10 Beliefs

Given the recent surge in “Top 10 Lists” on everything under the sun, I too felt like coming up with a list of 10 items. I thought of listing “Top 10 Parenting Skills” or “The Top 10 Dog Names”, primarily because I had recently written about parenting and owning a dog (in separate articles). However, I discarded those ideas as quickly as I had thought of them as the question that had intrigued me more was: “Is there any purpose to life, and if so what might that be?” Based on that, a list of 10 things that I believed in came to mind, because you see, prior to figuring out your life’s purpose, you must believe that there can be such a thing as life’s purpose.

So I share 10 beliefs in no particular order.

1. I need to love myself. For that I first need to be myself and then like myself. I must stop being harsh or judgmental about myself, or the other. And I must stop blaming myself, or the other, for my life's perceived messes.

2. I need not be simply who I am but who I am meant to be. For that I need to do away with all my ‘baggage’: cultural, religious, societal, capitalistic and consumerist learning about pretty much everything. In order to get to my core or essence, “stripped of everything, who am I really?” is the question that needs to be addressed. 

3. I need to let my mind be still. Only then will I be able to reflect on my life and where it's headed. During this reprieve I exercise regularly, eat healthy, drink lots of fluids; I rest my mind frequently; I pause to look at flowers, trees, squirrels, clouds, sun, stars….perhaps easier said than done, but I make a conscious effort. It reminds me of my insignificance. Yet, when I am ready for 'change' I can look upon mountains, and feel strong enough to move them as well.

4. I need to be happy. Contrary to popular belief, pursuit of happiness is not overrated. Therefore, I seek out what makes me happy and then pursue it, irrespective of fears of failure, rejection or regret. Even when faced with challenges, I remain happy and I accept and learn to deal with them, because they help me grow. 

5. I need to acknowledge my darkness. And that it's there for a reason. Light would not be light if it were not for darkness, and vice versa. Opposites make up the whole. If I cannot entirely let go of the dark side then I need to control it, versus the other way around.  

6. I need to be one with nature and people. I can truly love nature unconditionally and she loves me back in a similar manner. And be one not just with ‘my people’, but people of all kinds, nationalities, cultures, religions, gender, age. I can only do this once I stop being judgmental and superior. 

7. I need to stop fearing life and death. I need to love life. Recall that life is a gift - perhaps the greatest gift of all - hence I must not wait for it to be taken away from me. So I live life, love life, live love and love love – all in the here and now. That moment creates my heaven, or it will create my hell. But I can choose what I need from that moment. Living in the moment is ‘what is’, so why worry about ‘what if’. And that is how I stop fearing death.

8. I need to attract positive with positive. That is one way to become the flow. I need to be like water: a positive life force as well as positive flow. Water does not resist and it will not be resisted by hurdles - it will simply flow around or through road blocks. But then water can be destructive too. Therefore, too much positivity is also not good as that can sap and zap me as well as those around me. 

9. I need to distinguish between true passion, an escape, and ‘just fun’ activities. Because my purpose or calling in life are likely tied into my passion. For instance, reading books although a fun time pass might be a temporary escape from my daily reality. But it's not a passion. Writing might become a passion but it does not pay the bills. So finding a passion that I can tie into my daily routine at the workplace might make me achieve or reach a 'career high'.

10. I need to find a teacher. Once I find a teacher or two then I stick to him, her, or it, as long as need be. Only I can know who my teacher is. In my journeying I might come across books (as teachers), either recommended, or I just stumble upon them. If I approach the 'right' books (poetry or prose) in a certain way then I can get a lot of understanding of life and love. And I get signs or indicators of my progress towards a purpose. But that process is hard and long. I must be patient and I must not force reading upon myself, because that will do zilch. Over and above books, I believe, the better kind of learning is experiential - I learn from my own experiences: trial and error initially but then with increasing accuracy. Thus, my most sustainable teacher is myself and my core beliefs that have been stripped of conditioning. My best teachers are life and love.

[from Mixed Bag] 

Note: the author acknowledges that “Top 10 Needs” or perhaps “10 Things to Strive For” might have been appropriate titles too, albeit they indicate lack of creativity. He also acknowledges that a list of beliefs has facilitated his work and moved him closer to his purpose in life.

Acknowledgment: This article was first published by the Express Tribune Newspaper.