Rat Racing

Rat Race : a way of life in which people are caught up in a fiercely competitive struggle for wealth or power. An exhausting, usually competitive routine. An endless, self-defeating, or pointless pursuit.

Most of us living in today's modern society are living in the rat race. For most of us, we didn't chose to join it - we were born into it. The constant pursuit of everything. The constant pursuit of nothing.

Wake up. Rush through traffic. Work all day. Rush back home. Try to make time to decompress. Go to sleep. Do it all again. Is this what we were really born to do?

Well, we all need to pay rent, pay bills, eat food, survive. But. Do we all need the many extras we believe we need? No. We don't. The problem is we don't believe we can be really happy without the Extras. The Extras keep us chasing, keep us wanting, keep us distracted, keep us dissatisfied. The Extras are in reality, keeping us unhappy. Here is the irony of it all.

Once I make more money. Once I have the new house. Once I build the career.... then I'll be happy. The truth is happiness is not a destination. Happiness is a thought. Happiness is a feeling. Happiness is a decision. Most importantly - happiness is a state of mind.

We can have all the "Stuff" our Ego desires, and still not feel happiness. We can also have none of the "stuff" and create the state of mind where joy is present, and happiness is cultivated. The following ideas can help you develop happiness outside of the Rat race.

MINIMALISM is a lifestyle built around using less and living more. "Minimalism is a tool that can assist you in finding freedom. Freedom from fear. Freedom from worry. Freedom from overwhelm. Freedom from guilt. Freedom from depression. Freedom from the trappings of the consumer culture we’ve built our lives around. Real freedom. (theminimalists.com)"

Living in the Rat race we assign meaning to our possessions. We think that having certain things makes us a certain type of person, a person we think we need to be. This could not be farther from the truth.

Start detaching from your excess things. The extra clothes you never wear. The old gadgets you never use. The new items you crave to buy. The old things you sentimentally hold on to. Things do not hold memories. Things do not hold value. You hold memories. You hold value.

Re-frame your perspective of ownership. Detach from things to regain your value, and regain your time. The amount of time we spend acquiring things, and maintaining things, is causing our lives to slip away moment by moment. If you stop placing value in things, you cannot be dissatisfied by not having things. Remember, right now, in this very moment - you already have everything you will ever need.

INDIVIDUALITY. All of us love thinking we are special. We love thinking we are unique and one of a kind. But take one look at your social media feed, and you see we are all trying to be the same. We want to fit in. We want to be accepted. And yet at the same time, we want to be different. What a paradox.

Make a commitment to be more you than ever before. Be the child who has dreams, who has interests, who has passion. When you watch really small children, all they know is how to be themselves. Before they have been taught to conform, before they become afraid to be judged, before they dim their light - they are truly free. In our individuality we can find true freedom. The Rat race needs us all to conform and be the same, and want the same things. If we can nurture our individual light, we can stop the race and live in harmony and balance.

NATURE - Being stuck in the Rat race all day everyday distracts us from our primal desires of freedom. As animals, we need exploration, we need discovery, we need to break the monotony. Spending time in nature is proven to boost our mood and reduce feelings of anxiety and depression.

Nature has the power to show us just how insignificant our daily Rat race really is. The oceans, the forests, the deserts - do not have any regard for the latest iPhone gadget. Nature exists and does not compete. We, also, must align our energy with the nature we came from.

Allow time to feel the magnitude of the universe and all of its beauty. Schedule time to explore and discover what our psyche really craves. Our minds need connection to the universal. The universal starts and ends in nature. Not in an office building, or a 2-bedroom condo. Not at Disneyland, or at Starbucks. Prioritize your time in nature and embrace the shift of energy. Embrace falling out of the Rat race, even for just one day, one moment, one experience.

Awareness is always the first step in breaking through any condition. Gaining awareness of how you feel and how you INTEND to feel will start a transformation. It is up to us to take control of the race. It is up to us to start a new race. A race to freedom.

I encourage you to start your race today! As always, share your tips and let me know how it goes! #ratracing #losetherace