appreciated. But other times such defiance is just an "attitude". Accepting that intelligent human beings choose to deny the evidence of ascertained facts goes against any logic. So, one possible explanation is that such people - at a deep level they are probably unaware of - don't really 'believe' what they say. It's just a superficial layer of mistaken pride, self-confidence and stubbornness that gives them the illusion that, in behaving as rebels, they are proving to the world how tough, strong, powerful they are. Actually - in a real situation faced by the whole mankind - they are simply showing their lack of perspective.

A Memory of Butterflies and Swallows

Yesterday, during my daily walk, a saw a butterfly. Not a particularly beautiful, colorful one. Just a small, white butterfly. As strange as it might sound, I was in awe. Why? Because butterflies have disappeared. As swallows. Not too many decades ago, you would see flocks of swallows flying and chirping all day long, and - especially at sunset - they would gather and circle together like children at play. It was a beautiful view. Butterflies of all colors and sizes would twirl around, briefly stopping on one flower, and then another, creating a Van Gogh-like scene. Meadows were quietly lively, skies were noisily cheerful. Now... no more! The flowing waters are not cristalline as they used to be, the air is not as pure and clean as it once was. It's a truly different world. Is it possible for it to go back to what it was?
Maybe... this is what is starting to happen right now!!!

You

If you were asked who you are, what would you say? You would certainly tell your name, your profession, your status, your achievements, your possessions, your likes and dislikes. And so on. But this is a description of what you have and do. It is not "who" you really are. If you have ever asked yourself such a question, why not try and see what the answer is? But a deeper quest is necessary. You need to carry out a more profound examination of your inner 'self'. You have to discover the depths of your soul, where the true longings and needs are hidden. Only then, maybe, will you be able to find what the answer - your answer - is.