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identity_seeker
Casual Contributor

Identity and Life Choice

Hello, I'm new to the SANE forums. I wanted to post something to let my heart out and contribute in a small way. I'm wondering if people will be able to relate to or have interest in my experiences. I will appreciate any replies and thoughts anyone would like to share. Also, as long as I'm respectful, is it ok if I talk about religion here?

 

I'm quite a deep thinker and I have a lot of choices taking place in my life at the moment. I like philosophy/spirituality (who else?) and so the question of how one chooses to live their life is one I battle with daily (as do many others). My previous spiritual and philosophical experiences include Mahayana and Zen Buddhism, Stoicism, and now Christianity. One of the key concepts I've learned through all these experiences is simply the concept of virtue. Giving, compassion, right livelihood. Yet despite all these learnings, I still battle with the concept of self-gain in life. I'm 21 and I consider myself quite behind in life (dropped out of high school), although I like to think I'm relatively mature. I'm in a position where I have a decent amount of choice about where to take my life, whether it be easy or hard routes. Whether it's TAFE, my first job in retail, or building a website. Anyways, a successful career is also appealing to me, but I have other difficulties as many of us must have in these forums. This includes a diagnosed mental illness I may talk about another day.

 

I'll leave it there. Thank you for reading this introduction. I know it doesn't have a satisfying conclusion but I was hoping to see what happens if I post some of my struggles here and maybe find people who can relate.

3 REPLIES 3

Re: Identity and Life Choice

Hi there @identity_seeker ,

 

Welcome to the forums. Thank you for sharing a little bit about your life and your interests.

 

We look forward to reading the community's insights about your post.

 

We will see you around.

Re: Identity and Life Choice

@identity_seeker , It sounds like you've been on a bit of a journey in life - a journey of dicovery? We look forward to hearing how things so for you.

 

In terms of your struggles with your mental health, how is most helpful for you? I'm hearing your spirituality - anything else?

Re: Identity and Life Choice

Yes, a journey with many ups and downs including being hospitalized 6 times in the past 2 years. I would say the peaks of this journey have been through the discoveries and psychological growth. Thank you for your encouragement.

 

One thing that has been very helpful for me is the experience of accomplishment. When I'm at my best, I'm being productive, I'm doing lots of time-management to make the most of my days using a calendar to set time blocks for my day. I feel most fulfilled when I can look at my done list and tell myself I did a good job today. This is rare for me however, as I struggle with inertia and controlling my body can be very difficult at times. But I encourage people to try (if they haven't) overcoming their painful mental states to give time-management a try. The process of filling in your time with very small wins can feel wonderful and empowering.

 

Thank you tyme for your replies and questions!