“As long as the mind clings to belief, it is held in a prison.”
~ Jiddu Krishnamurti
Self-Improvement made me believe that I should improve my life to get what I want.
Please read that again.
So this is what I did.
I followed all the methods and techniques to ‘improve’.
At one point my morning routine was ± 2.5 hours long.
I meditated.
I read.
And a whole lot of other things that I believed improved my life.
Honestly, some of them DID improve my life.
But I found out for myself that it is not about improving my life.
It is about perfection.
It is about finding a solution.
Not forever improving and never finding the solution.
Here is my point.
You are unserious if you believe me.
You are serious if you ask yourself.
If my mind is at the root of the pain in my life, then improving my state of mind will keep the mind in control forever. Even though I may experience ‘improvement’ (read more positive feelings), the negative feelings will never be gone.
I believed improvement was the solution.
But the solution is the solution.
And for there to be a solution there has to be a problem.
And I was not aware of the problem.
Now that I am aware that my mind has controlled me since the dawn of my existence.
After I realized that I do not want to be controlled by my mind and the consequences it creates.
I see that all the time I spent on self development are wasted years.
And time is as precious as it gets.
I never get it back.
And I never can go back to the youthful boy I was during that time.
But please ask yourself.
I am telling my story.
But believing it to be your story, would be a mistake.
For it is NOT.
Your story is your story.
And your belief will remain a belief.
You will never understand, if you do not want to understand.
The serious individual has paused the reading a few times already to think about it.
To see what it means.
If I may assume you are exposed to the self help industry, right?
Maybe you ‘took action’ as well and have or did have a morning routine, practiced meditation and believe that reading books is good for you, correct?
If yes, I have a question for you.
What do you want from all this?
Why improve?
For what?
What do you want?
Read 1 book a month, for what?
Meditate 15 minutes per day, for what?
Journal, affirmations and gratitude, for what?
Why my friend?
Have you ever asked yourself this?
Or just believed it is ‘good’?
Did reading ‘money making books’, made you more money?
Or did you just become a better reader?
Did meditation give you lasting peace in your life?
Or did you just become a better meditator?
Let’s be honest with ourselves.
If you could master singing by listening to Michael Jackson,
Many singers would be legendary…
I won’t name your hero’s.
Because your mind would be at outrage if I talked about them which goes against your believes.
So let’s play a different game with the mind.
Whoever your hero’s are.
Ask yourself:
Did reading the books they wrote, give me the same result (or even a part of it)?
Did watching their YouTube videos and following their methods, give me what I wanted from it?
Or was I just looking to distract myself with entertainment?
I am not saying entertainment is bad.
For I myself watch documentaries and videos (of e.g. professional athletes).
I am asking you to be honest to yourself.
Because this is the place from where I started to change.
And I have been as honest as it gets in this letter.
I have wasted many years of practicising stuff, watching stuff, reading stuff that lead to improvement, but not to a solution.
For I did not know what the problem was.
So now you can’t hide anymore.
This may be the first time you read this:
You live in the cage of your mind, but it is an invisible cage, for you believe this is YOUR room and that the thoughts that live in this room are YOURS also. Not seeing the cage, will keep you trapped forever.
May you get a glimpse of the metal bars surrounding you.
For then you can start to find a way out.
How can you escape?
I won’t tell you.
For if I do, you will keep asking me if you are escaping the correct way and you will never find a way out.
The ‘how’ will show itself,
When you have burned your bookshelf
You were once a wild animal, but you let other pet you.
You are now a domestic, tamed member of society.
You listen to everybody but yourself.
You still have your genius capabilities, but you rarely use it.
For there was no desire within you to escape yet.
Where there is no desire,
There is no way.
And the desire to seek, to question why,
Is rare in this world, where many comply.
In silence, with yourself, explore,
The always deep down hidden core.
Though desire may seem rare,
It’s within you, waiting there.
The question that may arised in you:
“Why does no one talk about this?”
All I can say is, I understand.
I guess many people are just not aware of the invisible cage of their mind.
And the one’s who do, are just not interested (enough) to escape.
After all, the prison food isn’t that bad.
The prison cell has a tv.
And the prison mates provide protection.
You see?
If you are serious you may check the show notes.
And to the unserious, here’s my poem about the essence of it all.
Because you love to be entertained & distracted while not asking yourself the important questions,
Don’t you?
How self improvement ruined my life (a poem)
Meditate, read, journal, they say,
But the solution only got further away.
But neglect my words, as you read along,
This poem, my friend, it’s not your song.
So ask yourself, in the quiet of night,
Why improve, for what, in this fading life?
Does reading bring wealth, or just clearer eyes?
Does meditation bring peace, or just disguise?
You are imprisoned by your mind,
But don’t see it for it is perfectly designed.
Escape is possible, but the path is obscure,
It won’t be found in books, of that I’m sure.
For you must tread your own path, unique and true,
What worked for others may not work for you.
Why does no one speak of this invisible cage?
Perhaps they’re unaware, or just not enraged.
For there’s comfort in chains, though illusory it seems,
For many preferable to the terror of shattered dreams.
If you dare to question, to seek, to explore,
You have a chance to no longer be imprisoned by your mind anymore.
PS: You can watch the full video here:
