You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.
― Friedrich Nietzsche
We tend to be dogmatic with our views as we go on our personal journeys. We seek out other people's approval to give us some confirmation because it can't be that we are alone in this world right? Humans have this primal instinct, which is to be part of a tribe.
By traveling, I have learned that there are indeed many ways in life. I traveled in many parts of the world to get different perspectives and to know what works in other lives of people from different backgrounds. I get to experience first-hand all those uncomfortable situations and I live by whatever I learned from my experience. I don't easily fall into these self-proclaimed gurus, motivational speakers and other ordinary people, especially here on the internet, where most are people I don't really know personally. Unless their beliefs are backed by their own extraordinary experiences, their opinions are cheap.
Apparently, these self-proclaimed healers and motivational speakers who write up to their labels are also nothing but humans. They go out preaching their ways and demanding people to accept it so they can be part of the tribe. How else will these people validate their ways are right if they don't find people who will agree with them? This I believe is some new form of religion these days.
I am writing this because I can't remember how many times some self-proclaimed spiritual guru, motivational speaker, or whatever person come to my post to preach their own gospel because what I write do not align with their beliefs. It happened since I came to this community, but where are they now? They left because probably, their written beliefs didn't earn them enough money. You see, for me to accept differing opinions and other ways in life, I have to know you personally, you have a proven track record or should I say life experience. I am dogmatic in my ways but only up to a certain point. I've met people during my traveling days - truck drivers, families, farm workers...they are not these gurus but their lives changed the way I think now. Most of the time I learned from ordinary people who do not have to blog about their beliefs and put labels on themselves. Their lives are enough for me to believe in them.
Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation.
― Oscar Wilde
Simply researching about stuff, reading books and writing about it will not be enough for me to accept your way. If it is true to you, then by all means - go. I write whatever is true to me based on my own life experience. It is not enough to just read and preach about spirituality, anarchism, minimalism, freedom, individualism if you are not living up to these, because as we all know - talk is cheap. So be careful in believing these so-called principled people who try to look high by labeling themselves, looking down on other people's beliefs, writing glorious essays and trolling other people on various social media platforms including Steemit to prove they are right.
Tell the world what you intend to do but first show it. ― Napoleon Hill
What have you done to earn the titles you put on your profile?
Anarchist - Did you even break any rules in your life? Are you still paying taxes? Are you still slave to your system?
Minimalist - Are you still living an excessive lifestyle?
Healer - Are you yourself healed?
Motivational speaker - What have you done to actually motivate people?
You are not the one to put these labels on yourself. Even the famous artists in the past did not feel comfortable labeling themselves as artists because it was not up to them to do that.
Are we really living our lives or are just typing away, trolling and preaching our ways? Good deeds not words count.
Labels are just one way to be part of a collective because it is human instinct to not feel left alone in this world. But labels limit ourselves and we tend to be militant with our views. Labels also enslave us because if we don't live up to these, then we are subject to mockery and ridicule. Criticism is our fear so we will try our best to live according to these labels we put on ourselves, otherwise - our fragile little egos get hurt. We lost our freedom to be whoever we want to be.
I found my own freedom by simply being nothing.
To each his own.
I know that there some people out there who are fans of leaving negative comments masked as positive - also known as the subtle trolls. You see, age does not mean anything to me. If you are older or younger, I will accept your view if you have a life to prove to me. I treat everyone the same - farmers, truck drivers, spiritual gurus, politicians, garbage man. Most of the time, I learn from those are living up to what they preach and have extraordinary life experiences.
Here I write about my own ways as I've learned from my years of travel experiences. You can read all my life stories since the beginning, and those contained experiences that validated the wisdom of the already well-known gurus, authors, and philosophers. If you don't agree with it then it is not my problem. The upvote is here because it means you understand what I am saying, not for you to preach me something, and I won't easily buy it simply because - I don't know you. I'm not too desperate for a few cents of your upvote. Internet opinions are cheap, we cower behind the computer and those who believe are coward themselves too. Go outside, unplug and travel the world, get some radical life experiences instead of believing other people you haven't even met. There is one way to preach our own ways - write our life experiences.
In this day and age, I prefer positive people in my life. It does not mean I am closing my mind to other views, like I said before, I choose carefully whose opinion matters. If I don't know you personally and you have no life experiences to prove, in other words, you are nothing but the labels you put on your profile, then I'm sorry you are not going to affect my decisions and my views in any way.
I will continue to travel and meet people personally who will truly give me some light. I will write about the world as I see it and whatever is true to me. You are free to do the same.
Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won't come in.
― Isaac Asimov