A Vague Musing On Self-Knowledge

Our very existence within this world, if it is to align with our deepest yearnings, is contingent on self-knowledge.

And, for this reason, you can find two questions, outlined below.

Please, read these questions and, when you can, answer them.

You will, if nothing else, learn something that will assist you in living the life you truly wish to live.

If You Could Not Fail, What Would You Do?

Right now, within this moment, ask yourself a question: if you could not fail, what would you do?

You cannot fail.

Every ambition, desire, yearning, and dream that you hold in your heart can be achieved.

And, it will be achieved, if you choose to achieve it.

Just assume — or, if you can’t assume, then pretend — that you cannot fail.

Right after you enter this assumption, come up with ten things you would do.

You can find four items from list right below:

• Direct a beautiful, evocative feature film.
• Create a video game.
• Develop a tool that allows people to create, and enter, new worlds that they create.
• Write a best-selling book on creativity.

Many of the things that you write may never be achieved.

Some of these items, though, serve as a clarification.

A clarification of your deepest, richest yearnings.

You must remember these yearnings. And, when you can, you must integrate them into your day-to-day life.

On The Other Hand, If You Could Never Succeed, What Would You Do?

Right after you ask the question outlined in the previous section, you must ask another question.

If you could never succeed, what would you do?

Just imagine that your most grand, elaborate visions of success are never going to happen.

You might imagine that they are inaccessible to you.

Outside of those visions, though, you can, within this context, achieve some form of material success, as well as freedom and security, within those fields.

But, the big visions and the big dreams, those are inaccessible to you.

If this was the case, then what would you do?

Or, more specifically, what would you spend your days doing?

Come up with ten answers to this basic prompt.

Just off the top of my head, here are seven items from my list:

• Going on long walks.
• Producing imaginative stories.
• Writing essays.
• Reading books.
• Coming up with lots of ideas.
• Spending time with my friends.
• Invoking awe and inspiration.

If grand, visionary successes were inaccessible to me, then there would still be contentment and happiness — and, so far, there certainly has been, in great abundance — if these activities were present.

Your Life Is Your Life

Your life is your life.

You can, and should, do what makes you happy.

Just as you should pursue your deepest aims, visions, and goals.

Our goal, with these questions, is to clarify.

To clarify what makes you happy and what gives you peace, love, and joy.

And, in turn, to clarify your deepest aims, visions, and desires.

No matter what, please do not forget what these questions allowed to arise.

Every moment you can, pursue the things you most enjoy and explore the visions that most enchant you.

If you do that, then you will, if nothing else, live a truly rich, abundant life.

Conclusion

Right before we sign off, let’s get this out of the way: no, this isn’t the best essay.

A variety of other ideas and thoughts came to me, regarding this essay.

Many of them failed to work in the way that one might hope and, as such, they were discarded.

And, for that reason, this essay is what it is.

Even so, though, my hope is that you enjoyed reading it and that you ask the questions outlined within it.

No matter what, though, thank you so much for reading and, if you wish to reach me, you can do so at “maxwellcakin@gmail.com.”