Conditioning

Picture by Brad

What can you do to overcome a lifetime of conditioning?
When I was only five years old I was sent, along with many children, to an internment facility. There they kept us from 9am to 3 pm; teaching us how to conform. I believe they called it Primary School.
Later when I left school I found a job, where I spent even longer parts of my day, learning and earning more money, so I could buy more stuff.
Over the years I gained more skills, and was paid more money. Now stuff that I couldn't afford was made available to me. Now I live in a city removed from my family, earning even more money.
I am a product of my training, and I know it's programming that's hard to break free of.

Last week my cuz Brad sent a group email about his recent travels to Indonesia;

Hi Everyone,

Sorry haven't been in contact with any of you for a while as I've been in an Indo limbo. I tried disappearing of the planet for 4 weeks, didn't check my emails, didn't phone anyone and didn't watch friggin TV. I had no idea what was going on in the outside world and truthfully I didn't care.
Well I'm back now and everything is the way it was left; fast paced, expensive and no time to slow down and share a bintang with a sunset.

It has opened my mind yet again to the way we live our lives and the unnecessary pace at which we do it. Sure we are all trying to be better off. But I know for a fact that we still don't smile as often as an Indonesian who has no idea when the money for his next feed will be earned. Instead we're on a mission to drive as fast as we can to the next destination without getting a ticket, then from there its quickly cooked dinner, and hurry up and wait.

I feel we are all stuck in a vicious cycle of money. We work hard, get more money, get accustomed to the new wage, want more, work harder, work faster, work longer, get more money, leaving us less time to live, breath and enjoy…………..

I'm not saying I'm not stuck in the same cycle, but I do think I have a clear view of the way its rotating. I'm not saying I'm going to change and become a hippie; who knows - within time my vision and perception of happiness will slowly become cloudy and the thoughts I'm feeling will only merely be, just a dream.

Next time your running around like a headless chicken, sit down have a break look at the sun, enjoy the breeze, feel the sand between your toes just chill out for a few minutes and smile because the faster you do it the faster your onto the next mission.

Hope to talk to you all soon.

Brad.

I'm not alone in this discovery. Thanks for your insight Brad.