Although I said I closed the topic of mental duality in the previous article (this article), let me add a little more explanation. Today, I will talk about the differences in styles between achievement and self-realization.
How to realize our peaceful lives
Sometimes, we want a peaceful life rather than a competitive one. Although social achievements excite us, they never satisfy our hearts. They always give us a sense of scarcity. In addition, the comparison with our surroundings never ends because many people in various areas are better than us. The more we try to keep winning, the more exhausting we are.
If we are empathic and creative, we might tend to feel so because we want to use our personalities. The more unique personalities we have, the happier we are when we use them. Using individuality gives us deep fulfillment.
For example, we might feel stressed rather than happy even if we try to win a worldwide competition in which we cannot use our individuality. On the other hand, if we can help weak people with our creativity, we will feel fulfillment in our hearts, even if it is just for one person, because we can use our individualities.
Finding a natural life that maximizes our value
In other words, using or following our individuality is one part of our happiness. A comfortable life with less stress allows us to show individuality and do something others cannot do. Our natural lives maximize our value.
However, we sometimes confuse a competitive lifestyle with our natural one. That prevents us from realizing our peaceful lives.
Today, I will explain the differences in styles between them. That might allow us to progress in our lives with fulfillment.
The differences between achievement and self-realization
There are differences in styles between achievement and self-realization. Let’s contrast it below.
(Achievement) vs. (Self-realization)
- More patience vs. less
- Suppressing the negative mind vs. considering and caring about it
- Trying to achieve it in the shortest possible way vs. trying to go at our pace
- Relying on existing maps created by others vs. relying on our compass and making our own map based on the path we walked
- Focusing on goal location vs. focusing on direction
- Emphasis on reaching vs. emphasis on proceeding
- Imitating from professionals first and thinking for ourselves last vs. thinking for ourselves first and imitating from professionals last
- Clear goal vision vs. vague one
- Excitement of achievement vs. the fun of discovery and breakthrough
- Clear social approval and ease of obtaining support from others vs. being hard to be understood by others
- Moving only forward by willpower vs. exploring various places by mood (switching two senses)
- Limiting the area of ability to develop vs. developing the ones that we can use the most now
- Planning vs. anticipating, preparing, and responding
- Fighting with force vs. thinking about how flexible we can be
The distinction based on the majority or the minority
We need to distinguish between teachings for the majority and those for the minority.
Usually, people evaluate the former with no doubt. The former is the style of achievement. For example, many people think a clear goal vision is better than a vague goal. They value planning more than the unplanned. It is common sense.
Those teachings apply to the majority because the majority tend to be less empathic and less creative. They don’t worry about the future and don’t plan, so they value them.
However, on the other hand, if we are the minority, such as people with high empathy and creativity, the latter tends to suit us because we can worry about the future and plan well. Sometimes, we tend to be too worried and plan too much.
Being aware of the latter allows us to be flexible and care about our mental duality. That maximizes our possibilities.
We don’t know what we can do from the beginning if we have individuality because we are not usual. Individuality is something that society’s laws of success don’t apply to. The more unique personalities we have, the less likely we are to have a vision of success.
In that case, we can follow the two aspects of our senses. Caring about them gives us the direction to live comfortably.
Integration in styles
Perhaps those styles work best when integrated. In other words, confusion between the two styles creates inefficiencies and prevents us from progressing.
For example, we might think that we shouldn’t be in a hurry to achieve our goals. However, impatience gives us more energy to recover from the delayed plan. It is a fundamental energy source for achieving. Impatience is not completely bad.
Likewise, rushing through life is an efficient way to achieve something. Although it never satisfies us, it is a way to obtain social success. Going at our pace is a style of self-realization.
Impatience or rushing through life often gives us efficiency from the perspective of achievement. Confusion of styles prevents our results.
Conclusion
There are differences between a competitive lifestyle and our natural one.
Each style works best when integrated.
This distinction might allow us to progress in our lives with fulfillment.
Thank you for reading this article. I hope to see you in the next one.
