Writers Block

Sometimes in life you get excited about something and cannot wait to start. Starting is never the problem. There is energy at the start. Drive. Plans to be planned. Dreams to be dreamt. Goals to be set.

Somewhere down the line, the energy fades. The possibilities get weighed against reality. Is it really worth the time and effort? Why does it have to be so hard? Don’t they say “if you can dream it, you can do it”?

Is it reality or the possibilities that need to be changed? One thing for sure, reality has a habit of doing its thing no matter what. Reality is reality. If reality is going to be there no matter what, it is a good idea to embrace reality and work with it, not against it. The key is to understand it.

Many a monk has sat quietly meditating on that exact question-what is reality? Reality is not a belief. Believing you cannot do something is not reality, it is a belief you hold. Beliefs help us manage the act of living. Most are not even from ourselves. They give us the means of dealing with reality when we cannot understand it. When we live beliefs that do not reflect reality, conflict arises. Religions are notorious for building up sets of beliefs for people to follow. Some you can tell mesh with reality. They are the ones that make sense and prove themselves time and again. Such as “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” or “as you harm none, do as you please”. Beliefs do not change reality. Reality changes beliefs. It does not matter how much you believe the earth is flat. It remains to the reality that it is round.

I fear more about politics like Republicans and Democrats to the south and Conservatives, Liberals, and New Democrats up here based on how tied they are to beliefs. Supporters take an almost cult like following to their chosen party. But how do they line up with reality? Diversity exists. Countries do not. We make up countries. That’s why borders keep changing. If it was reality, countries would exist whether we believe in them or not. Enough people accept them, identify with them, put pride in them and would die for them. But if all humans disappeared would nature be concerned about Polish trees and English fish? Nature does not care about borders.

What are we to do? Not everyone is going to take the time to reflect and understand reality. But I invite you to take a moment and look at a belief you have and think about how it reacts against what reality is. Does it make sense against the back drop of experience? I am not advocating for no beliefs. I just think all told, we do better when reality plays a part in what we believe and do not believe. Challenging a belief will either make it stronger or prove it can be dropped. Either way, it is better to know than assume.

Long story short. Live for reality. It is the only way to go.