Do you feel the need to change/leave your mark on the world?

[DK]

There have been times where I would sit, thinking to myself, "Is this it?  What does it matter?  If I died this moment, no sentient beings would breathe easier for me having been here, people would look upon my life as stagnant and wasted, I leave behind a corpse for someone to clean up, my friends and loved ones are left without me, and all my good intentions would mean rot."

Do you feel the need to prove yourself to yourself?

Do you feel that your drive for goodness is driving you mad?

Do you want to slow down, but fear you will leave behind the ones who need your help?

Do you know what it is you want to do with your time on this planet?  Do you feel you must spend it perfectly or your life loses value?  Or does this not even arise in you, and isn't considered?

I'm curious about what other people's opinions are; concerning how to spend a limited amount of life in unlimited opportunity.  How do you find your value in a world that will forget all you have worked for and all your efforts?

[Dharmic Tui]

Nihilism was an issue for me early on in practice, and it's something a lot of people may confront as they negate their fault finding, anxiety ridden minds. As my practice has developed and I have reached deeper states of bliss I have changed my outlook to simply cherishing life for as long as I'm here, and be as close and present as I can to those who I share my life with. I don't need to give myself value in the world or leave my mark on it. All we are is dust in the wind.

[PeasantProphet]

Nihilism was an issue for me early on in practice, and it's something a lot of people may confront as they negate their fault finding, anxiety ridden minds. As my practice has developed and I have reached deeper states of bliss I have changed my outlook to simply cherishing life for as long as I'm here, and be as close and present as I can to those who I share my life with. I don't need to give myself value in the world or leave my mark on it. All we are is dust in the wind.

What if inside of you, lies the answer to problems on earth that need to be solved? Maybe inside of you, you can discover cures for diseases or invent something to make peoples lives easier?

[Dharmic Tui]

Then time, rather than my wanting, is likely going to bring that out.

[Tobin]

Nihilism was an issue for me early on in practice, and it's something a lot of people may confront as they negate their fault finding, anxiety ridden minds. As my practice has developed and I have reached deeper states of bliss I have changed my outlook to simply cherishing life for as long as I'm here, and be as close and present as I can to those who I share my life with. I don't need to give myself value in the world or leave my mark on it. All we are is dust in the wind.

What if inside of you, lies the answer to problems on earth that need to be solved? Maybe inside of you, you can discover cures for diseases or invent something to make peoples lives easier?

You can do all these things without clinging to a desired outcome. At least that's my understanding. I don't think we should ever be passive in life if we can make change.

[Goofaholix]

Do you feel the need to prove yourself to yourself?

Do you feel that your drive for goodness is driving you mad?

Do you want to slow down, but fear you will leave behind the ones who need your help?

Do you know what it is you want to do with your time on this planet?  Do you feel you must spend it perfectly or your life loses value?  Or does this not even arise in you, and isn't considered?

This is bhava tanha, craving for a future you, craving to be something, craving to prove something, craving for selfhood.  It was a real relief to be able to let go of this when I first started practice.

Letting go of this craving doesn't mean your life can't be significant but it does mean craving for significance won't need to create Dukkha for you.

Just get out of the way and allow life to unfold naturally.

[Middleway]

What if inside of you, lies the answer to problems on earth that need to be solved? Maybe inside of you, you can discover cures for diseases or invent something to make peoples lives easier?

As long as we don't harm others and earn right livelihood, then we don't owe anything to the world. The world will be just fine with or without us.

[Tobin]

What if inside of you, lies the answer to problems on earth that need to be solved? Maybe inside of you, you can discover cures for diseases or invent something to make peoples lives easier?

As long as we don't harm others and earn right livelihood, then we don't owe anything to the world. The world will be just fine with or without us.

I don't agree, but maybe I'm taking it out of context. The world is dying BECAUSE of us. We still have a responsibility to make positive change.

[PeasantProphet]

I don't agree, but maybe I'm taking it out of context. The world is dying BECAUSE of us. We still have a responsibility to make positive change.

That is what I am saying....seems like some people on here are being to lackadaisical. To much acceptance and being idol is a fatal flaw IMO, but we will probably get another lax reply. Its like seeing someone drowning and not helping them

[Dharmic Tui]

Who said anything about acceptance and being idle? I'm not a sciencey type guy, so it's folly for me to aspire to create a cure for aids. That doesn't prevent me from doing other impactful acts as part of my day to day activities. My core business it making money from technology, but just last month my business gave away over 20 laptops to various groups in the community. Every day I try to do at least 1 totally altruistic act alongside my commercial activities. I just don't walk around proclaiming myself to be a world changer or give myself lofty ambition in that realm.

I guess you could argue I should be totally selfless and dedicate 100% of my time to doing good. Ideally that's what I'd like to do, I just have too much fear of my many liabilities.

[Matthew]

....
I guess you could argue I should be totally selfless and dedicate 100% of my time to doing good. Ideally that's what I'd like to do, I just have too much fear of my many liabilities.

If the whole world acted this way there would be no problem, but they don't.

In the meantime it is up to each of us to do our best - and use our awareness to refine what that means.

Your altruistic actions are above and beyond what 99% of the world do DT.

[Matthew]

...
The world is dying BECAUSE of us. We still have a responsibility to make positive change.

I agree with this. The world is dying because collectively we are doing too much crapola to it. Each day someone makes an improvement in their own lives is a day that the solutions become nearer to being the reality.

[Matthew]

Do you feel the need to prove yourself to yourself?

Sometimes - and then I see it for the rubbish it is. I am what I am.

Do you feel that your drive for goodness is driving you mad?

Sometimes - and then I see this for the rubbish it is and start breathing again.

Do you want to slow down, but fear you will leave behind the ones who need your help?

No - it seems that I must do things slowly to maintain my own sanity and be the slightest benefit to the world around me.

Do you know what it is you want to do with your time on this planet?  Do you feel you must spend it perfectly or your life loses value?  Or does this not even arise in you, and isn't considered?

I'm learning what I want/need to do as I go along. Perfection is a great way to beat yourself up so I've learned to avoid that tendency and work with what is.

I'm curious about what other people's opinions are; concerning how to spend a limited amount of life in unlimited opportunity.  How do you find your value in a world that will forget all you have worked for and all your efforts?

You can't be sure the world will forget all you have done: you haven't finished your time here yet!

[siddharthgode]

It's a peculiar quality of the mind, it can only quickly access negative incident all the time. But when it's close to death it can only access good mommets and beauty of life.

How to change the coding of the mind to change the above problem??