From pre-school to elementary school, from elementary to middle school, middle school to high school, high school to college, college to work, "work to death". When we find gaps to retract from these systematic environments the time is spent doing activities which allow us to completely take our minds away from that which we have spent so much time doing (school & work). So we jump into anything that will entertain us… TV, Sports, Dancing, The social web, Movies, drugs and alcohol, etc. Rarely ever, do you see someone sit still, and dive into who they are and contemplate their being. We go from one spectrum to the other, activities of necessity to activities of leisure. "Doing" has become the essence of our existence, while thoughts of "being" have slipped away into alien concepts that monks experience and are talked about in eastern philosophies. We are coerced by our situations and circumstances. We are taught obligation, and not too much more. Family, friends, colleagues and co-workers are the walls preventing a free life.

If we live in the world of "doing" a duality is created, where our personal life is pitted against our work life. We become frustrated people because the two compete for our focus and attention. So we end up in suboptimal situations. And suboptimal situations create suboptimal people, unless they have the ability to transcend the situation through decision.

Let us find out who we are so that we can create a strong foundation, built from our own feelings, thoughts, and emotions, and not from a series of beliefs or ideals that have been handed to us from a religion, society, culture or civilization. Having created a foundation, we can then confirm our outlook on life and start to create a path through this life. A path with sincere conviction, with the understanding and acceptance reinforced by our foundation. It would be an independence which would grant the peace of mind that comes with conviction of a pure and peaceful decision. We would then know that we are always in the right place at the right time... living this life which is the ultimate expression of self.