The Musings of a Mind

Okay, think back, when was the last time you thought, "What's the point?" I'm gonna hazard and guess and say for some, it hasn't been all that long. It seems to be a pretty common thought, actually. And a good one at that.

Wondering what the point of something is perhaps one of the most crucial points to developing our minds and our intellects. If we aren't constantly questioning things, then we become stagnant. To see it from a different perspective, let's use the child's most common question, "Why?" Asking why becomes a fundamental part of developing our thoughts and our lives. It becomes the basis of what makes our lives everything that they are.

Then stop, again, and think, how many times have you thought, "It doesn't matter." What have you lost with that thought? What have you put aside? Everyone does it, all the time, and you know, that's okay. There are things that just don't matter that much to us, and if we lose something from it, then we'll still get along fine because we ask "Why" to something else. But what if that something becomes something life changing? What might we have lost by not asking ourselves more about it, looking more into and finding out what it had to offer?

But how do we decide what to ask about and what not to ask about? Is your brain starting to melt yet from reading this? No? Hmm, I must not be doing a good enough job at making you think too hard. Thinking too hard is perhaps one of the greatest reasons that things don't get done in our lives. We sit there and think too much about the "ifs" and the "maybes." I know everyone has at some point, it is just part of life. It's learning to not let those things catch us and hold us, but to make a decision.

And I'm finished musing.

The Truth of Self Control

Ever wondered why self control is sometimes made into a big issue? Or why it seems that when people don't have it, it almost always looks like they're having fun? I've wondered about that, a lot, actually. But really, as I've thought about it and as I'm learning about it from personal experience, having self control really is much more fun, because then you get to pick what you want and what you do, and are not controlled by what you want and feel like you're neglecting yourself if you don't follow those urges.

Self control is perhaps one of the most neglected talents among the entire human population. Honestly, think about it. If people learned to control their wants, society would be better. Hate, anger, crime, addictions, unproductivity, teenage pregnancy, so much of this would disappear. A bit of control, and life would be dramatically improved.

"But I'm fine with how things are." Really? So many people claim that, that they're happy with the way things are. And it's true, they may find some happiness, when they're engaged in the activities that give them pleasure. But when they are denied those activities, whatever they may be, so often I see them upset, angry, depress, worried, nervous, etc. Their lives become a complete mess, until they're able to fulfill that desire, that urge.

"It's so hard to have control." It most certainly is. That's why it's called self control, because we're learning to put our wants under our control and direction. It takes a lot of hard work, and a lot of people don't want to put that work in, especially if they don't really understand the reward and benefit of doing so. They see it simply as denying themselves of their pleasure. Really, though, I think pleasure comes from allowing oneself to pick what to want, pick when to engage in activities, and giving oneself the ability to say no to things that just don't seem right or won't lead to lasting happiness.

"Why should I even bother?" I personally sometimes wonder how I can trust people who don't want to control themselves, or even worse, don't understand why they should. Sure, I might get along with them, but how do I know they won't let their desires override their judgement, or lead them to put aside a responsibility for something that needs to be done right away? If they have no control over themselves, how can one expect them to have control over things outside themselves?

There is truth in seeing that those with the most self control are the ones who succeed in life. They learn how to put their natural desires aside and focus on the needs of the moment, like work or school or training, etc. It's something I think that we can all take a lesson from. I won't ever claim to be in great control of myself. It is so much easier to simply let myself follow my natural interests, but I find it so much of the time to be detrimental to my health, or my emotions, or my spiritual life. When I take charge and put myself in control, I am happier, healthier, more focused, more in tune, and able to function and perform better.

Having self control is the secret, I think, to living a truly happy life. Learn to control yourself, and you can learn to control almost anything. It may take a long time, perhaps one's entire life. But so long as we are working towards having self control and keeping it our goal, I think that we can accomplish anything we set out to do, in time.