Finding your place in the world doesn't seem like an easy task at all. However, the solution is closer than you think: just find yourself.
Last update: July 06, 2020
Days go by and we feel we don't belong anywhere. We wake up feeling an emotional emptiness that drags on for the rest of the day. In a sense, it seems impossible to find one's place in the world. We perceive any place we go to as a stranger. It seems that only our friends are the only ones to give us a little consolation at times. However, this feeling doesn't last long either, because we often feel alien to ourselves as well. What happens to us?
Nothing and no one can make us happy. We wander from place to place with a constant monotony that plunges us into an ocean of doubts and uncertainties. We don't really understand what happens to us or to the world. We scrutinize our existential horizon and do not find the slightest sign of meaning for our existence. What can we do?
Despair runs through our bodies from head to toe, making every hair on our skin stand on end. We are short of breath and the mood descends into the background of the psyche. It seems increasingly impossible to find one's place in the world.
What do we have to do with all this?
No place seems suitable for us. Every job becomes a pain. We feel the weight of the body and even the soul. We perceive existence as a heavy burden on our shoulders.
We think about the world, how it works and we realize that it is not made for us. Pessimism takes over. It almost feels like we come from somewhere else or feel like we were born at the wrong time. “What do we have to do with all this? What is our place in the world? “, We often ask ourselves.
Feeling comfortable in a defined context becomes rather complicated. However, for some reason we can't explain, there are magical places where everything seems to be going well. What are these places? Each has their own. Some people feel comfortable in religious temples. Others in large gardens and forests. The sea produces a great sense of connection with the world.
Finding one's place in the world and the expectations of others
If we stop for a moment to reflect on what happens to us and the sense of helplessness we feel, we can get great answers. In many cases, part of the life paths we have undertaken have been dictated by the influence of the social or family context.
Unconsciously, we accepted those paths as our own and so we tried to follow them. We may also be successful at work and economically, but not emotionally. So, despite the apparent success, we always feel out of place.
On several occasions, we have chosen the life that others expected of us or we have walked their paths without infamy and without glory. We haven't even considered other possible alternatives. And that is why it is time to ask ourselves if we are leading the life we ​​want or the one that others expect of us.
"Rejoice because every place is here and every moment is now."
-Buddha-
The Buddhist nun, Venerable Damcho, says that before taking refuge in Buddhism, she was a successful journalist. Although she had it all, she was not happy and felt that something was wrong. She decided to abandon her media life to become a Buddhist nun. Since then, her dedication to others has made her immensely happy.
Lama Rinchen, a Buddhist meditation teacher, tells a similar story. He was a successful businessman who one day decided to quit his job and make a living by making natural juices in a modest shop in town.
To what extent do we force our lives to take wrong paths? Are we really happy with what we do despite the success? We investigate within ourselves and analyze what gives us true fullness.
Your place in the world, inner emptiness and Buddhism
Buddhism states that the inner emptiness we feel when we don't find our place in the world is due to the disconnection from our authentic Buddha nature. But what is Buddha nature?
The answer is simple: the ultimate state of being, a state in which we feel in love and happy. For this reason, the secret is to put an end to the conditions that cause us suffering and, in this way, to achieve happiness. Thus, by freeing ourselves from mental afflictions, we will increase the chances of being happy under any circumstances.
Our place in the world depends not so much on where we are, but on our state of mind. A state of mind of peace, harmony, serenity and love. This way, no place will feel as hostile or uncomfortable as it used to be. We could enjoy a genuine fullness that arouses a state of harmony in us regardless of where we are.
"If you're not happy here and now, you never will be."
-Taisen Deshimaru-
