A true miracle.
Why does shit seem to work for some, but for others, no matter how much talent one has, or work you put in, or for how long a time, it seems to not bear the same fruit, or be successful?
All that stuff about “follow your dreams,” and “if you’re good enough you’ll ‘make it’” simply isn’t a law or a rule. It is beginning to seem to me to be the exception. Statistically, it is certainly so.
Tons of great bands, inventors, actors, speakers, athletes, writers, philosophers, entrepreneurs, small business owners—even with great talent, work ethic, and ideas—never “make it.”
Lots of people make a shit ton of money telling you you will make it, though, if you just believe/donate/pray/promote, whatever...”enough.”
See how they put it all back on you? If your plan didn’t work it’s not because plans sometimes don’t work out, but because you FAILED to do A, B, or C, “enough.” Should have donated more. Should have prayed in faith. Should have keep paying to play a little bit longer. Should have “visualized” better.
The truth is, sometimes shit doesn’t work out how we think it will. It doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy life. It does mean that all these new age, Christian, motivational speaker, and hollywood/music industry pop culture liars need to shut the fuck up, though, and take a good, hard look around.
I hope it works out for you. For your vision. For everyone with value to bring to the table who is working their ass off. While scumfucks get awarded millions for doing nothing, it is still nice to see good people win.
I hope it’s you, and I hope it’s me, but this magical ponzi scam bullshit has to stop.
It’s too much.
With all that said. MANY MORE WOULD FIND SUCCESS AND THRIVE IF THE CANCER OF THE EXTORTIVE STATE WERE REMOVED.
Last year was one of my best, and as such, the scum in power decided I owed them a lot.
The game is rigged. Good luck.
If we make it, it’s even more of a testimony to fucking kicking ass, as everything...the game itself...is stacked against you.
Nature has a somewhat level playing field.
Governments, made of individual losers who can’t produce, fucks up this playing field, kills innovation, and spreads disease.
Now.
Keep your principles and morals and...
Go.
And win.
That, when it does happen at all, js a true miracle they don’t talk about in church.
~KafkA
Graham Smith is a Voluntaryist activist, creator, and peaceful parent residing in Niigata City, Japan. Graham runs the "Voluntary Japan" online initiative with a presence here on Steem, as well as DLive and Twitter. (Hit me up so I can stop talking about myself in the third person!)
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It sucks man, really. I've watched some of the most talented friends I have throw their lives away in both directions- some giving up their talents for suits and others never receiving success and falling into some dark paths, and worse. Often times I've thought "we're all fucked" and maybe we are. As you said though maybe something can be done. It ain't gonna be easy or peaceful, but maybe we'll see progress in our lifetimes.
Cheers!
Herbert I followed you because of your crass pic.
Hell yeah thanks Mike. I also followed you because it looks like you post some cool shit. See you around man!
side note- I had blue hair not too long ago myself
Thank you, @herbertholmes, for understanding.
Great post, man. Very insightful. I think about this A LOT. This subject matter also brings into mind the concept of "luck" or "fortune", which I have done a bit of research on lately. The thing is, due to the Law of Cause and Effect, I've come to the conclusion that "luck" does not exist. When something "works out" for someone, and not for someone else, I think it's an extremely complex causal chain that we cannot see in its entirety. Because we can't see the entire causal chain, we use some type of phenomena to try and explain it. If things work for us, we don't know ALL the reasons why, and vice versa.
What you say about the state, though, is extremely astute. It's hard to imagine just how many lives have been ruined and how much innovation has been stifled due to the belief in and obedience to so-called "authority".
I too do not believe in luck, but... there does seem to be order where there shouldn't be. The harder and smarter someone works towards a goal, the more likely they will achieve it. In addition to that though, there does seem to be a way for us to manifest our dreams. There's no magic to it, but I summarize it simply as:
We do what we think about, and we become what we do.
I've also had numerous things happen in my life that are hard to explain as coincidences. It is almost as if they were meant to happen. I'll meet someone who solves a problem I had, and I had nothing to do with meeting them. A missing puzzle piece will fall into place for me in a bizarre way that was completely unexpected. What is causing that to happen?
It is definitely not luck. I am inclined to believe it is karma or "god." Hell, this could all be a simulation, and we are aliens in a far off galaxy playing the latest game, Earth. Who knows for sure, right? All that really matters to me is that I stick to my principles, stay consistent, and remain loyal to my life long objectives. Some things, as I also often say, are worth any price.
Individual liberty is one of those things.
Very thought-provoking comment! Yes, what is the cause of those so-called "coincidences"?
As for the aliens playing the game called "Earth"......there's a fantastic book idea in there. :)
Cheers
Another possibility:
The center of our universe is us. We are the center since that is how we experience it. There is no actual center since the universe goes on forever. Each person has a unique experience, so that means there are billions of different universes for each living being.
Something I posted on fascistbook recently and that @kafkanarchy84 saw:
Another friend of mine posted a picture of their only child on a beach towel. I replied to the photo with "The center of the universe on a towel."
