A genius in his time, Albert Camus wrote one of the most powerful philosophical essays in history. The essays significance has more meaning in today’s world than ever before. Here is a brief synopsis of Albert Camus’ essay and Sisyphus’s struggle:
Camus claims that life itself is absurd. He argues there is no real meaning to life, but that does not necessarily mean suicide. To argue his point he tells the myth of Sisyphus.
According to the Greek myth, Sisyphus was punished for all eternity to roll a rock up a mountain only to have it roll back down to the bottom when he nears the top. In Albert Camus’ mind Sisyphus is the ideal absurd hero and argues his punishment is representative of the human condition: Sisyphus must for all eternity without even the slightest of hopes in achieving success. So long as he accepts that there is nothing more to life than this absurd struggle, then he can find happiness in it, says Camus.
So what does all of this mean in todays’ world? Now, more than ever, people are searching for deep meaning in their lives…trying to find that deep happiness. The current economic crisis can bring people to their knees, if they believe money causes happiness.
While I do not agree with Camus in the fact that life has no inherent meaning, I do believe that each one of us serves a purpose on this planet. Some people find this purpose/passion at a very young age, while others do not find meaning until their final days of life. One is not necessarily better than the other, because the true judgment of living a meaningful life is finding happiness in the journey. If times are challenging for you, be grateful for the parts of your life that are great, even if you don’t realize them now. Do you have your health? a good family? a loving spouse? Being grateful for what you have, will make pushing that rock up the mountain much more enjoyable.
“The struggle itself…is enough to fill a man’s heart. One must imagine Sisyphus happy.” -Camus
As part of my routine, I do my best to stay away from getting addicted to any tv shows. I’ve failed in 2 instances, and 2 instances only. 1 is 24. That show is amazing, enough said. 2 is “The Biggest Loser.”
Last night on “The Biggest Loser” something was said that made total sense. The show is not really about the weight loss. It’s about people accomplishing goals and achieving their dreams. The Global Effect of Biggest Loser is much larger than the pounds shed. In this time of uncertainty, The Biggest Loser proves that with the right attitude and the right mentors, anything is possible.
Sometimes I feel like this message is pounded into people’s heads so often that it actually loses its effectiveness. Take a moment and really think about it today. What is 1 specific goal that you want to achieve. Don’t worry about how to achieve it, that comes after you figure out ‘what’ it is. I was listening to Rev. Michael Beckwith the other day in my car and he said something that really caught my attention. He said something along the lines of, “The Law of Buoyancy states that human beings cannot float if they do not let go.” If you constantly struggle in your life, you will never be set free. So now’s the time to let go of any limiting beliefs (excuses or reasons) that you cannot accomplish any goal you set your mind to. If you say it’s so, it’s so.
Red Alert! It has come to my attention that mental illness is on the rise in SWFL, the United States, and the world at LARGE. I’m certainly not an SWFL Psychiatrist, but I have learned some great lessons about brain control over the years.
Every day our brain gets inundated with information…LOTS of information. This video is probably the most mind-blowing video I have watched this year.
How about that for perspective on the amount of information we receive? The reality is, we don’t always have control over the information that enters our noggins. If you’re driving down the road, you will come across millions of stimulants and hundreds of businesses vying to grab your attention and puke information all over you.
It’s easy to see how people can become crazy and need a psychiatrist this day an age. While you don’t have control over every piece of information that enters your brain, you do have control over A LOT. Everyday, each one of us makes thousands of decisions. We choose to watch the news in the morning or not. We choose to listen to the radio in the car or not. We choose to meditate…or not. Each one of these activities either makes the mind crazier or more calm. When you go throughout your day, make sure that you start becoming aware of what you ALLOW to enter you brain. If you feel like you have no control over your mind, and you’re a lost cause…you’re not. We have control over very little of the outside world, but we can c0ntrol 1 thing on this planet: our mind.
As with changing any behavior, changing your mind can be difficult. Start with just 1 day, 1 day of noticing what you allow to enter your mind, and know that you will only allow the positive calm information to gain access to your precious mush between your ears…
