Alright, alright, that’s not how the Radiohead song goes but I couldn’t help it.
I get the daily stoic email every day. It gives me a stoic idea or principal to put across my gray matter and it’s usually good stuff. I got one recently that hit me right between the eyes. The key point being that there is all kinds of people in the world and that’s just the way it is. There are good people and there are shitheads. I’d like it if the whole world was full of good people but that’s not the way it is. It’s actually not possible. It might also mean that if the world was only full of good people I want not be around anymore…
I’m as guilty as anyone of wanting everyone to be like me. Whether that’s me as a shithead or me as a good person doesn’t matter just as long as there aren’t any differing opinions. I figure that if everyone was like me then they’d think like me, they’d act like me, and I wouldn’t be so frustrated with the way people did things that are wrong, stupid, lazy, etc etc. That sure would be nice!
The trouble is, I’m not always right. Sure, I’m right in my own world but of course, who isn’t? But the truth is I’m not even right the majority of the time. Statistics have me to understand that almost 80% of what I think is wrong. True story, we tell ourselves lies all day long.
What seems to be the better is the worry about NOT being a shithead myself which is a lifetime worth of work. And another is to do what I can to discern who I want in my life and how I insulate myself from the people I don’t want in my life in healthy ways. We don’t have to be friends with everyone?!
I can hold onto stuff. Yeah, the best of us do. I mean, only the best of us do. I get resentful. I ruminate on things and just keep ahold of that hot coal in my hand all the while it’s burning me. I sure do love attachments. 99.9% of the time or greater I can simply let go and release myself from my own and others negative attachments.
The last thing which is probably the most important thing is this, no one is being a shithead to just me. If someone is shithead, they are usually a shithead to everyone so you’re not that special. You’re not special is also known as don’t take everything so personal. We’re living in a world where we could interpret everything as an attack or we can focus on other things and MOVE THE FUCK ON!
The opportunity:
What do you need to let go of so you can move the fuck on?
Thanks for your time, have a great day!