At the foothills of a struggle for survival

Everything seems, sounds and feels so much better inside our own minds. 

God bless the human imagination. It’s such a wonderful, fascinating, tricky thing. 

But as a result of this glorious machine, each of us are burdened with impossible expectation, right up until the moment life slaps in the face and says, welcome to how it works.

Epictetus comes to mind, who once said whenever he saw a person suffering from nervousness, he would think, well, what can he expect? If he had he not set his sights on things outside man’s control, his nervousness would end at once. 

This is a stoic reminder that when we give up any expectation of what things should be, and allow them to be what they are, peace be with us. 

It’s how the strong survive. We find ways to reorient ourselves. We make the heroic decision to stay with whatever life gives us. 

Take the universal human struggle of waiting in line. It’s a frustrating, boring and time consuming activity. 

Unless, of course, we bravely admit to ourselves that life is the line. We admit that we are no longer in an us versus them relationship with the line. 

This is it, this is as good as it gets, this is the best day of my life. 

I actually wrote a song in my animated folk rock opera about this very concept:

Once again: This is it, this is as good as it gets, this is the best day of my life. 

That mantra that helps me appreciate the absurdity of life and stay grounded in such situations. Every time the words come into my consciousness, the will to survive begins flowering inside of me, and the everyday resilience to persist in my efforts advances just a little bit more. Regardless of what the movie inside my head tried to tell me. 

Epictetus comes to mind once again. He also said to thank the gods for making us strong enough to survive what we can’t control. 

Next time the world says, welcome to how it works, do whatever it takes to get yourself in harmony with reality. 

LET ME ASK YA THIS…

What would be smart for us to start doing in order to survive?

* * * *

Scott Ginsberg

That Guy with the Nametag

Author. Speaker. Strategist. Inventor. Filmmaker. Publisher. Songwriter.  

[email protected]

www.nametagscott.com

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