Humans have existed in some way shape and form for about 200,000 years and our civilization has existed for a mere 6000 years. Over the course of 6000 years we have fine-tuned every aspect of our lives that exists today. Every definition in the dictionary, every medical term and procedure, every scientific discovery, every technological advance; everything that humans have created has only existed for a short while. Let’s call this short while a blink-of-an-eye. Some research indicates that there have been about 108 billion humans that have already existed on this planet. While that may seem like a lot of opportunity for contribution, there are some limitations.
What does it mean to be “true”? In order for something to be “true” let’s just label this as something that does not change. I “Googled” this and discovered 4 possible results.
- Definition of truth as per a dictionary
- Philosophical interpretations of truth
- Scientific and mathematical interpretations of truth
- Omnipotent truths
Since there seems to be so much discrepancy with all these possible options for determining “truth” let me go out on a limb and declare:
Loneliness is NOT true — Loneliness is a choice and possibly an agent of change.
Loneliness is temporary and not permanent so it cannot be “true”, permanent or constant.
Problems Pre Humans
If you refer to the chart above, you will notice that humans appear at the right most portion of the scale. Over the course of 400 million years, as you can see for yourself, we are an insignificant portion of this scale. We have barely existed as a species! Every other life form on this planet has existed substantially longer than humans. Let’s also note that all of our collective science, math, religion and philosophy are only about 10,000 years old. Everything we know and do today is a culmination of the past 10,000 years of effort.
I frequently review the following 2 questions:
- Are humans headed in a good direction getting fancier and more sophisticated?
- Are humans so primitive on the evolutionary timeline that we are missing out on even rudimentary progress or simply not capable of processing at the same level as a life form that has existed for 400,000,000 years?
Our civilization has been evolving for 10,000 years yet fish have been evolving for 400,000,000 years. Our technologies seem sophisticated for 10,000 years, but imagine for example, the levels of sophistication that could have developed over 400,000,000 years for the fish? We make this exact argument for intelligent life in the universe. We compare our 100 years of flight technology and dismiss it as infinitesimal then imagine what a civilization could achieve in 1,000,000 years of fine tuning that type of technology. Yet we seem to look at lifeforms that have existed on this planet for magnitudes longer than ours (IE: fish @ 400,000,000 years) and dismiss any real significance. We have been looking through space for hundreds of years and cannot locate any intelligent life. We can build seemingly elaborate and sophisticated machines that smash atoms together but we do not even know how a human heart beats. We are trying to visit other planets in our solar system yet we have not fully discovered what exists in our oceans. What do we really know and how advanced are we really? Why is it we that we are consumed by the notion that there are super advanced species and technologies out there, beyond our reach somewhere; yet we mainly ignore the many examples of life forms that exist among us now. Now that we have examined our species in relation to the rest of life on the evolutionary scale, let’s acknowledge that “No problems existed prior to our civilization”. For 400,000,000 years prior to our existence there is no evidence of “problems”, “phobias”, “anxiety” or any other “conditions” or “afflictions” that exist in our dictionary.
Loneliness is an illusion?
If we compare our evolutionary years of experience to that of any other species on our planet, maybe we are still very limited in comparison? These limitations can also affect our perception. The currency of your mind is “thoughts”. A thought is the smallest unit of measure that can occupy your mind at any given moment. It is estimated that we have between 50,000 and 70,000 thoughts per day. Your personality, demeanor and beliefs are a summary of these thoughts. You have heard the simple statement many times before “You are what you think about all day”, and this is true. You control your thoughts. You place each and every thought in to your head.
If you do not like your personality, demeanor or beliefs, then you need think different thoughts. Loneliness is an illusion that seems real because of your thoughts. Lonely thoughts create loneliness. You believe you are lonely because the majority of your 50,000 daily thoughts are “lonely” thoughts. If for example you change your focus and decide to change your “lonely” thoughts to “angry” thoughts then in a short while you begin to feel and be angry instead of lonely. Regardless of whether a thought is true or false is not relevant. Because your thoughts control who feel like you are then how you feel is basically an illusion.
Since how you feel seems very real, it is not important to notice this when you are not feeling good in life. When you feel well and on track just continue. If however you feel unwell or lonely just replace the thoughts and develop a new habit of wellness simply by changing your thoughts. You will have on average 50,000 opportunities daily to change your thoughts and change your life. At first you will need to make an effort with these thoughts, but eventually the thoughts will become second nature and develop in to a more empowering habit.
