‘You’re in denial’, whispers the mind.

(I know that argumentation very well.)

‘You’re just selfish and naive’ is another one of its popular lines.

They used to make me cringe, those judgements, the objections, the mental moral whipping.

The personal mind having a ball while you’ve just found some peace of mind.

There’s this idea that I should suffer for other people, that there’s this obligation to feel for other souls in pain and do something about it (especially being outraged on social media), not just live a happy and simple life.

It’s complicated.

And that’s exactly how the mind likes it.

‘You should read the news, take a stand, show some responsibility!’

That used to be enough to make me feel complacent, restless.

An egotistical coward, even.

But the voice in your head, this extremely intimate and very subjective commentary system that’s ever present and always prepared to show you how bad and lost and self-centered and wrong you are, is not the voice of reason.

It’s not conscience speaking to you.

It doesn’t mean anything.

And it’s most certainly not you.

Just realize this:

There’s no objective ‘good way’ to live.

There are no points to score by trying to be altruistic and caring.

You can either be out there day and night to protest whatever, or stay in your garden for the rest of your life and live a solitary life.

None of those options is better than the other, and I truly mean that, apart from the subjective worldview you live in and from.

Which means that it’s up to you to follow the nudges of your heart and do what feels right.

It means you can ignore the commanding voice of the ego, even if it tells soothing stories about what it means to lead a responsible life.

You don’t have to do or become or attain ANYTHING, but you can do what you want.

Literally everything.

Without feeling paralyzed or condemned by the harsh voice within that doesn’t know satisfaction or moderation, and most certainly hasn’t got a clue about being, just being, with no specific goal or attachment to an outcome.

You can totally be a driven advocate for social justice or the environment or global conscious growth, but you don’t have to if the only reason to go there is to satisfy the demanding voice in your head.

What if motivation came from a positive place, instead of a negative, fearful source?

What if you choose to be free from conditioning and upbringing and intellectual demands, or at least explore that possibility, and see what grows inside of you from a place of relentless, fresh opportunity?

You really, REALLY don’t have to listen to the mind, although it might take a while to get familiar to all of its cunning disguises.

What would happen if you keep your awareness wide open, instead of tightly focused on the voice of (made-up) reason?

Maybe it’s time to find out?

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(Photo by @parkergibbons, for Unsplash)