
If you haven't created your inner world, you rely on the outer world to fill the void.
You need the trip, the attention, the nice apartment, the restaurants, the hobbies, the shows, the constant social outings.
Without them, you feel empty. Maybe even depressed.
But when your inner world is rich, the outer world becomes just background noise. You don't need it to feel full because you carry an inner sense of purpose.
You have a mission, a goal, something that makes your inner world vibrant and alive.
Maybe it's illustrating the most interesting ideas.
Maybe it's providing clean water to developing countries.
Maybe it's writing a book or becoming a world-class athlete.
Whatever it is, once you have something that makes you tick, the outer world loses its power over you.
The food at the restaurant wasn't great. Who cares, you weren't relying on it to feel whole.
If that person isn't giving you attention, it's no big deal; you have something to focus on.
That upcoming concert sounds cool, but a Friday night spent deep in your inner world? Even better.
As long as you have food, shelter, and space to work, your inner world is intact.
You don't need the latest movie, the new car, or the exotic vacation. You're locked in, fully immersed in what you're creating.
The outer world becomes a mere canvas for your vision.
You shift from being in the passenger's seat as a passive consumer of life to being in the driver's seat as an active creator of life.
This is an extreme perspective, and I wouldn't recommend living in your inner world forever. But everyone should experience it, at least for a season.
If you find yourself caring too much about the outer world, disappointed by a place, or frustrated by a person, embrace your inner world so completely that you don't even have time to care about things you can’t control.
Because when your inner world is alive, all those places that once seemed boring or repetitive will look and feel different. You'll be experiencing them through a new lens.
After a while, you can shift your focus back to the outer world, but this time, you'll engage with it on your terms.
You'll know the difference between chasing fulfillment and carrying it within you.
Sincerely,
Ash Lamb
(386 of 500 words)
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Feel free to reply—I respond to everyone.
Great post, Ash, as always.
I was also thinking a lot about this, but I called it "own opinion" rather than the inner world. I found when I embraced my past, my roots, and my beliefs, I started to see my future clearly.
Spending time in your inner world/crafting your opinion becomes the most enjoyable thing to do daily.
One day, my wife went to put our kid to bed. When she came back, she asked: 'What did you do?' I responded: 'I was just... thinking.'
It wasn't a TV show, YouTube, movie, or even a book. I was just thinking.
This reminds me of "Happiness is a skill you can learn, a habit you can build" From Naval
Shows that we don't need much from the external world to be happy & joyful
Great read, Ash!