{"id":44929,"date":"2017-03-29T12:30:57","date_gmt":"2017-03-29T19:30:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=44929"},"modified":"2017-03-28T02:16:55","modified_gmt":"2017-03-28T09:16:55","slug":"how-to-become-enlightened","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/29\/how-to-become-enlightened\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Become Enlightened"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"doves<\/p>\n

No, becoming enlightened is not becoming some Buddhist monk, and meditating on a rock in the middle of the ocean.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

1. Enlightenment is simple<\/h2>\n

To become \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcenlightened\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 is just to turn on the lights in your mind.<\/p>\n

To \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcenlight\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 \u00e2\u20ac\u201d to add light to yourself.<\/p>\n

That means, if you feel lost in life, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re just wandering in the dark. You need a flashlight, to figure out where you are, where you want to go, and what gives you purpose and direction.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, we all have smartphones, and we all have the flashlight app on our phone. So we are ready any time to \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcenlighten\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 ourselves.<\/p>\n

2. What worked for me<\/h2>\n

For me, I think I was always enlightened; ever since I was 12 years old. The problem was that I let my inner-light go dim, as I got older.<\/p>\n

When I was 12, I knew that happiness was doing creative work, having fun, having loving and meaningful relationships, to not care about money, and to not envy others.<\/p>\n

But as I got older, I was told that I needed to get into a good college, to get a good job, to make a bunch of money, to buy a house, and to buy a BMW, and maybe one day retire and travel.<\/p>\n

I think as children, we are all already enlightened. But the problem is staying enlightened as we become adults.<\/p>\n

3. Am I crazy?<\/h2>\n

I remember when I was 18 years old, then 21 years old, still thinking the rest of the world was crazy. Then I wondered:<\/p>\n

\n Am I the only sane one? Or am I the only crazy one?\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I took a (somewhat) different path from my peers\u00e2\u20ac\u201d I followed my passion (while holding down a 9-5 office job). I was an optimist; but a pragmatist. I knew I needed to pay my rent, so having a 9-5 job helped me do that. But I knew that I wanted to pursue my passion in life (teaching, photography, blogging, traveling) and that I could do that on the side.<\/p>\n

As I became more \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcsuccessful\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 in life, I got more stressed. More emails to answer, more networking, more kissing ass, more business deals, more traveling away from loved ones, more jetlag, and more stress and anxiety.<\/p>\n

Now, my leading motto is:<\/p>\n

\n Memento mori.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Know you will die; and you must die.<\/p>\n

4. What is important to me?<\/h2>\n

So my simple leading philosophy is \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Live everyday like it is your last.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

This is the easiest way to give you focus in life.<\/p>\n

This will point your light to what is truly important to you. For me, the important things in my life include:<\/p>\n