Wellness Calendar: Thursday 6 November

Crisis, what crisis?

Existentialism is an approach that sees each person as being free and ultimately responsible for creating their own reality, their own purpose and meaning – rather than be given instructions by nature, Gods, governments, teachers, etc. Moreover, it views ourselves as being the only judges of our actions. Choosing to act or not choosing to act still comes down to us.

Once we are aware of just how much freedom we have and the risks we take in every single decision we make, we can end up having an existential crisis. This is where feelings of doubt, stuck-ness and meaninglessness come to the forefront of our mind; where unanswered questions about life churn around and around our brain with nowhere for them to go.

The opposite of an existential crisis could be finding some kind of inner peace, whatever that might mean to us as individuals: a calming of our nervous system, our thoughts, our feelings, our actions, our connections with the world.

David Byrne, the lead singer of Talking Heads, wrote the lyrics to two particular songs, Once In a Lifetime and This Must Be the Place. Could one of them be about an existential crisis, while the other a glimpse of inner peace?

“And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile.
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife.
And you may ask yourself, "Well, how did I get here?"

“Home, is where I want to be
But I guess I'm already there.
I come home, she lifted up her wings
I guess that this must be the place.”

What do you make of this concept? Have you ever had an existential crisis?

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