Brian Laufer
Soquel, Ca. 95073
12 May 2013
Dear, People of Earth:
I find my inspiration today from all the people who
trust the corporations that rule their lives, and for those who do not know how
to live happily, not feeling fulfilled with their accomplishments, not content
with the situation they find themselves in and lacking in their love of life.
As impossible as it seems in our modern world, it is possible to live in such a
way that one is surrounded by beauty and able to recognize it. As a country
that portrays its people as happy and healthy, we are really suffering from our
choices. It is my dream to enlighten people to the real power that they have
with the choices they make every day, all day. This world is crazy, and it’s
very easy to get lost in the hustle. The good news: We can all live healthy,
vibrant lives, despite the fact that our capitalist system robs you of your
health and divinity.
The human potential amazes me, always proving
my assumptions to be wrong. People are ever ready for the new and always
seeking ease and convenience. Sadly this inlayed pursuit has led us to the
exact opposite; with money being the driving force, our lives have become much
more stressful and in fact, inconvenient. We could have for ourselves a
stupendously beautiful society, free of war and all dis-ease. Flourishing with
abundance we could be! We are addicted to the system that feeds, clothes, and
entertains us. We don’t know that we have the choice to follow it or not. We
are kept blind to the important moves being made, and constantly distracted.
The only analogy I can think of is that of a slave. In order for corporate
business to keep their consumers, (the true source of power for these titans of
international enterprise), they must keep people uninformed of their true
intentions. There isn’t just a lack of beneficial information, however there is
a bombardment of misinformation, or many positive and negative reviews. What to
eat for example. They must keep people believing that they need corporate products.
The corporations supply these “conveniences” in seemingly endless forms,
following trends and doing anything it takes to make a dollar. Dreaming up
devices we never thought we needed, oh but you’ve just got to have it, right?
This artificial life is not worth living. It is not
consistently satisfying, providing for momentary pleasures, but ultimately
causing too much pain and suffering to say it was a good idea. We have come to
understand that our technology allows us to live longer, richer lives and it
certainly has that potential, but this is not our situation being observed on a
broad human scale. We have the preconceived notion that corporations are doing
us a favor by making our lives “easier”. I would say we are being taken
advantage of, that is; our basic nature is being hacked. Ex: Our instincts tell
us to eat sugary, salty, and fatty things because they are rare in nature, our
body loves them because it assumes it will not see those substances in
abundance for a long duration. We are more inclined to purchase these types of
foods, fast food being the extreme. We are constantly bombarded with a sensory
overload. Large companies will typically only sell products high in (the
pleasing three): sugar, fat, and salt + ridiculous amounts of flavonoids
(flavors) because these will sell the most. It always comes back to money.
“…advertisements have typically promoted foods high in fat, sugar, and salt and
ignored fruits, vegetables, and complex carbohydrates sources.” Journal of
Nutrition Education and Behavior (p. 27). It is the quick and easy
momentary pleasures that are advertised, not the long-term investments for your
health. This must change if we are to thrive.
When I have lots of money, then life will be easy
right? Thing is, it could take a lifetime of slave-like labor to set yourself
up with significant savings. Most of us don’t even enjoy our jobs. This pursuit
of wealth often becomes the subject to all of one’s attention, neglecting your
health you ride a downward spiral of despair, degradation and dis-integration.
“…social science data has long demonstrated: that the level of one's
socio-economic status has meager effects on one's "sense of
well-being" and no significant effect on "satisfaction with life as a
whole," (Etzioni et al. 1-3). The less dependency you have on money, the
better off you will be. Self-reliance is key. When you depend on somebody else
for everything you need to survive; you are a slave. If you can’t depend on
yourself then your life is in someone else’s hands. We live in an amazing time
full of opportunities to greatly change ourselves. The amount of information at
any one’s disposal is astronomical compared with the information available just
50 years ago. It’s incredible that most Americans have at their disposal an
infinite internet in which they could find countless truths for enhancing their
life condition, yet we are brainwashed by the endless weapons of mass
distraction. As long as you are happy, right? Even if we do have great wealth
and power that alone will not bring you happiness. The people around this
person expect him to be happy. He puts on a fake smile. Not knowing what life
is all about. Here is the secret: Acquiring wealth for yourself will bring you
no health. Giving to others, in love you’ll be smothered. Living to make other
lives easier will bring you lasting happiness. That is what we all want, we
just don’t know it yet. Love (with many definitions) means more to us then
anything else. When you love everything, everybody, your life will always be
graced with ease.
