We are Infected..

as I was growing up, I read many books on philosophy, religion and culture. Something that Ron Hubbard said really stuck with me, though. Ron Hubbard said something to the effect of “the world has not changed, but you have”. when we are children, we are fascinated with the world around us. we want to learn, explore, and go on adventures. we are seeing new things, trying new things, and full of questions. trees, clouds, and the world around us are very interesting.
but as we grow up, we become infected - infected by all the bad experiences and unpleasant experiences that muddy our waters. we forget how simple life was when we were growing up. unfortunately, these things stay with us, never to return us to a time when the world was a wonderful experience.
the first thing to do, of course, is to realize that this has happened- then address it. you have been programmed to think as an adult, ignoring the very simple pleasures around you. for most of us, the pleasure in life comes from “escaping” reality, rather than enjoying it. even though people may think you are crazy, it IS ok to look up in the sky at the clouds, enjoy the rain, enjoy birds chirping, and enjoy the breeze blowing on your face.
start by doing these things, realizing that you can’t necessarily escape your reality, but you can certainly change it by changing your outlook. yes, you can.