Exchange illusions for reality


Illusions are often used as a tool of conditioning. To make you do something that others want you to do. It is unnatural and therefore they need to brainwash you. Think about it: is it normal to shoot other humans (what soldiers do), is it normal to sit daily 10 hours in a cubicle looking at a screen (knowledge workers) or sowing T-shirts all day without a break (factory workers in Bangladesh)? 

Are you also fed up with the myths that are being told? Like that you will be happy when you have a new car or get a promotion. Truths that are not been told? Like that losing weight is tough and requires discipline for the rest of your life.

It is time to wake up. The challenges, globally and locally, are so big that we can no longer afford to accept these illusions as truth. We need to see that we are conditioned to be mediocre. It is time to throw off the blinkers and the reins that are limiting us. 

Are you ready to exchange your illusions for reality, are you ready to exchange your dreams for facts? That’s where life finally becomes meaningful. ~ Anthony de Mello

Let me make a start here. And yes, it is just a start and the list is limitless once you start seeing the illusions. There is no special order. 

It is time to wake up for a new reality and together build a better world.


ØWe are using a lot of definitions which cannot be measured (yet), like potential or talent or the ‘best version of yourself’. Without a way to measure these things, it’s useless to say that we should be striving for things which are totally unclear. Well, that’s even true for happiness. Mental health and health care are wrong as we only focus on illness and corrective actions, not prevention.
It is crucial to use definitions that are clear and easy to use and measurable.
ØMany companies do not care about the environment. By outsourcing production to developing countries, they can pass on the cost of pollution to society. However, employees do care about the environment and its impact on future generations. Employees (Google, Microsoft, Amazon) have directly signaled to their leaders that they do not want to work for a company that violates their ethics.
Ø  At school we are taught that change is the exception. We now know that change is the rule. We are consciously put in the position of a victim, and told we cannot change the world. The truth is that each person can contribute to a better world.
ØIn business we are told that a siloed expert approach is the cure for everything. Now we know that we also need generalists and other areas of expertise to solve complex problems.
ØWe are told and taught that if you reach a certain goal that you will be happy or once you have a job with status you will be happy. Even many top athletes can confirm that becoming a world champion will only make you happy for a very short term. Many even experience a state of depression afterward. A focus solely on goals is not the way forward.
ØWe are conditioned to favor instant gratification. Do you really think that there is one magic pill/exercise/habit to improve all of your life? We now know that long term effort and practice is what creates results. 1x per week 1 hour of exercise has a low impact or 1 holiday for 3 weeks per year or attending just 1 meditation retreat.  On the other hand, the 12-step program doesn’t end and produces great outcomes for decades.
ØPeople are numbed down with medicines because many therapies don’t work. People with an unhealthy lifestyle are rewarded for their behavior and healthy people pay (their) bill.

It is time to see the world as it really is and to address the challenges with an open and unconditioned mind. This is not easy. But we can do it and support each other along the way.

Are you in?


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