The Paradoxes and Parodies of Life: How They Celebrate and Mess With You

Is all this living really worth dying for?

As a millennial trying to live life to the fullest or seeking your inner potential; this question might have crossed your mind in one form or the other.

There are so many theories, philosophies and principles on how to live a happy, successful and content life.

For instance, here are the most baffling concepts of life:

GOD, UNIVERSE AND YOU

When you were young, Religion made it easier to acknowledge the fact that God gave his only begotten son to die for your sins; but as time comes and knowledge creeps in, you wonder if God created millions of stars, planets, and galaxies just to have a personal relationship with you.

Does this statement strengthen or weaken your belief system?

One minute, you’re taught to be powerful and beckon on the power of the Universe to help you. The other minute, you are confused, bewildered and pondering on how in reality, you are just an insignificant speck in a planet amongst millions of other planets locked in galaxies.

TODAY, TOMORROW AND YOU

Make Today count. Live life to the fullest. Sorry about Today’s troubles because Tomorrow will take care of itself. But the next day, you are asked to have self-control. Sacrifice Today to enjoy tomorrow’s rewards. Invest in Today to reap tomorrow. It’s absurd.

Or is it about gratification?

Delay instant gratification to enjoy future benefits but the world revolves so fast you might not have the time to look up and see those beautiful moments.

KNOWLEDGE, IGNORANCE AND YOU

Then when you try to find out for yourself, the confusion simply expands. The more you seek, the more you find. The more you get clarity, the more you get confusion.

The famous philosopher Socrates once said, ” A man who admits he knows nothing knows something himself.”

This then leads to the path of ignorance. There’s a popular adage that says “Ignorance is bliss”. Does this mean you stay ignorant and enjoy the bliss that comes with it.

But life is not fair. Because Success is also part of this unbalanced equation.

SUCCESS, FAILURE AND YOU

Now, let’s take a look at Success itself. Have you realised anytime you remember your past successes, it’s the struggles that play out in your head first. When someone asks you about your triumphs, you start by narrating the trials and troubles you passed through to triumph.

All of a sudden, you will realise Success is not a final destination. Success can become failure over time when laziness and sluggishness take over. Because Success is simply overcoming failure at that particular time.

This brings us to the final complexity of life. The topic young people are always scared of talking about.

LIFE, DEATH AND YOU

You only know if you’ve lived a good life when death comes. Because it’s Death that gives life meaning. The shadow of death gives life its potential for meaning.

For instance, Eternity (infinite time) only makes sense and rewarding because we’re given a short time and brief lifespan here on Earth. Immortality becomes an ultimate goal only after we realise how fleeting and fragile life can be as mortals.

Now.. The Big Question Is…

WHAT IS THE KEY TO LIVING A SUCCESSFUL LIFE?

When you meet your elders, they tell you the same thing:

BALANCE. They would say Life is Balance. Good overcomes Bad in the long run. Obey the Ying Yang philosophy. Obey the law of Karma which says you reap where you sow.

However, here is the truth. The saying of the elders obviously does not work every time.

Because Life is not a Balance. It’s a PARADOX.

REAL LIFE AND YOU

Life was made tangible by an intangible force. Reality is first brought to life by Faith. Physical bodies moved by souls and spirits. Complex physical actions performed by simple disembodied thoughts.

Logic clearly does not work here. Because everything you relate to life revolves around contradictory yet interrelated elements. And these elements exist simultaneously and persist over time. Because the paradoxes of life make existence a parody on its own.

CROWNS, CHOICES AND YOU

So here’s what I believe:

You have to choose a side. You’re either yin or yang. There is no in-between. There is no fence to sit upon as you live through life because the fence is the most dangerous place to stay while living.

As you get close till the end of this post, I hope you already know there is no single formula to living a happy, content and successful life.

Personally,

I believe in God. Because he framed this world with his words.
I believe in Faith. Because without this virtue, it’s impossible to please God.
I believe in Tomorrow. Because God has taken care of me today.
I believe in Knowledge. Because it sharpens my core values of curiousity and creativity.

So here is the answer to the question at the beginning of this post:

“Is all this living worth dying for?”

Yes, it is. As long as you hold your beliefs, values and attitudes firmly.

Now is your time to answer.

What do you believe?