The Unfortunate Fate of Sisyphus
In Ancient Greek mythology there was Sisyphus, the king of Ephyra. He was punished by Zeus for trying to cheat death, twice. His punishment was to roll a boulder up a hill where it would simply roll down to the other side, only for him to repeat the process once again of pushing that boulder back up from the other side.
Why exactly am I telling you this story? Because the banal fate of Sisyphus illustrates a certain kind of wisdom into the somewhat absurd nature of life.
“The struggle itself… is enough to fill a man’s heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.”
(Albert Camus)
Thankfully, we are not subject to the exact same fate as Sisyphus. We can however find wisdom by generating meaning into even the laborious parts of life; even in moments of difficulty and suffering, we can find intense pleasure and profound meaning. Life is difficult and none of us are making it out alive, so why not take on difficult endeavors and take risks that have the potential to make us the most happy in the end?
Taking Responsibility and Value Honest Reflection
If you are in a less-than-ideal situation and not where you want to be in life, then you must be honest with yourself, because in the end you are the only one that can make a change.
“Never ignore those intuitions. When you feel some slight repugnance about doing something, listen to it. These premonitions come from God.”
(Rumi)
Making changes in life is a difficult process. It is far easier to acquiesce to whatever situation we find ourselves in, even if we end up in an absurd situation not so dissimilar from our friend Sisyphus.
When we demand honesty from ourselves, we will never accept a life that does not conform to the bigger picture of our long term goals; for this only stands in the way of progress. Seeking to maximize comfort or being overly cautious is a great way to live a life of regret, this comes from a mindset of scarcity. It is however far wiser to take calculated risks, taking on life like the great adventure that is truly is, this comes from a mindset of abundance.
Our Thoughts Determine Reality
The Key Components to Master our Mindset
When it comes to thoughts, you reap what you sow. Our lives naturally depend largely on our mentality.
“Man is what he thinks all day long.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson
By accepting that struggle is inevitable, we can take it upon ourselves to make that struggle inherently meaningful. In life we can either deliberately choose what we’re willing to suffer for or have life choose it for us.
All of the books we read, people we converse with, and the content that we consume are undoubtedly also major contributors to our mindset.
“Your subconscious mind is like the soil, which accepts any kind of seed, good or bad. Your thoughts are active and might be linked unto seeds.”
The Power of the Unconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy
If you spend all day thinking negative or ignorant thoughts, your life is not somehow going to magically become better as a result. If you dump trash into your mind you cannot expect your mind to generate feelings of goodness and joy.
“The habitual thinking of your conscious mind establishes deep grooves in your subconscious mind.”
The Power of the Unconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy
In short, our lives are affected principally by the way we think things are, but not the way they are in reality. This is because our perception of the world is like a mental factory, fabricating our reality based on whatever phenomena is fed and accepted into our consciousness. We can employ mindfulness to help keep our thoughts in line with what we want in life. Be forever vigilant to maximize positive mental experiences and be cautious of any potential thoughts or actions that are self-sabotage in disguise.
Scarcity Mindset and the Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
Imagine if Sisyphus was a pessimist complainer — this is an extremely poor strategy for an eternal life, let alone a transient one. If you spend all of your time and energy justifying a terrible existence this too is a poor strategy that will continue to elicit more bad feelings; a much better strategy is to take responsibility and go out and take the things you want in life, because there are more than enough good experiences in life for us all to enjoy.
Abundance Mindset and The Law of Attraction
According to the Law of Attraction, you create your reality. If that is that case why not dream the most grandiose dream possible for yourself, stopping at nothing to make it happen. You deserve what you want and it’s unfair to accept anything less than what you deserve. Cultivating an optimistic outlook on one’s life, especially during difficult times, makes even a Sisyphean fate one worth living.
When things don’t go exactly according to plan, as they often do, that is not a reason to worry, because when you truly want something you will certainly run into obstacles. But in the grand scheme of things these obstacles don’t really matter because you are fully committed press on in your journey to generate the most profound and meaningful life.
References
Murphy, Joseph. The Power of Your Subconscious Mind. Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin, 2009.
Rūmī, Jalāl al-Dīn, and Coleman Barks. The Essential Rumi: New Expanded Edition. Harper, 2004.
