It seems that increasingly we are taught by our society that our worth is based on our physical appearance, youthfulness, bank balance, the material things we own. This is reinforced constantly through media and social pressures and is hard to avoid in our current world.
Arguably, the ever-present and somewhat insidious nature of these messages, create an environment that can lead us to become passive participants or observers in our own lives, at least for those of us that are not super ambitious or high achievers who tend to take a more laid back approach to living.
Passive in that we allow our thoughts to be influenced or dominated by others and the information we observe around us. This way of processing the information presented to us contrasts with being an active participant.
An active participant is one who is in control, paying deliberate attention to choosing thoughts, feelings and reactions irrespective of what others say and do or what information is in front of them.
Being an active participant is not the same as forcing your life to come together. Similarly, being comfortable to let your life unfold does not mean you are a passive participant or that you are lazy, unmotivated or unsuccessful.
Next time we will explore the notion of being a passive participant in your own life in some more detail. By grasping this concept, you can be aware of it and then set a course to change it — if you choose to!
Originally published at nadinelhughes.com on November 3, 2016.
Originally published at medium.com