3/16/2016 0 Comments a valuable lessonWhat is the first thing that comes to your head when you think of enlightenment? Is it a lesson? Spiritual? A state of being? Understanding? Now with whatever definition you related most to, do you think of yourself as enlightened?
Now a couple more questions- what are you attached to? Your phone, a piece of clothing, some books, a chair? What are your values? And why? The reason I’m asking these questions to you is because these are the same exact questions I asked myself that caused me to become “enlightened.” See, for me, when I think of enlightenment, I think of becoming a better and truer version of myself. One who is not afraid to create a life that I see is right, not one that everyone else does. A me who doesn't need material comfort in order to feel at peace or powerful. A version of myself that doesn't need to count on anyone else in order to feel loved, only finding meaning within myself to know I am never alone. Before you close the tab because of how cheesy I might sound, I want you to take the time to think about the questions I asked. While you think about the answers, let me tell you about how these questions affected me. Over the brutally long summer vacation we just had, (I say brutally because unlike the majority, I was not at the beach but withering away in the cold) I had a moment. One day I just felt completely empty. As if I was worthless. And I had this overall feeling of sadness for some reason. Was I just having a bad day? Was something stressing me out? Things I kept asking myself. But the next day I felt the same way. Then the next week, and the next. Looking desperately online for some inspiration to help me get my mind off of these feelings I stumbled upon a quote. it read, “Life is a journey of self discovery; a test of finding oneself; a test to see if we remember who we truly are despite our names and bodies and material possessions that seem so real. And the second we remember who we truly are, is the second we set ourself free.” -Unknown As soon as my eyes had finished taking in every word, my brain went to work. Reaching into every corner of my mind to pull out every thought that connected with those words and finding the emotions deep inside me that I hadn't felt in awhile that were triggered by them as well. I realized that the reason I was feeling so down was because I wasn't looking up. I was constantly looking down on myself, pulling myself under all of my everyday stresses, making those my priorities and not leaving anytime for myself, my values, and what I wanted to do in that moment or day. So then I asked myself, what do I value? What am I attached to? And all the other questions I mentioned before. Once I was able to answer them all with no hesitation, (and I don't plan on sharing my personal answers here) I felt content with myself. Like I had done my brain a favor. Like I finally remembered who I was, and what kept me full of joy instead of empty and glum. I felt, by my own definition, enlightened. But why am I bringing this up on this blog post? Well simply so that you and others who will read this who might be feeling that relentless emptiness, can learn to find comfort in yourself and your values. You need to learn to ask yourself important questions like the ones I did once in awhile to "remember who you truly are," what your purpose is, and to recall everything that makes you, you. Find your own version of enlightenment and stick with it. You never know when you might need a little company from yourself.
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