THE PRESSURES OF A FINITE MINDSET & THE FREEDOM IN RECOGNISING LIFE’S INFINITE NATURE

Sara de Clercq - 27 January 2021

Many of the perceived pressures on us these days, are due to a finite mindset.

The world around us seems to prize quick solutions and cheap fixes rather than thoughtful processes that do good for ourselves, other people, the world and life in general. Not only in our lifetimes either but for the lifetimes of those of our children, their children and beyond. Intergenerationally.


Cognitively, this seems obvious, right?


You may have come across the somewhat recent book from Simon Sinek: The infinite game. Here he speaks about an infinite mindset and how this changes one’s perception of the world. To take into consideration other life, beyond what we see in front of our eyes today. He describes how valuable it is to look generations into the future and see how what we do today influences that future and therefore the responsibility that comes with the actions of today,

It is seen and recognised, by some, that doing good in the world goes far beyond our own ‘benefits’ (whilst including them) and thus would be the ‘better’ thing to do. To me it seems this would be a deep truth within us all.

Yet so many of us seem not to be acting upon this inner knowing, and certainly don’t live life in the day to day from this place as much as we could be. Hand up here, as I’ve been guilty of doing (or not doing) so either.

A curiosity around why this might be the case has been coming up for me.


I’ve been observing this idea within myself and those around me and kept asking myself questions like “...what is that on behalf of?” or “...what is the reason that quick fixes take priority over a longer, more sustainable vision with generative processes and solutions in place? Generative processes where flexibility, adaptability and creativity is the ground from all processes to be born out of…” 

We seem to drop into a set way of living as though all of the environmental processes surrounding us remain the same.

I’ve come to notice that for most people, most of the time, their internal representation of the world is one of quick fixes, speed and ‘doing’ a lot out there (going in head first), over a more intentional interaction with our day, work, others and our environment (going in by leaning back and seeing more).

What I’ve come to notice is that this ‘doing’ narrative mostly stems from an individual's internal representation of reality. A story, a form of meaning-making, a perspective on how to be, or not be, in the world. A narrative that has been handed to us by popular societal habituations yet it remains a driving force for many of us individually.

Why?

Have we considered otherwise? Does it feel safer this way?

Safe from what?

Not falling behind? Being seen a particular way? Afraid of what the ‘outcome’ otherwise might be? We might not ‘get there’?

It seems, from this end, to come down to a perceived threat to our survival.

And of course, it seems to be that way. If we take ourselves to be who or what we really are.
This fragile human body walking around on this planet, with no protection and so exposed and vulnerable to danger. 

The need to protect and feed this thing that keeps us ‘alive’ makes sense, right? And in today's world that survival no longer looks like running away from a tiger. Our brain has been left to find other potential threats (worrying about what people might think, say or do) that feel like real threats to our survival yet often do not even come close. And so we react accordingly, with a rapid-fire solution to alleviate the perceived threat, until it arises again. 

This makes me think of a book I am reading at the moment, Sapiens.
One of the paragraphs describes how the collective body, our shared experience and collective mindset is based on a shared story. A story of who and what we are and what we are supposed to do. A story that success looks a particular way, that activism is necessary to protect our planet etc.

Here is the question:
 

How much of this is actually our story? How much of this is and isn’t true for us, individually and collectively?

When we find ourselves doing over being...Who is doing it? What part of us is driving it? Is it the narrative or is it what is actually true?

We are touching on some big explorations of duality here, and if it makes sense, just a little, then that’s enough and if not at all then when it will be most needed, it will.

To continue, there is actually no such thing as an infinite vs finite reality, it’s merely a mindset or perspective. Try to not be in the infinite ever-changing and flowing world that we are in. It is not possible you see, there is a seemingly finite existence to all in this life.

For example, no itch lasts forever. No one thought lasts forever. No one day lasts forever. No one tree, cell, sound lasts forever. Each of these and more, come and go. Transient in nature. Yet put together, they are infinite. Always another moment, even beyond the existence of this finite human body.

The finite within the infinite.

The moments within the totality of a moment..


If we could see from here, from this perspective, with real eyes into ourselves and the world that surrounds us - we will see more clearly, life is ultimately infinite. And with that comes an unbound, deeply loving relationship with the endless moment. Freedom, from the narrative.

We ourselves are arising as the moment and therefore there is a moment to moment changing of ourselves and our circumstances. 

This freedom from an attachment to a particular way of being or not being can be brought into our lives when we start to live and work for a cause greater than our finite selves. This would mean to be ALL in with what we set our goals, sights and intentions on whilst simultaneously completely okay with how the process and situation naturally unfolds. A complete going for something greater than ourselves and a complete detachment simultaneously.

It keeps us open and flexible, to move with whatever is happening in our environment. It keeps us spontaneous, playful, sincere and truthful.

Deep down it is known to each of us what is truly true. 

True is unconditional love. To truly be in service, to truly recognise love in ourselves and love in others. 

To fall deep into love with all existence.

Life is infinite. In this forever moment, now. 

And now.

And now.

And now. 

True.

Joy.

Love.