We live two lives.

We live two lives: The life of our inner world, where there is only one set of footsteps, and the life in the world of circumstance, shaped by those who came before us.

The separation of these two worlds can help us create visions for the world within and the world without. We are educated the following way: If you achieve a satisfactory outcome in the world of circumstance, then this satisfaction with trickle down to your world within. So focus on getting a good job, finding a beautiful partner, raising adorable kids, buying a big house, wearing beautiful clothes, traveling to the most beautiful places, and going to the best parties, for that is what - in the western world at least - we equate to a successful life. That success will quench our thirst for satisfaction and will automatically trickle down to your inner world. If you live a successful life without, you will have harmony within. That is the promise. That is the contract we have all signed by saying "yes, this I believe to be true".

And yes, these things do in fact provide happiness and joy. But there are a few things that stand out. Firstly, not everyone is given the chance to achieve all these things. Very few of us (as in world population) will have the chance to pursue such circumstances and so they cannot be a promise of bliss. An adequate dream is one that can be "achieved" by all. That dream is the one of the world within. Secondly, The world without is extremely sensitive to change. You might lose your job, your partner might leave you, you might lose all your money, and so on.

The world within, however, will always be with you and can be way less sensitive. But because we are taught that our world without determines our happiness within, we are very sensitive to the variations in circumstances of the world without. Through our belief, we have created a dependency between both worlds. What makes our sensitivity even bigger is that we share this belief with those around us. So we automatically compare ourselves to others. And how couldn't we? If everyone around us is successful at the attributes mentioned above and we aren't, we think of ourselves as worthless.

The vision we all believe in has rules. Those rules are mostly anchored in time. At any given age, there are milestones we should be hitting. We go to school, then to high school, then to university, do a few internships, find a job, find a partner, buy a house, have some kids, and so on. If at age X you haven't achieved what is commonly associated with what you should achieve at age X, then people question your integrity as a human being. What happened to you? Are you alright? Have you lost your way? When will you catch up?

That is how we control each other. We are the unwavering defenders of our dictatorship because if no one would believe in the dream that promises happiness, our worlds would crumble. Suddenly we would recognize that all the stress we put on ourselves is worthless. The promise of bliss would be broken. But it cannot break for it would break us. So we keep it alive. We accept the contract we sign every day, again and again. Our stress is proof of our unhappiness. We prefer to medicate the body and shut down its cries for relief, rather than listen to it.

Turn your back and walk the other way. Flip the board and play the game of the world within first. Find inner peace that is independent of circumstance. Find inner peace that doesn't have to be talked about or displayed. Share that inner peace with yourself and if you are satisfied by sharing it only with yourself, then you have come to a place of sincere inner peace. Inner peace induces clarity. Clarity in turn makes you see yourself and the things around you the way they are. Your motivations become sincere and your aspirations pragmatically ambitious.

Your clear vision within will help you choose a clear vision for the world without. It may very well be to get a good job, find a beautiful partner, raise adorable kids, buy a big house, wear beautiful clothes, travel to the most beautiful places, and go to the best parties. Or It may be not. But now that you have clarity, you can pursue your vision for the world without soberly. You won't suffer your circumstances, you will embrace them. That lack of resistance will reduce stress and that will make all the difference.