A Life Truly Worth Living
…the Dangerous and Uncertain Life
Nelson Mandela once said, “I’ve learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it.” A full and rewarding life, a life truly worth living, is not one free of fear but one where you conquer fear. Not a life in search of certainty but one that seeks uncertainty — uncertainty is where opportunity exists.
Living is about breaking free from the normalization of your existence, non-adherence to the status quo and living on your own terms. Understanding that living requires the making of self; not others making you.
Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche believed getting the most out of life depended on your will to power; regardless of the opinions of others. Nietzsche said, “Healthy, strong individuals seek self-expansion by experimenting and by living dangerously.” Life has so many possibilities, if you don’t explore and seek out opportunities and live dangerously, you’ll never experience living.
Nietzsche, in a critique of the idea of morality, says that adherence to others’ construct of morality holds you back. Back from creating a life worth living. Particularly because morality is based on religion. A tool of obedience and control of human individuality and spirituality. Religion was the worst Nietzsche said because being religious required submission to rules. It “teaches pity, self-contempt, humility, self-restraint and guilt are incorrect. [However,] The good life is ever-changing, challenging, devoid of regret, intense, creative and risky,” said Nietzsche.
Religion takes away your need to live dangerously and courageously, to separate from the herd toward the relentless pursuit of the making of oneself!
A life worth living is the refusal to simply exist quietly, not to ever be heard. To be the architect of your own trajectory and develop a free and critical mind — defining what success means to you. To take responsibility for whatever happens to you. Staying away from fear and mediocrity. Choosing to live dangerously and courageously instead.
“Nobody can build the bridge for you to walk across the river of life, no one but you…yourself alone” — Friedrich Nietzsche
Aspire to live a life of lifelong learning because knowledge is the key to authentic happiness. Adaptation to change is critical to satisfying the very human condition’s need for security.
Ambition is important but ambition is easy, more difficult, is the challenge of making the best of the discovered opportunities. Vision, therefore, and responsibility in the relentless pursuit of purpose must be the underwriter of our ambition. Accordingly, the pursuit of knowledge should not be about the abstract pursuit of perfection, or the pursuit itself. Instead, knowledge is best utilized when harnessed to our human ingenuity, creating the world and the authentic happiness we desire.
So the unquestioned life is truly not worth living because it reinforces your remaining willfully ignorant of the possibilities — not scaling the artificial boundaries in your mind. It leaves you carrying the burden of does who are truly living.
Philosophy has taught us about introspection. The value of purpose and self-examination. Don’t be afraid of self-examination, if you can’t identify the problem you can’t fix it. Silent waters truly run deep with suffering and despair. Drowning ourselves in the comfort of distraction, self-pity, and never questioning things leads to a delusional life. Existence in the abyss of mediocrity, failure, and suffering, with continuous acquiescing to the falsehood of faith will ultimately become your self-manifested fate.
No one is coming to save you!
Life is not about finding happiness but more about creating it yourself. So pay close attention to your patterns and habits, they are usually good predictors of your future. Be consistent and seek a purposeful and introspective-driven life instead. Pursue danger and uncertainty with courage, and a willingness to believe and invest in yourself.
The universe is entangled and you get back what you put out, so your frequency in the universe will resonate. Attracting the like-minded that will shape your good life.
Non-adherence to the herd is your best bet! But it takes courage and persistence and the relentless pursuit of your individualism. Happiness, therefore, has never been a given nor a right. Your happiness must be worked for and authentically curated. Purposefully and powerfully. Take responsibility for your own existence and watch the good life happen. A life truly worth living can only be one of your own making.
