Last time we mentioned that there are two major resources of happiness we can choose from. We need to deliberately think more about it, for otherwise, we would fall to our default and habitual views. The decision to prioritize one over another would lead to two fundamentally ways of living, which is what I am about to make clear today.
Type I: We aim for obtaining more and more external valuable resources by means of putting efforts into skills development.
Type II: We aim for becoming a better citizen with higher skills and mentality, by means of making use of the external resources available to us.
It goes without saying that we work hard with a goal in mind. But what is the goal and what do we work hard for? I assume that the goal is something, if achieved, will make you happy. The goal can be something external, like money, a reputation, a promotion, recognization from other people, being able to enjoy the freedom you want, among others. If you care more about the result, the outcome, rather than the process of producing or obtaining it, you are a Type I people. The goal can also be internal. If the growth of inner abilities and strength is your preferred resource of happiness, you are a Type II people.
The decision of choosing a way of living, has already been made, and yet not been made. Without realizing it, we already have a way of living. If this way of living makes us comfortable, there is no strong motivation to change it. That is both the power and the downside of habit. After realizing we have a choice to make, a new gate open for us, and we come to become aware that there is a different way of living out there. If you feel life has too much pain to bear up to, then your way of living is working against you. But don’t forget, this is just a way of living, and you always have a choice. So the decision has not yet been made. It all depends on how you think about your past experiences and how you go about moving to the next. Always keep your mind cool so we can avoid falling into the trap of habitual views and thinkings.
However, making the choice of way of livings is no easy deal at all. There is a huge gap between Type I and Type II. These two kinds of people, do things differently, view things differently, and feel differently about life as a whole. I am going to explore more aspects of these two fundamental types of living in the subsequent posts. Stay tuned!
