Published by Bert Meert on Friday, September 25, 2009 |
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How do you feel about the stuff you own?
I personaly feel as if I don't own anything. What I do own is my body, my mind, my spirit and my heart... It's actualy hard for me to convince myself I can really own something which is not a part of me.
That is why I spend most of my days imagining new things. And why I love to learn how to transform ideas and concepts into a new part of my everyday reality. Even when I don't experience a new reality yet, imagination already has the ability to satisfy me. It is one of my most valuable assets.
As I matured, the urge to envision and create new things increased tremendously. The impact of shaping reality the way I want it to be is now so strong, there are very few things that can replace it. Once you know how to push the "happiness button" inside yourself, then doing what you love to do, becomes a natural part of the way you express yourself. It can easily become more important than eating, sleeping or any other type of activity you can think of.
While consumers often see their work as a source of suffering, for a creative person it is often a place where they find a lot of joy. Creation releases a lot of energy, while consumption tends to lower your energy levels. That is why conscious creators have increased levels of awareness. Why they are superior thinkers. Why they have more self-confidence and feel better about what they do. Why they love to grow. Whatever amount of energy you put into your creative projects, it is always converted into physical or mental growth.
Most people don't transition from being a consumer to being a creator, although creating is by far the more fullfilling option. Once you've established the habit of seeing your life as one big act of creation, then nothing in this world will be able to convince you to revert back to mindless consuming. True, the creative route is a more challenging one to follow, but the rewards are of a very different magnitude. Instead of recieving short bursts of pleasure every time you aquire something, you begin to experience flow, a stream of joy, moving through your entire being.
Creating has a strong positive effect on people and that makes me believe that we are here to do just that. We are not here to do the opposite. It is not our purpose to collect more and more stuff. We are here to learn. To express ourselves. To grow and help each other grow. We aren't here to follow the latest trends and buy, buy, buy... That's the sound of marketing people, whispering in your ears.
The best way for me to create anything, is by caring deeply about how people feel, live, think and grow as human beings. But there is no way I can do that if I was purely motivated by consumption, instead of creation. I can only do it, by fueling my desire to give and by figuring out how I can express myself better.
And so can you. Create. Don't fall into the trap of mindless consumption. When you eventualy die, don't leave this world with nothing more than a butt print on your couch to remind us of who you were. Don't let that be the proof that you were here. Don't allow that to be your legacy. Instead, create and leave something behind we can all remember and benefit from.
