updated 10:04 est 4/24/18
Is it not so that we are surrounded with constant distraction? Like trains brought onto their tracks daily, our minds experience the movement on the tracks of our daily lives, chugging along swiftly with a sense of productivity, of doing, of living, working, studying, accomplishing and moving ‘ever upward.’
Is it not so that we are surrounded with constant distraction? Like trains brought onto their tracks daily, our minds experience the movement on the tracks of our daily lives, chugging along swiftly with a sense of productivity, of doing, of living, working, studying, accomplishing and moving ‘ever upward.’
But who’s dreams are our dreams? Is it possible that the tracks of life on which we move were created by others long before, according to standard systems that support the present economy and reflect the educational upbringing fully synchronized to maintaining a status quo?
What if though… what if, the standard system of economy we have maintains a status quo were a great many people within such a framework find it unattainable to make the kind of financial security needed to simply not always be working to live?
Can our work be our dream? Can we empower ourselves to make new dreams? Can an individual become a powerhouse of positive disruption operating within and without the standard system of economy presently found in Western civilization?
How is freedom and liberty actually created? Does it spring up in the midst of flying bullets in some far-flung battlefield were our countries soldiers fight for to keep enemies at bay only? Is freedom and liberty rolling in like fresh waves through newspaper articles, and social media postings, or people holding signs that protest or bring awareness to a social issue?
I say that freedom and liberty is created when we show ourselves to be renaissance men and women who are intellectual powerhouses, proficient in a number of skills and aptitudes, all the while whole-heartedly pursuing those occupations and vocations which keeps the good fires of our dreams alive. Freedom and liberty is not a destination, but a practice. It is not something we attain, but something we grow, care for and give mindfulness to. All this starts deep inside of us.
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It is possible to wake up and realize that we can be any kind of professional we want to be, and place the fear of not having financial security in a box. Developing oneself starts in taking steps towards the creation of an uncertain world not yet created. A world were the aspiring adventurer begins to practice resilience through a variety of adverse situations and obstacles which are part of the standard system of economy. An empathic capitalist can dream and operate of creating financial security while being focused on successfully starting and completing socially-minded projects which enrich, strengthen, and / or build community. Empathic capitalist need not all appear the same. These are intellectual adventurers who may realize and see the needs of local / national community, and engineer solutions through which this manner of capitalist is able to not only eat and provide shelter for themselves, but even lay up monetary provisions that are saved for the future (financial security). They do so even as they bring social healing remedies to long standing social maladies, accomplishing nothing less than the creation of new forms of economy, effectively supplanting the old standard track systems of how to go about working and making money, in order to live.
Renaissance Men and Women
Like trains brought onto their tracks daily, our minds experience the movement on the tracks of our daily lives, chugging along swiftly with a sense of productivity, of doing, of living, working, studying, accomplishing and moving ‘ever upward.’ And yet, after a few decades some of us wonder if this is all that life can afford us. In the United States of America, this has been called, a ‘mid-life crisis.’ Rich and poor people who do not somehow honor what they want to do in life experience these mid-life crises’s due to not honoring their deepest dreams. Our most profound self is not focused on simply making great sums of money, but on creating substantial worth that is of true value to ourselves and others. These types of accomplishments tend to require profound soulful development which in turn creates deep rivers of creative energy that flow out of one and benefit individuals near and far. When such individuals allow themselves to grow un such uncertain journeys of discovery, entire communities are positively electrified in subtle ways, and this is empowering. Sadly, many never figured out or are supported to realize that they can lay their own tracks in life. It can readily be understood that some professional occupations have greater guarantees of proven income over others, and therein, the professional laborer has increased promise of steady financial security. Taking on uncertain adventure in professional development can be deemed risky and impractical. Some may even say, ‘hey, look how hard such an such has it. Don’t try to make a living that way.’ Thus, creating your own professional track system is not a choice given much credence through our grade school and collegiate educational system.
As it is though, the social issues that beset each community continue, and ‘kicking the can down the road’ of time only prolongs and magnifies the dire need to bring scaled solutions that give social respite. Intellectual powerhouses that do not give up are needed. Empathic renaissance capitalistic men and women are required to address the re-building of crumbled social walls. Caring about others, more than caring about one’s own financial security is required. That does not mean forget about financial security, but it does mean that we re-prioritize what is most important, that we may be able to move with purpose and passion towards the mark, and not be weighed down with doubt.
Financial uncertainty can be mitigated through pre-emptive community action:
- Schools and academic (universities) can develop students to seek out multiple streams of revenue.
a. People can be brought up to explore and identify current passions, and ALSO engineer a number of revenue sources to fund their pursuit of happiness.
Hence, you can be that intellectual adventurer, empathic capitalist and be a real estate broker. You can effectively problem solve how to be a source of social good in your local, national and global community AND be a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher, a financial analyst, or a window salesman. An individual can become a powerhouse of what would appear as positive disruption operating within and without the standard system of economy, yet is merely the natural exercise of human being human. We are not here to just be common bricks in a wall, but to shine brighter and brighter from the inside outwardly. These notions will seem fancy to older adults who are set in their ways, but to younger generations, the world of possibility opens up hope and opportunity. It is so that the older we get, the more we become set in our ways, and the harder it seems to make track changes, much less entertain the idea that we are free to find out what profession or hobby makes us happy each year. Maybe it is painting, maybe it is writing, maybe it is being an architectural engineer, maybe it is being a heart surgeon. The aspiring pro who is in tune with the valuing of staying passionate, problem solves and creates multiple income revenue streams to bankroll their dreams. The pursuit of these dreams actively replenishes our fountain of energy and serves as an example unto others to be brave, plan and launch their own adventures.
Freedom and liberty is created foremost through the practice of critical thinkers who advocate in a fair manner that places human rights, human empowerment, and the good of others first. Our liberties wane in the absence of widespread intellectual discourse. Our freedoms wax and grow in the presence of empowered individuals who are nurtured from childhood to be altruistic, meaning, to be selfless as we place the concern of others first. This balance of caring for oneself and caring for the community can be had and cultivated in a scaled manner across towns, nations and the world, even reaching past ethnic, racial, social, economic and religious lines. In essence, the notion that we can be more than trains on tired, adventure-less social and economic track systems is not new, but entrepreneurial. We can be the train and the conductors, and we can engineer the tracks, as well as the professional destinations of these.
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