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I do not know where this came from but lately I have been stricken with thinking "so what? I am going to die anyway"
Regardless of what the afterlife may hold (heaven, hell, nothing at all, something else), I've been feeling as if what I do here does not matter. So for example if I build a homestead and live a self sufficient lifestyle that is great but what does it matter after I am dead? I can build up skills over the course of my life but I am just going to die anyway and go somewhere else. If I get reincarnated then my skills and experiences from this life are discarded. If human consciousnesses never dies and when we die we continue to "live" (this is what I believe) as nebulous beings, then does what we have done as physical humans really matter?
It does not stop me from doing things in the present moment. If I want to do something, I just do it. But, I do not necessarily have the future in mind. For example, if I am interested in watching a video about a technique in a video game, I do because that is what I want to do in the present moment. However I am not necessarily thinking about building my skill in this game long term, because I am going to die anyway. It is a very depressing feeling. It has been demotivating me I would say about 50%.
I realize that this life as a physical being and at least as "*my name*" is the only one I've got so I SHOULD make the most of it. But I am finding it hard. This does not mean that I am necessarily afraid of death. I used to not care if I lived or died when I was depressed. Now I want to live but also recognize that physical death is inevitable and that is okay.
What is your take on all of this? How can I program my mind to keep away from these thoughts?
TL;DR I feel that no skill I build or anything I collect or anything I DO matters because I am going to die anyway. How do I stop thinking this way?
I have only been feeling this way for a month or so, and never before in my life. I am in my twenties, so young.
The worst thing you can do is try to figure it out. Live life day to day. Obey the golden rule. All we have is the ability to help others along the way. To be truthful, there really IS no purpose. At the end of the day you do just die. We as a species is what really matters..as individuals we can only define ourselves in the way we treat others.
But where do all of our experiences go upon death?
You are asking me for proofs of immortality
I can only offer proofs of the effect and applications my religious beliefs in this life not the next
Of this I can assure you -the wonderful disciplines I learned in this life especially religious have offset my rotten childhood and poverty
It is sad that most misperceive this as-
White and lucky
One of the cruelest things mr obama said to people who were not born with a silver spoon in the mouth like him was -you did not. Build it you were just white and lucky
Out of 200 million sperm cells and one egg to make a baby, you were the result of one sperm and one egg. You were given the miracle of life.
Life is just that. You live it however you use it, and then you die.
Unless you are famous, within two to four generations after you are gone, you will mean nothing to no one other than a relative that has died. In three or four generations from now, you might be in photos in an album or on something digital, but you won't be in someone's memory.
So this is your time and your time ONLY. Just live and hopefully enjoy it as much as possible.
As for life after death or moving to some greater plane, or reincarnation, we won't know until we die.
I look at life as a duration of responsibility and ownership for our time on Earth. We're carrying the torch from our parents, to pass on to our children when the time comes. Life isn't just getting through life and maybe living 80 years if we're lucky. Amass something to pass on. Stop being so self centered and thinking "well if I can't take it with me..." LEAVE SOMETHING FOR YOUR KIDS OTHER THAN DEBT. Maybe a paid-for house or devise a plan where grandparents leave to their grandchildren.
If we don't contribute for a cause bigger than what's obtainable and consumable within one's own lifetime, we'll never see beyond 100 years. This, in my opinion, is the Achilles' heel of the human race that limits us. The Great Wall of China took 2000 years to build (given the technology at the time). But we seem to be only interested in projects that can be completed in a few years. It's popular to demand short ROI and give the third degree to our financial advisers each quarter when we don't see a gain posted.
Regardless of what the afterlife may hold (heaven, hell, nothing at all, something else), I've been feeling as if what I do here does not matter.
But what you do here on earth does matter....I'm 3x's your age with plenty of life experiences as well as having suffered great personal loss ( premature death of loved ones ) and I have come to the conclusion that our purpose here on earth is to simply give more than we take.
Seems to me you start thinking the way you do when you realize the bulk of your life is behind you and you think you haven't much to show for it.
I am 60 and I sometimes feel the way you do. I get depressed then.
My advice would be not to waste too much of your time on this kind of thoughts. Live in the present. Do things you enjoy doing, not because they might survive you, but simply because they give you joy. Surround yourself with people you like. Nothing like a cheerful conversation and a good meal with friends to forget about death. Play with kids, listen to their thoughts on how the world works and have a good laugh.
Look at the way pets function (I have cats, but it works with dogs also). Do they care about the future? No. Do they wonder about leaving a legacy to the world? No. Do they worry about reincarnation? No.
They eat a few croquettes, go and lie in the sun, stretch, and sigh happily. There is nothing else to life but enjoy it while you can.
This being said, we all have a brain that has a notion of time, and we know death is just around the corner, so yes, living in the present only is not as easy as it sounds.
Last edited by Marianna-Lou; 09-18-2018 at 04:15 AM..
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