Fake it Till you Make itRe: Post #767
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Faking it until we make it usually doesn’t sound like a very complex or worthwhile pursuit. However, here's how this applies to us. We act differently when we only pretend at something. If we start out with the assumption that nothing worthwhile, like attaining moral certainty, can ever be found we act differently than if we believe there is really something valuable to achieve. Maslow said, "Whether you believe you can or cannot, either way you'll be right." That's the way it is with finding our authenticity. If we don't believe there is a unique creature inside us to find, then we won't find it. At the Southwest Leather Conference in January I gave this example of the difference. Try it to understand why our beliefs matter. Step one. Walk up to a curtain and pretend to search for a straight pin that you believe isn’t really located in the fabric, then return. What you did was "swish" through all the pleats quickly and then declare it couldn't be found. What was important during this was “looking” as though you were really trying to find something while not actually trying to find anything at all. Step two. Know now that I actually had someone put a straight pin in your curtain. Walk over to it and find it, knowing that it is there, somewhere. This time you methodically stretch the fabric flat, rub your hand systematically across each part carefully as to not get stuck by the pin, checking both sides, and re-examining when you don’t find anything the first time. Further, I'll add that its worth $1000 if you find it. The approach, again, is very different from the pretending actions. The point is that our methods are different whether we believe something can be found or not, and our chance of finding it is dramatically better when we do believe something is there to be found, and proportionally more dramatic the more value it has to us. The first time, the pin could not have been found even if one were actually present. The pretending causes us to look over and past what is actually there. Life is no different. If we don't want to find something, or only are willing to find what is acceptable to us or comfortable, we won't find our authenticity. All philosophies, religions and challenges are easily used as excuses to prevent our success. Differently, those who know they are unique creatures and that a plan awaits them in their authenticity as they learn moral certainty through obedience will invite the experiences which expose them to themselves. Inviting life instead of finding excuses for being excluded is the more efficient and effective way to find what we really seek, moral certainty. Believe nothing can be found, and we won’t find anything. Act like what can be found isn’t important and we won’t put enough value on it to produce results. Find logical reasons for doubt, and we can spend our lives doing nothing. Happiness is our purpose. Obedience our method. Moral certainty our birthright. We’ve been created to do this. We can each help others stay focused on what really matters, or help others find more elaborate and complex excuses to never try. With every thought, word and motion we are making all of this better for ourselves and for others, or we’re making it harder. As the philosopher also said, “Anything worth doing well is worth doing poorly while we learn how.” Perfection isn’t our goal. Living with the expectation that our lives are worth doing and worth doing well is a wise and efficient way to live. SlaveMaster
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