For Lola

Have you ever wondered why some people, as they get older, get more and more set in their ways? These people are often anxious when anything around them changes or is out of routine.

As an example, my elderly in-laws took us out for a bushwalk recently. In order to catch the ferry to the start of the walk we had to be at the wharf by 10am. The ferry wharf was fifteen minutes from where we were staying. At 9am they were panicking that we would be late because I was still casually crafting up a latte in the kitchen in my pyjamas. There was no penalty for being late since there was a ferry every hour and daylight was twice as long as our walk, and also there was nothing planned for after the walk; so we had all the time in the world. Basically they had told themselves that we were aiming for the 10am ferry (it being the latest possible compromise for people who got up at 6am and those of us who arise at 9am). By 9am the anxiety hit as the deadline approached. Wow.

The majority of people on this planet are not free of mind. They do not question their existence. They do not challenge their behaviors. They accept their inherited constraints. They do not develop wisdom and as they get older they become little tiny eggs in a very tight silos, scared and often unhappy, if not obviously on the surface. They seek the comfort of the known.

Do yourself a favour; question your birthrights, challenge orthodoxy of the mind, use logic to be not scared of consequences, understand human systems so you can place any situation into context, do things that scare you, realise that most consequences are imaginary, fear not the opinions of people you know not, and remove yourself from the safety blanket of groups of equally deluded like-minded people.

That is, be an individual and develop genuine wisdom. It will make you happier, independent and you will also be free of the self-made constraints that hold people back in their endeavours, be they love, work or play.