Buddhism can be summed up in four truths.
(1) Life is suffering
(2) Holding on to anything IS the cause of suffering
(3) There is a way out of suffering
(4) The eightfold path is the way
The first noble truth states that life is suffering.
Simply being born, we get sick and get old. We fall in debt. Other people go to war with other people. We’re hungry, lonely and frustrated with the way our life is not going. We’re insecure with the way we look and think the validation of another person is the only answer. We fall in and out of love. Over and over again.
Suffering is inevitable and a part of life.
But that’s the beauty of it.
The next time you’re out at a bar or a club, take a good look at the people around you. Guys bravely (and stupidly) attempting to make a connection. Girls putting up defenses to protect their reputation. Everyone playing games to protect their egos that can never be satisfied.
The simple truth is,
everyone feels just as insecure as you do.
That suffering is the one thing we all have in common.
Now we can either continue to suffer
or
smile and help people have a good time.
4 Comments
Great post, Rocky! About a year ago, I gave up drinking, which has made it a lot harder for me to feel comfortable in social situations. This post really resonated with me and made me realize that, even though some might be drinking and some might be sober, we’re all people and we’re all insecure for our own reasons. Very inspiring!
Rocky,
You are so right, everyone is insecure about something. This is not true in Bars and Clubs only but everywhere, in office, at family gathering, in sports, at school, in dating, in marriage, once we know this truth, dealing with others becomes little easier.
Zengirl´s last blog ..Irony of Recession: Expensive and Cheaper things
thanks Dani ! and congrats on the not drinking. I know how it is and its challenging, but definitely very rewarding !
hey Zengirl, yea this insight definitely helps me relax in social situations !