There are those that would argue for the idea that
the accumulation of wealth, money, and power will bring you contentment,
fulfillment, and lasting happiness. It seems as though many in America hold
this to be truth. From the outside wealthy individuals are thought to be happy.
Many in the world now wish to live this way: A life in which money allows them
to live with no worries. There is a generally held paradigm in the west that we
are separate from each other and must provide for ourselves only in order to
survive. Survival of the fittest: a mentality which is subconsciously held by
most money driven individuals. What will really bring it: the rich nature of
the world, or the extravagant artificial life that we have created? Both can’t
exist harmoniously. The way I see it: money can indeed be a great tool
for cultivating happiness for ourselves, though not in the way you might think.
If your only motivation is self-pleasure then money will ultimately bring only
pain and dissatisfaction. You will have countless moments in your life when you
have the opportunity to make somebody happy, whether you have money or not is
not important for this. We all know that smiling is contagious, so spread it!
Like a wonderful sickness let everybody catch it.
One of the best things I understand we can all do
to alleviate our dependency on the system is growing our own food. I am
passionate about this subject because it has the potential to dramatically
transform anybody’s life for the better. “If every person grew their own food
it would produce so much income that our economic debt would be gone in a
matter of years.” (Megre.) Not only that, having a garden (our natural
habitat) brings happiness like no other, provides endless forms of entertainment.
Not to mention all your favorite things to eat. Food is one of the major ways
to control a populace. This kind of control in the hands of a selfish few is
very dangerous. It means you can control their health and with chemicals change
the way they think, (their mental integrity). All the delicacies in the world
couldn’t compare to the food you have grown yourself. My love and joy go to and
come back from my garden. The more we separate ourselves from nature the more
unhappy we become. We intuitively know where we are happiest, now it’s just a
matter of creating that life for ourselves, the generations to come, and
inspiring others to do the same.
The best thing you can do to find happiness is to
look within yourself. Become consciously aware; be aware that you are aware.
This brings such joy; stepping back from your life and appreciating everything.
I often blast off to a cosmic perspective then come back to see the beauty and
wonder I have to experience. We can all be as happy as we want, this is a simple
human desire not determined by your health or your wealth but how you choose to
perceive. Although for unhindered self-expression and quiet joy you must be
ready to embrace all your fears with open arms. Scrutinize yourself, ask: “Am I
happy?” and if not, then ask: “Why not?” This kind of constant questioning will
lead you to the cause of your suffering. Don’t focus on what is wrong with the
world and everyone in it, give yourself all the attention at first watching all
your actions including: facial expression, the words you choose to use. Look at
your life with love, if you find something about yourself that you don’t like,
don’t fight that trait into submission, instead strive to be mindfully aware at
the moments when you play out the bad habit. Be there with it totally then ask,
“why are you here?” If you can’t find a purposeful reason for the habit then at
those times just breath, surrender and embrace the moment. After all the moment
is where life is happening and really the only place you have ever been. You
might as well get familiar with the here and now. Many people know they want
happiness, but see it as something far off and one day they’ll have it.
Happiness is not something to buy or earn. It is already yours.
Works cited
Bell, Robert A., Charles
R. Berger, Diana Cassady, and Marilyn S. Townsend. "Portrayals of Food
Practices and Exercise Behavior in Popular American Films." Journal
of Nutrition Education and Behavior 37.1 (2005): 27-32. EBSCOhost.
Web. 5 May 2013.
Etzioni. "Toword a
Good Society." Toward a Good Society 93.78 (2001): 9. Web. 03 June
2013.
Lundell, Dwight, Dr.
"The Real Cause of Heart Disease." SOTT.net. Sott, 01 Mar.
2012. Web. 26 May 2013.
Megre,
Vladimir. The Ringing Cedars of North America. 2nd ed. Vol. 1. N.p.:
Ringing Cedars, 2008. Print.
