To Live and Die a Fantasy

What if everything about our social order was incorrect? From the definition of success, to the pursuit of wealth and all it influences. Even down to our education: Not necessarily its science, but rather, its position in a system based on microeconomics. Amidst the fluff and constant toiling, have you ever just stopped and thought, “What exactly am I doing?” Is it possible to live and die a fantasy?

I’ve long believed that as human beings, our greatest tasks are discovering our purpose and walking therein afterwards. But the cares of this world can hamper both, leaving us torn and disillusioned. In lieu of a cure or simple truth, the powers that be promote fantasies for us to subscribe to. People, in turn, spend their whole existence chasing things that are actually made-up. Ultimately, they live and die a fantasy.

Again, I ask, what if the principles of our social order were completely false? What if fame was a platform for ridicule, and not praise? Who was it that decided a million dollars was wealth, and what if it really wasn’t? A common antidote suggests that “numbers don’t lie.” But the greatest common factor reveals a different truth: That numbers are most often the authors of confusion, and must be simplified in order to solve problems.

Has a hard day’s work ever yielded abundance or surplus? If we could travel in time and walk among the African slaves, we’d probably answer “no.” Yet, our own enslavement to a modern system encourages us to think otherwise. That if we work hard—and keep working hard—we will eventually succeed and realize our dreams. But the pathway to dreams has never been one of hard work. Dreams, in fact, involve no labor, and are usually free from rules and regulations, making them illegal in the court of reality.

I’d rather dream than to live and die a fantasy

Perhaps this is why those who achieve happiness, freedom, and any level of success, do so beyond the realms of the establishment. Not through the concept of job security, or climbing some fictitious corporate ladder. Not even through the amount of money in their bank account. Rather than focusing on making millions of dollars, maybe we should focus on the passion of our dream. For passion and acknowledgement are the ultimate rewards of scholarship. Money comes with the territory, but is not an end in itself.

If I had to live and die a fantasy, I’d much rather it be the one in my own head, and not one given to me by a spiritless, mechanical system. It’s no mystery: Society as we know it is obsessed with transaction and exchange. In comparison to a higher order, this may not always be correct. True happiness and success is found within our dreams, which is up to each of us to keep alive.

This is your Monday Unleaded for the week of July 7, 2013. Have a productive week!

No Regrets – Masta Ace