This Is How To Live

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In every mind is a way to survive—a practical system to conquer life’s constant trials, a scheme, a plan, some way to extend each and every one’s being in the world. In every strategy is a motivation. In every motivation is a goal. In every goal is a priority. And in this priority, we vary. Most people like to think they have it right—their priorities. But it is mostly in this little object that these people encounter their first failure, an unseen bomb that will later shatter a seemingly perfect life.

Knowing ourselves takes time. We are confusions all to ourselves. One can’t always be sure of what he wants. And this is where the existence of our so-called “God” comes to life.

This is when we let go of the wheel of life and hand it over to fate. This is when we let destiny decide which path it is best for us to take. This is when we become robots, following orders from the apparently authoritative society which includes our parents, friends, relatives, teachers, and so many others—introduced as the instruments of providence.

But we have to take note that life is more than a strategy. It is more than survival. Wouldn’t life be such bliss if we didn’t care about priorities? Wouldn’t it be less chaotic if we cared less about sensibleness, pragmatism, and all those matters and just focused on the beauty of our existence? We are gifted with minds no other species can encompass. Yes, this is a burden, a responsibility only we carry. But comes with this is our freedom to take life and manipulate it from the most minute level. Francis Bacon, an English philosopher said “They are ill discoverers that think there is no land when they can see nothing but sea.” Setting your feet firmly on the first step may not be easy. But not moving at all is no better. At some point we will manage to get our feet into gooey mud, hard concrete, or a barren soil. But it’s okay; because life is a slow walk. And all that is left for us to do is enjoy it. Just imagine running all the time or the opposite—being stagnant. Both thoughts are much worse.

It’s scary though, to walk. The fear of the uncertain is something we cannot help. For life is a bundle of mysteries. This is why people spend their whole lives harnessing their brains, their minds to learn things that matter, just to be safe. The question is: What matters? When you ask basically anyone, they’d probably say “Education, it is what matters.” And this is exactly where you see the fault in our society. Because it is not education we hear nor mean. We understand it to be an expectation that speaks of a stable job, a fat savings account, a health insurance, and a satisfied family in the future. It cannot be denied that education matters, but what is more important is how we receive and act on this education because this is where our creativity builds its wings. And that is what truly matters. Education is the basic instruction to living. But life is more than instructions. Taking control is listening to something that is our own. If there is only one thing that is our own, that is our creativity shaped from our imagination. Einstein once said, “Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life’s coming attractions.” And it is our imagination that we first come to know what we want. We need not fear ourselves or our society; because the same things that make us demons are the same that make us human.

Of course, there are weaknesses. We all have weaknesses. But being the master of oneself is accommodating these weaknesses and knowing what to do with them. It has always been pointed out that emotion is the human’s downfall; that it distorts clear and logical thoughts; and ruin perfectly laid-out plans. But how is something that completes an object’s existence be that object’s downfall? How are emotions a disgrace to the human’s existence if humans can never be humans without emotions? Emotions isn’t our downfall, it’s the inability to handle them that is. We humans are not simple. We are driven by our philosophical questions and our struggles to be reunited to the natural world. We are forever seeking. With uniquely humane feelings we search for answers, with these same feelings do we arrive at solutions. But it’s not always a question of finding answers. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of living. We cannot let our emotions drive us completely, but these should inspire us to know what it is we should be going after.

Living is not consuming time until death knocks on our door. It’s taking the front seat, handling the wheel, and driving like the road will crack any second. Knowing ourselves takes time. It’s all right to not know our priorities the minute we decide to have one. We may constantly be confronted with misperceptions and wrong turns leading us to take advises from others who has lived long before we have. But it is important to know which to follow and which not to. We may commit mistakes but at least we’ve done what we think was right. Being afraid is natural, it is inevitable in moments where we feel alone and unsure. But it is only when you know what you want and where you want to be that you discover the way to stir your life to. It is okay that we cry, hate, and be pained. It’s okay to be shamed and dishonoured. It’s okay to feel bad; because for every ounce of these undesirable feelings is an itch worthy of making life better. Life isn’t going to get better until we make it so. Life isn’t life without a living thing. So be the boss of yours and live. As the saying goes, “Everybody dies but not everybody lives.”