Brothers and Sisters,

I can only encourage all of you to never let the weight of the world drag you down into a pit of your own degeneration and eventual demise.

I have allowed this to happen to me, as has literally everyone I have had the pleasure to know and grow up with, each in our own various ways, but with a hefty vein of commonality.

Some of the people I have known have been fortunate enough to "dig themselves out" of such a situation by their own determination of will, others have believed they are powerless to find an exit.

All I can say is that I have watched too many people either throw away the life they have or worse utterly destroy themselves, because they couldnt parse themselves from the world around them, and when the world around them reflected pain and sadness and resentment deeply into the pit of their souls they allowed it to control them and drive them into despair.

This is one of the ultimate pitfalls of human existence, and I am beyond fortunate and grateful that I have woken up to my fallacy of "powerlessness" to change my own circumstances, because I truly believe if I did not I would have been dead by now due to my own self destructive tendencies, reinforced by the same self destructive tendencies of those in my environment.

Be strong brothers and sisters, do not let the world destroy you.

Okay, im sure you'r intention is alright. Are you satisfied with life as it is? Are you looking to improve something, The most difficult thing we want to have is eternal bliss. This is so difficult to get but we seek it in many forms...
However dont be dilluted by this world. Make the most out of it and be apriciative and dont dwell on the past.
My two cents.

No one is perfect. Just be who you want to be.

Lonliness

Feelings of being misunderstood

Feeling that no one cares or understands

Feeling that there is no one there to help you when you desperatley need help

The understanding that everyone we know is just after their own security; the whole world, each person--family and friends alike--all of them only looking out for themselves and their own little petty desire for sex, money, respect and position, sensual pleasures of all kinds, ego gratification, pleasurable experiences, etc...

When we feel like that its as if substances have only ever been our real true friends...substances made us feel safe and protected and loved. They gave us consolation when no one cared, they helped us when no one was there.

Certainly lonliness and a lack of intimate connection in life is the cause of the downward spiral of substance abuse. Its why we started using them and why we continue using them--and even crave them years after quitting.

Yet an amazing realization; drugs don't and didn't care either. They ate us up and spit us out. Its just an endless craving, endless desire, with no end to it. Drugs proved to be the biggest liars, promising happiness yet leaving only destruction and suffering in their wake.

So this whole world doesnt care. There's not a thing in the world that cares or understands us. There is not a single thing we can have which does not come at a cost.

So there is only two ways to go;

1. Either we succumb to this grim picture by giving up to desire and gratifying the senses as a means to cope with this lonley world, so that we dont have to feel what we truly feel and dont have to do what we truly have to do--so that we are trapped in a cycle of suffering through endlessly seeking out gratification.

2. Or we head in the opposite direction and save ourselves by freeing ourselves of desire, by completley rejecting everyone and everything in this world, so that all that is left is for us to find peace through our own hearts, a heart which we share with the King of the universe, the master of all creation, who gave us this short time on earth so that we may learn this, the greatest of all lessons;

That the greatest achievement is selflesness.

The greatest quality is seeking to serve others

The greatest precept is continual awareness

The greatest generosity is non-attachment

The greatest magic is transmuting the passions

The greatest effort is not concerned with results

The greatest patience is humility

The greatest meditation is a mind that lets go

The greatest wisdom is seeing through appearences.

The greatest action is not conforming with the worlds ways

and that The greatest medicine is the emptiness of everything.


May we awaken from forgetfulness and realize our true home...

Wonderful piece of writing as usual Fran.

Ive helped myself to step into the most satisfying of stages of life after realizing things of this nature.

Just because your in a toxic environment doesnt mean you have to be a toxic person to yourself, you can help cultivate your inner self in a direction which is positive.

Its easier said than done but still I find its not often said enough so I posted ze thread.