Hi friends. Welcome to the YouTopian Journey. Today’s issue discusses why you must undertake a life journey and awaken the YouTopian within.
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NAVIGATING THE MAZE OF MEANING
“Emptiness is a symptom that you are not living creatively. You either have no goal that is important enough to you, or you are not using your talents and efforts in a striving toward an important goal.”-Maxwell Maltz
We all feel it.
We all must walk it.
The maze of meaning, one that is within the labyrinth of life. Life is a complex and intricate tapestry of experiences, emotions, aspirations, relationships, and people.
And believe me, the people are the hardest part.
We can’t live with them and we certainly can’t live without them.
We may know what we must do. We may know what we need to do.
However, people are always pushing us into situations that are not of our choosing. Other factors then dictate our actions. Social and economic factors begin to determine who we are, what we desire, and the course that we take.
This causes many to stumble. Others to look back. To truly find the way, you must plunge further into the maze.
The further we go, the harder we must navigate.
Unless we have some powerful meaning to keep us going, we may never exit.
Sadly, most rarely do. There they remain, years of their lives gone, swallowed up in the abyss, with very little to show for it.
It happens more often than you realize. People take on a job or career, gaining promotion after promotion, only to find themselves in a position of success. This position may be impressive but deep within, they are burned out, unhappy, and lost.
Why?
Simple.
They never left the maze.
The goals they had were not set by themselves. The ideals they strived for were not developed internally but rather implanted externally.
The maze has become a necropolis, home to far too many.
Do not become one of them.
Do not make this mistake.
You must have something powerful enough to help you find the exit, to dare into the dark recesses of yourself, to deal with others, and to keep going even when the circumstances are not favorable to you. You must have the courage to leave what others proclaim to be a sure thing when you know that it isn’t something that you personally want to do.
This is why having a life journey is so important.
But not just any life journey, the YOUTOPIAN JOURNEY.
It helps us deal with the maze.
It allows us to light the path to personal growth, development, goals, and a deeper understanding of ourselves. It places you on the right course because it is you, not society, who determines the path.
And it is truly needed.
“It is not possible to run a course aright when the goal itself has not been rightly placed.”-Francis Bacon
A LIFE JOURNEY LEADS TO FREEDOM
“A slave is someone who cannot set his own goals and live his own life, but exists to fulfill the aims of someone else.”-Richard Taylor
We all think we are free, but we aren’t.
We are slaves to circumstances.
Slaves to careers.
Slaves to relationships.
Slaves to the demands and desires of others.
Why is this the case?
Because the desire for safety and security outweighs the desire for freedom.
This is never a worthy exchange.
Realize that a life journey acts as a catalyst for personal growth and development. We learn and evolve as a result of different experiences, challenges, and opportunities. Each step offers valuable lessons that shape our character, broaden our perspectives, and enhance our skills. Yet it also offers the possibility of failure and loss.
This is precisely why so few desire to undertake this journey. The pain is too much, the danger is too high.
The risks outweigh the reward.
But it is only by overcoming the risks and dangers that we can ultimately reach the reward.
“The devotion of the greatest is to encounter risk and danger and play dice for death.”-Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra
And the reward, the treasure, is priceless.
The freedom to be ourselves. The freedom to accomplish what we desire. The freedom to live in a manner where we are in charge.
And the most rewarding part?
The ability to navigate the darkness and encounter others.
Pilgrims of purpose. Seekers of significance.
Those who couldn’t take the circumstances thrust upon them and decided to change their lives, and in the process, themselves.
Fellow travelers who share similar aspirations and values.
Who knows that their place isn’t here.
Who are undertaking their own journey.
When you encounter these people, you will recognize them.
Join with them. Ally yourself with them.
Encounter danger with them.
And above all, help them.
“An old alchemist gave the following consolation to one of his disciples: “No matter how isolated you are and how lonely you feel, if you do your work truly and conscientiously, unknown friends will come and seek you.”-Carl Jung
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Trust me.
Shaun
Thank you. Much food for thought!
I really appreciated this post today. In fact, the opening quote may be the catalyst to finishing my latest post. Thank you!