Remove Life's Shackles
Be free
Recently I was having a discussion with my sixteen-year-old nephew about how high school was going for him. He mentioned a physics class he was taking. Being a former educator, and physics major myself, I took interest. Then I asked him if his teacher was making the class run experiments and write lab reports. He said no.
The reason I knew to ask is because of the following experience. When I was an undergraduate, during a time when the internet was in its commercial infancy, my university was (and still is) technologically progressive. Back then, they did away with labs (experiments and lab reports) for its introductory physics courses, in lieu of virtual learning. Which meant, watching videos of people doing experiments. This was a highly debated decision by the faculty for physics is a science which works as both a theoretical and experimental framework. Experiments are an essential part of the subject. Teaching physics without first-hand experience in this area is like teaching basketball players how to play offense only (or visa versa). Kind of like what you see in the NBA currently.
I grew up learning physics the real way. The theoretical side, and experimental side. Learning the theoretical side made me very good at mathematics, something I later studied in graduate school. Both have made me see the world in almost a behind the scenes' manner. Learning the experimental side made me good at problem-solving physical systems.
Hear me out.
Just the other day I solved a small issue. The shower at the home I live in had a slow drain. Meaning, as I would shower, water would puddle up near the drain almost covering my feet. I could have called a plumber. But that is about $100 just to arrive at the door. Rather, what I chose to do was fix it myself. I removed the drain cover, and plunger/stopper/lever mechanism (actuating this is what allows you to fill the tub with water). I cleaned out as much as I could. It was still slow, so I applied some liquid drain cleaner to remove the blockage I could not see. Boom, it worked. Job done.
I have always felt comfortable fixing things by myself, for myself. Things that are even much more complex like rebuilding the transmission in my car. Or all manner of electronic equipment. These efforts teach me new things, pass the time, and save me lots of money. And I credit this to the knowledge and experience I gained doing all those experiments as a student in my physics classes.
But what if some mechanical, electrical, or computer/software system does not need repair. What if your life needs repair. What if you are the water flowing through the pipes of life. And the there exists a partial blockage in a section of those pipes which is preventing you from flowing at a normal pace. What if this is a complete blockage, preventing any movement in your life at all. Just a stand still, when everyone else moves on without you. This is stressful. It will attack your health. It will chip away at your overall wellness.
We live in a society where, just like my university tried to do all those years ago, and like my nephew’s school system is doing now, we expect to learn things second hand and rely on others. We have shied away from learning how to tackle problems ourselves. Almost everyone at some level is overly reliant on others at some point. And this is a problem in my opinion.
Watch the following video. It shows a very impressive looking 1964 Ford Mustang run through Los Angeles like a screaming banshee.
In the beginning, the car is shackled. The car wants to run but is spinning all four wheels. In its frustration, it creates god like levels of smoke. Then the driver realizes the car can easily be removed from the shackles by depressing a button. And off it goes, tearing up the city of Los Angeles in celebration of its new found freedom. As if, to give an almighty display of power. Showing the world what it has been missing when it was held back.
You are this wild Mustang. Los Angeles is your life.
You must figure out how to remove yourself from the shackles that bind you. It may be as easy as it was for that driver to depress that button.
Society as of late has not done a good job at teaching our youth how to rely on themselves. Via this second hand learning approach I described above. Therefore, we as a society are less equipped to free ourselves from everything that holds us back. Even when the solution is easy.
We must fight. It starts from within. It starts with the person in the mirror. It starts now. And I am writing this with myself in mind as well as anyone else reading this.
One key component to wellness in life is to identify all which holds us back. For if we don't, we may be operating with unwanted resistance or an absolute tether which will hold us back from normal maturation and forward progress. This experience WILL be detrimental to your health. Your wellness.
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