Physical Building Blocks VS Mental Building Blocks
We reviewed that we have 50,000 to 70,000 thoughts per day. The good news is that you are the architect of your mind. Let’s compare this to the physical world. Everything in or physical world identified so far is made up of 103 elements:
Combinations of these physical elements create everything in our physical world that we have been able to measure up to today. This includes every physical thing (stars, planets, water, plastic, metal, and every other physical thing). We do not know how these elements came in to existence but they are in fact in every physical thing we can measure. The physical world seems vast, complex and is made up of A LOT of interesting and fascinating things. It is amazing what a combination of 103 elements can create.
While we are made up of physical matter too, a combination of those physical elements we just reviewed; the way we are and the beliefs we have are created and reinforced by a single building block and this is labeled “a thought”. 1 single mental opportunity is the building block we get to control. We get to control this building block thousands of times daily. Just like the periodic table of elements makes up the physical world, our thoughts create who we are.
The good news is that unlike the physical world which requires very exacting combinations of elements to create physical objects. Our mental world only requires simple ingredients labeled as thoughts. Continuously focus on this thought and eventually the thought goes in to autopilot mode and then eventually becomes an automatic habit that does not require constant focus.
If you were asked to physically create a 6 inch cube of carbon fiber, not everyone could do this, including myself. First you would need to refer to the periodic table and figure out what combination of elements are required to create carbon fiber, locate the elements and create the cube. There are many steps and resources required. If however you wanted to create a better state of being, let’s say you wanted to replace “loneliness” with a “happiness” state of being, you would need to change your habit. You change your habit one thought at time and continue to force those thoughts until eventually you develop a new habit then a being of “happiness”. Every time you notice a thought of “sadness”, simply remove that thought and replace it with a thought of “happiness”. Repeat this process and eventually you will have a new state of being. Unlike creating a cube of carbon fiber, we all know how to create new states of being. I cannot tell you exactly how this works but I can tell you how to do it.
Changing Your State of Being
I stated that I do not know exactly how the process works for changing your sate of being but everyone can do it and here is how you do it.
Think of a “pink car” –> now think of a “black cat”
There it is, very simple! Not sure how that process works but it does. You just did it too!
Let’s expand on this. If you had a state of being which revolved around being a “pink car” and you wanted to change this and become a continuous state of being a “black cat” you would follow this recipe.
- Every time you notice your current thought of “pink car”, control and force your current thought to “black cat”
- You will have 50,000 to 70,000 opportunities daily to notice if your current thought is on “pink car” or “black cat”
- Repeat this “noticing” process indefinably until a new habit is formed
- Once a new habit is formed, continue to “notice” and react until you reach a “state of being”
Some experts say that a new habit can be formed in less than 365 days. Some experts even declare that 21 days will create a well formed habit and up to 90 days for this to become second nature (a state of being). The only thing you really need to do is notice your current thought and replace it if it is not related to the new habit you are trying to develop.
“A journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step – Lao-Tzu “Chinese philosopher (604 BC – 531 BC)
Don’t spend much time thinking about how many days or thoughts are required to develop a new state of being, just start and you will soon arrive.
We have reviewed how and why loneliness is an illusion; a temporary state of being that is very possible to change. Use the following recipe:
- Every time you notice your current thought of “Loneliness”, control and force your current thought to “Being Grateful ”
- You will have 50,000 to 70,000 opportunities daily to notice if your current thought is on “Loneliness”, or “Being Grateful”
- Repeat this “noticing” process indefinably until a new habit is formed
- Once a new habit is formed, continue to “notice” and react until you reach a “state of being” the is “Being Grateful” instead of “Being Lonely”
Being grateful can mean many different things and is used in this example because it is more empowering to be grateful instead of lonely. Feel free to choose any state of being that seems most applicable to your life. This way, changing your current thoughts will seem easier as you work through the process.
Some view loneliness as personality trait, personality disorder, or something permanent and extreme. You can either view this as chronic or changeable. You control how you feel. The choice is yours.
**Note to anyone reading this – While we all now know that fish have a 400,000,000 year head start on humans and it is most likely that they know a thing or two with all that evolutionary experience. Just like you, I can tie my shoes faster than any fish I ever met, so I am not crazy and know we are special too.