Death is a Foreign Destination Until the Day It Becomes Domestic
We must all continue to learn that, no matter how much we learn, we will never understand certain aspects of life and its incomprehensible nature. I do not claim to understand any one particular thing on this topic in any regard. For me, the concept of death must be thought about in a manner that provokes deep thought and perspective. Doing so, in my view, is necessary to frame the picture of life and its context as what things — both good and bad — are: meaningful experience.
The idea of meaningful experience, in my view, is to view it all in the present for the present that it is. When one views it as the gift it is, there is a peaceful acceptance when it is no longer here (as will be the case at some point for every one of us). When one is experienced enough in this life to understand how fragile and short it is, that mindset is possible regardless of the undercurrent of fear that exists in all our thoughts (in general terms) on this subject matter.
There are no words to sufficiently explain why, who, and how we are except two: “human” and “being”. For me, being a human being is not only a blessing but is in direct contrast to where I’m headed in the future as I choose to be in a state of action. The state of being that we choose is derived from our state of mind. One’s state of mind determines what side of the same thing we choose to see. We’re all in this life together, but we will all experience it differently. The common denominator of that difference is what our mind is set on (hence: mindset). Over time, we can either refine our optics (the way we see things), or we can equally use our mindset to create optical illusions. This choice forms our individual cardinal points that largely dictate our life’s trajectory. We can refine our optics, making life tolerable and manageable, or we can set our minds on an optical illusion, enabling self-destruction.
We are not all created equally — hence the term “individual” — yet we all possess an equal ability to create our choices. The fight for equality will never materialize the way each individual expects because equality is a subjective measure. Each individual sees it differently. Unfortunately, most today ultimately use it as a base of unhealthy comparison which leads to the “better than” syndrome (a.k.a. feelings of inferiority or superiority — either of which is an illusion). I propose a focus shift from fighting for equality to fighting to experience life equally for oneself.
To be clear, I’m not speaking to the historical fights for equal rights that make a more just and fair society. I’ve been a beneficiary of that in so many categories. I respect and deeply value the actions of all of the people who have fought for my rights and those of others. What they’ve built is equality of opportunity. What I’m referring to (and what many conflate with the latter) is equality of outcome.
We’re all experiencing this life as a collective, yet we’re individuals and can make individual choices. As individuals, what one person has will be experienced differently by the next person. Not only do the perceived positives affect each person differently, but there is rarely an understanding or even awareness of the struggles others are dealing with that accompany what they possess. That lack of awareness/collective ignorance is why we lack the empathy we desperately need as a society. Therefore, equality of outcome is not what it seems. Thinking from that standpoint can allow us not to be envious regardless of circumstance.
I assert that focusing on experiencing life equally for oneself — not based on the template of someone else — creates harmony within human nature versus trying to fight human nature. It is possible in harmony (both musically and within the universe, which, to me, are one and the same) to have dissonant notes. That does not mean those dissonant notes disrupt the other harmonious notes we all desperately need in our life like happiness, fulfillment, friendship, love, partnership, family, achievement, and — most important — purpose. In other words; don’t let the dissonant notes distract from the main harmonies that we all want to hear in life. With the right velocity, the dissonant notes will add even more character to your life’s composition.
Based on this fact, I choose to look at life with a child-like heart and a symphonic mind led by curiosity, clear focus, and a heavy emphasis on consistent adaptability. That keeps my mind as flexible as possible for the corner up ahead that I don’t know.
