How To Build Our Own Universe

Happiness is not a given in life – you have to conquer it. Human beings are made to survive, not to be happy. We are programmed to survive, but if we want happiness we have to do a bit of “hacking”. Whoever wants to take on the challenge of happiness has to realize that the most important thing in life is to discover the meaning of life.

As José Luis Sampedro, writer, humanist and Spanish economist, said, the reason we are alive is to live and to discover ourselves. Most of us, at some time in our lives, have asked ourselves why we are alive. Knowing how to answer this question will give us a sense and meaning of our existence. A real and proper meaning.

Everything we see on the outside is merely a reflection of our interior, of what we think and feel. The defects and virtues that we see in others are what we, to some extent, carry inside of us. However many doubts and questions we have, most of the answers are already inside us, because the universe that lives inside us is already a really fascinating one.

The meaning of life – caring for our own universe

It may sound a bit ironic, but we are the only ones capable of upsetting ourselves, and of allowing emotional turmoil to invade us. The cause of our suffering is not on the outside, but inside… in how we face the pain.

Others can kill us physically, but, on an emotional plane, only we have the power to harm ourselves or to impose order. Despite breaking free from our mind, this imaginary war generates a series of emotional burdens, such as guilt, resentment, hatred, punishment and the desire for revenge.

The way we interpret things, along with our emotional reactions, is what makes us suffer and to be in conflict with ourselves. Ultimately we are the cause of our own harm. For that reason, focusing on ourselves and making ourselves aware of our emotions brings us closer to a deeper knowledge of our inner universe and the meaning of life.

After all, the only thing we can change in our life is ourselves. Everything else is just an illusory concept. We can become upset by wanting a better world with less injustice and more equality, only to see it slip further and further away. In contrast, changing and improving our inner life is our true work. Achieving this will give us unlimited peace and a new way of facing situations.

To build our own universe we need to be brave

Generalization is a threat to us. Getting lost in cities full of big buildings and rules that are rarely said, but often imposed. On many occasions we sacrifice acting in accordance with our values in order ​​to project a better image of ourselves. This is one of the ways the “system” controls us, by the reward it offers us in return. Do this and do it this way I tell you, and I will look after you.

Sometimes, depending on who we are with and where we are, we show ourselves in one way or another. We choose what we want to show out of our universe, and what we want to hide. This in specific situations can seem to be helpful: looking for a job, in meetings, at work etc. But in the long run it can produce a great disharmony within our soul.

Perhaps the biggest challenge we face is to find ourselves, connect with our inner selves and be real for longer periods of time. This is a challenge, never a threat. Although there will be difficulties along the way, the sensation that will accompany us will be one of peace. We should be actors and not mere reactors, at the mercy of the currents that produce everything that surrounds us. And then we truly will discover the meaning of life.