On a recent trip to Las Vegas I saw things from a totally different perspective. As I have been fortunate enough to have been there a few times before I could look at things from a different perspective this time and ponder a question that the answer still alludes me. But after reading a book titled 'As a man thinketh" and then visiting Vegas I feel the answer to my question is nearer. The question by the way is, 'Why do we continue to indulge in practices that we know aren't good for us'?
Witnessing Las Vegas from a parental perspective, plus being in a completely different place in the self development phase forced me to view things differently. Seeing gamblers in action at all hours of the day and night, drinking, smoking, violence, stealing as well as sex, drugs and homelesness openly displayed really made me ask why is this place so appealing? Not to mention the cheap and nasty food options on tap. My findings are that the majority of us (humans) are fixated with satisfying our desires by indulging in what is perceived to be pleasurable and satisfying past times. Unfortunately the satisfaction is short lived so we go back again and again for more in a bid to feed our desires and try and find happiness. Only to find that feeding desires makes us more unhappy and unsatisfied. I feel the only form of happiness can ever come from within and when this occurs we will never have to rely on external sources and indulgences to satisfy us.
Learning to control our mindsets, to be one of complete abundance and to serve, rather than to desire, want and indulge ourselves and promote our importance in front of others, only serves us to continuously keep seeking external sources of satisfaction that will never fill the missing void of internal happiness. Do you constantly feel like there must be more to life? Well I reckon there is but it isn't external; it's internal. I won't go on too much but I feel if you can follow a few guidelines to start with you may start to see what a difference changing your mindset can make and sinful desires will slowly lose their appeal.
1. Become a servant to a cause or others
2. Don't get angry learn to forgive instead
3. Drop the opinions - who says you are right all the time
4. Learn to be happy inside before looking for happiness externally
If you begin to implement these four principles into your line of thought your actions will follow suit just as the fruit follows the seed.