Now, this theory gets into the "Secret" (the movie, etc.) stuff, but there is some truth to the idea in my opinion. What we focus on and what is most important to us is instead the center of our universe.
What if what we focus on determines what is drawn to us? A good example of this is why negative and miserable people always stay that way. They are focusing on negative things.
It also easily explains people who are carrying emotional weights from past wrongs against them. They usually never get past those problems, and they end up drowning in life because of it. No one can swim forever carrying a ton of emotional weight/baggage around.
Many religions have figured it out too that we need to seek balance. The balance is within us. The Masons for example believe, or used to, that we were supposed to balance our earthly desires and base desires like hunger and sex. By balancing and controlling them, we are able to become enlightened. It's the Yin and Yang or the two wolves concept.
That enlightenment isn't possible unless people learn to control themselves, and I believe we were meant to seek gnosis as sentient beings. Gnosis of course is knowledge. Masons will say the G in their symbol stands for god. If you research it thoroughly though, it is almost for sure Gnosis instead. The Gnostics, in my opinion at least, had it right. Look them up to see what I mean...
We've been lied to as a species to make controlling us easier.
Thanks for the thoughtful comment.
Regarding what you mention about focus:
Yes, certainly what we focus our attention on has an effect on what we experience and what is "drawn to us".
Also, what you said about controlling desires and having balance made me think of a Hermetic text called "The Kybalion". Are you familiar with it?
I am not but will look it up right now! :)
I'll listen to this soon. Thanks for the good lead!
http://thoughtaudio.com/?p=371
You're welcome! If you'd like a pdf, here's a link through Mark Passio's website.
http://whatonearthishappening.com/images/stories/woeih/podcast/073/Kybalion.pdf
I'm not quite sure, but I lean towards it being "god." It could also be us playing the game though. In an actual game you could purchase or get rewards for new content. It would be like questing I suppose. If you did the right things, beneficial changes would be made.
It's also a bit like karma I suppose. Although, as this thread started off explaining, I don't believe karma always works. Bad people do NOT always get what's coming to them. Good people have to fight and resist... and sometimes die. You can be a very moral and nice person and be taken advantage off for your entire life.
There's a good video out there about the simulation concept:
It includes cussing, so be careful opening it.
Thank you, @steeminganarchy. I tend to think the same as you here, and you've put it into words in a way that I couldn't. Cheers.
RE-MOTHERfuckingSTEEMED Because I stupidly Believe in miracles!
Because everything is already written for us , what’s meant to happen is eventually gonna happen. It may take some days and others years but the process of learning through it can only be for those who have waited for it
From my perspective though, I'm the one doing the writing.
Amen.
Damn dude. Got yourself in a little fight hahahah
😂
Some would say that the people who make it are the ones who learned to play for the rules. I’ve seen interesting examples of great people who work hard and would give you the shirt off their back, and in ways that aren’t literal often do. That seems like a great person to be. So caring. So kind. But as it turns out, that’s probably the behavior that keeps them in a rut, financially anyway.
People who win financially know how to make decisions that grow wealth. To outsiders, like the man above who works hard, does a great job, and helps everyone in his office, even the newcomer who will soon get the promotion he wants, it sometimes seems like the people who gain are lazy or poor at what they do, but in reality, they generally have a way of focusing on what absolutely NEEDS to get done and impressing the people they NEED to impress. It comes at a cost. The people who point to the existence of these laws say nothing is gained without something being given.
A definition of success that I heard recently and liked went something like this. Success is having a goal that you are moving toward every day of your life. That’s all.
If you have a goal, and you are working at it, you are successful.
Yes, succession. That is the real definition. I agree. As for the common definition, however, regarding some semblance of financial stability and being able to pursue and work toward goals in relative peace, it just doesn’t seem to exist for some. Funny that even folks like Nikola Tesla end up broke and crazy. He was, in my definition, a true success. The physical trappings of his success were not so appealing, though.
I agree that many who are successful, must step on others to grab the trappings they seek, but there are others who are the anomaly, who maintain principle, understand the law of giving, and still “make it.”
The sad reality is many make a filthy killing preaching that this can be done by everyone, through a program, course, or formula. They also say that “you’re special,” or “if you simply believe/donate/work hard enough, you’ll find financial success.” This simply does not match my observations of reality.
Most things just seem to be lost under the coercion, competition, and chaos. Statistically there are billions in the world. As Gary Vaynerchuk himself says, it’s just not going to happen for everyone. Even if you know the rules. Even if you play smart, have talent, and work your ass off. After about 17 years of this, I get it.
I guess I’m just tired of seeing losers win. But that’s not even really the source of the frustration and vexed feeling. It’s hearing folks say “anyone can do it!” when the reality is one of coercion, and where even finding a simple and small way to live in peace according to one’s principles is pretty much outlawed/covered in red tape.
It’s not for everyone. Not everyone will make it.
