120. Open Minded

Hey folks! You can try this at home! Start broadcasting that you need a change in life, that you are willing to try something new. You will start receiving an advice avalanche from people you know (and some you don’t). The amount of life improvement nuggets that exist in the universe of humans seems
absolutely infinite. 

 We are all culpable of this. I remember when I first tried meditation for anxiety. I couldn’t help myself telling people to try it! Meditation, or more specifically the perceiving of oneself without emotional engagement, worked for me during hard times. The thing is, it is not for everyone. Not everyone needs to meditate.

 Terry Pratchett’s quote has always stayed with me: “The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it.”. In it’s most benign interpretation we have people really trying to help, from their limited focus. In one of the more pernicious interpretations we have cult leaders and their targeted social media ads taking advantage of that hole in your head. 

I believe we all have that hole in the head. We can confabulate that we have found a good way to fill it, but the hole between a subjective having and a vague wanting is essentially human. That doesn’t mean you should waste your one life on somebody else’s perceived solution. Try many things, keep the things that harmonize with you and add direct value to your life.

 In my life, the thing I need is probably never going to be getting ‘sick gains’ in a gym.  It may be building the perfect perch for our cats or helping immigrants feel welcome.  Then again, it may be beating my wife’s high score on Galaga.

 Extra Panel:

 Or drawing shitty comics!

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