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Illusions in Life
They are not real, no matter how true you believe you feel about them
There are too many things in our lives that are fake.
But they feel real; so real, like the sharp rocks under your feet. Most likely they’re the things that preoccupy your whole mind. They hold you back from moving on as a car gets stuck in the mud.
I can be happy only if/when…
One big lie that steals our lives is the idea that we can be happy ONLY if or when something happens. The truth is: if you’re not happy right now, you will NOT be happy whatsoever.
I used to think: “If I get my Ph.D. then I can be happy.” I did get my Ph.D., and I was happy — for a few days before going back to my old self. Then I thought: “If I get a tenure-track professor job then I am allowed to be happy.” I did get the job and was happy, but soon other concerns overwhelmed me. I thought I would be having no worries at all if I got tenured; I did get that, but I wasn’t worry-free — far from it. Just a few days ago I was promoted to full professor, I’ve pretty much reached the highest point in my career — and yet I still hate seeing the mirror.
When I was pursuing my wife I thought I would be on the top of the world forever if she said yes. She did say that, but my euphoria was…