I believe we can still be happy. I am grateful for my amazing life. I also know complaining is a dead end. All the same, it’s a bitter pill that must be swallowed. Not everyone who works hard and plays smart and knows all the rules will reach that goal. We can still enjoy life, though. And actually still keep going, regardless.
Please keep in mind that the world as we see it today is not designed for the regular guy to get ahead. It's designed to keep them down and well controlled. In the old days there was the feudal system and nobility. They had to replace it with something, and that's what you see today.
Another way to measure success is to spend less than you make. Anyone can do that no matter how little they make. It won't be easy though. I often say I grew up "dirt poor," but I didn't actually have dirt floors as some people do. My father didn't grow up wealthy though, but he lived in a time when a savings account would give him a 9% or more interest annually.
In other words, it was very easy for him. We still went on vacations. He had numerous vehicles but lived in a crappy trailer. Over 31 years of saving though and living well below his means, he amassed a fortune. It's just not possible to do that today however. No one can get those interest rates by simply saving. They are forced to speculate.
We all know what happens to most speculators too. Most of them lose. It's gambling basically, and only a few walk away from the table rich. The system, again, is rigged against the average person. What's the solution? I believe it is to work together and network as friends, and then support each other in ways that maximize the cash flow across the entire network. One person creates liberty related content better than me, so I support them financially doing it.
In the old days there were guilds, and then there were "Friendly Societies." I believe we need to recreate those voluntary associations to better help each other pursue their passions and have the resources to do what they are most talented at.
Yep. A lot of that stuff about "work hard and get ahead," even for folks with "normal jobs" has just become utter bullshit in the face of horrifically unsound economics and a rigged game financial system/state-manipulated market.
I like your idea about guilds, man. Something I am going to have to play with more in my mind.
I blame government schools a lot for this because children are not taught even basic economics. Then they grow up to be in debt, spend way more than they make, etc. It's a trap that most people blindly walk into. Once in it too, they cannot easily get out. I follow Minority Mindset on YT, and he did a video recently. In it he was explaining that 70% of Americans have something insane like 100K+ debt on average between cars, student loans, and credit cards. That's CRAZY. Those people are basically slaves to their debt and will die as such.
I hear what you’re saying. I’m on the fence about a lot of this. I’ve heard it said that only 2-3% make it to the top. That’s it. Only 2-3%.
Right now, I just want to figure out exactly how I want to live. When asked, I don’t even know how to answer anymore. If I could answer that question without hesitation, I would feel successful.
I think the biggest determinant as to whether it works out is whether or not it’s really you, and if it’s really you, you do it just to do it, not for the result, and if you can do something just for it’s own seek, that’s when it’s special and when it becomes “the exception”. I watched a lecture by KRS-one, I really love the way he describes the core of hip hop, it’s just who you are, it isn’t trying to prove anything or achieve some level of success, it just IS. That’s where the magic happens.
I think whatever one does one should be happy, but there are a lot of people who are happy and talented and that kind of recognition just doesn't come it would seem. That's fine, I'm just against the fraudsters and false beliefs that try to convince people it inevitably will.
I think if it were 2 or 3 years ago there is no way we would have gotten along. I've realized that if what you speak is truth, all you need to do is live it and the rest just happens naturally, no need to convince anyone, or rather, the convincing is all in action, not in words
Yep.
are you there @kafkanarchy84
okey man you was right ,I apologize to you
now you can delete everything about me
thanks
I can't delete your posts. That's up to you.
Why is your reputation low? What did you do? :)
You too?
If I do what others have done and succeeded, I fail.
If I think of something different, that no one has done, and I try it, it's a fail. If I do what someone else advises me to do (or what I think someone else would do in that circumstance) I fail. If I do what I think I should, even though others wouldn't, it's a fail.
So, yeah, I'll keep right on plugging along, but I have come to see success as a mystical power I simply don't have. Such is life.
As with @kafkanarchy84, I don't see you as failing. Be consistent and do not give up on your life long objectives. It is a process, not a destination. The main problem people have is being inconsistent.
I've lost some friends from our old group because of my actions as an example, and I don't regret my actions at all. I definitely mourn the loss of those I thought were friends though. As long as you are principled and consistent, you are winning this battle called life.
I'm a bit autistic when it comes to spotting things that are out of place. It's actually a gift as a PI. I am also a real asshole who cannot ignore inconsistencies for the sake of keeping peace. To me individual liberty is worth any price, and I live my life in accordance with that belief.
Did we expect our effort to be easy and without danger? I certainly did not. Heck, I've made a ton of enemies. It's one reason I stay armed. This world was not setup in favor of people like us. We should not be surprised by the constant struggles we encounter therefore. That doesn't mean we should quit either.
As long as someone is loyal to the cause, I'll be loyal to them. We also have to build and seek wealth as good and moral people, or only our enemies will have it. It's a tool basically, and I use it to further individual liberty. I'm not going to spend that valuable resource on people who stab me or the cause in the back though (not saying either of you have).
I understand the feeling.
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