Waiting For Doomsday

Benny Wills

Read time: 4 minutes

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

At 20 years old, I fell down the rabbit hole.

Bush vs. Kerry. The sentiment in the air was, "Anyone but Bush!" 

I was on the bandwagon. 

Until...

Peter Camejo, a Green Party member and Ralph Nader's running mate, spoke at our school. 

This was my first "big" election. One year prior, I had voted for Gary Coleman in the California recall. (He would have been just as good as Schwarzenegger.)  

Camejo spoke, and I thought, "This guy's great. I like everything he's saying. Too bad I can't vote for him."

(((pause)))

Wait, what??

That thought stopped me in my tracks. I had to vote against Bush, so I had to vote for Kerry. Right...? 

But why couldn’t I vote for the guy I liked? 

It may sound trivial, but it was like a gong going off in my brain. Because in that moment, I became aware of my own programming. 

The trajectory of my life changed forever that day. 

I pledged myself to "Truth," and proceeded to luge down the rabbit hole. 

That was almost 20 years ago. 

To say I've learned a lot by questioning everything would be an understatement. 

By far the most important skill I've sharpened over the past two decades is my ability to think for myself. I'm careful not to make claims or jump to conclusions about anything. I also routinely review my own beliefs so as not to be dogmatic in any way. 

I have also always recognized the importance of contribution. I've created and shared truth-based comedy and poetry. I've spoken, performed, or emceed at liberty-themed events all over the world. Most recently, I worked with hundreds of people through my Parrhesia: The Art of Communication program. 

My underlying intention with everything I do is always the same. And it's simple: 

I want to relieve people of their suffering. 

The world is a mess. But when isn't it? 

The most destructive belief a person can have is that we’re all doomed. 

I have met countless people who are certain of this. Collapse is coming. All freedom will be lost. The future is guaranteed to be a technocratic, transhumanist, totalitarian nightmare. 

You cannot convince them otherwise. It is inevitable. 

No doubt there are disturbing trends and much to be concerned about. I'm a father of small children; trust me, I'm paying attention. 

But when has this not been the case? 

There is blatant corruption and obvious abuse of power.

Yes, and when has there not been? 

History shows us conquest, carnage, torture, slavery, genocide, and famine. To name a few. 

Throughout millennia, there have always been horrible events, atrocious conditions, and awful people. 

And yet, here we are, somehow still persisting. 

No period seems free of nonsense, injustice, violence, and bad ideas.  

I know, I know, everything about history is up for debate at this point. It’s written by the winners, you can’t trust the timeline, etc., etc. I get it. And I still stand by what I'm saying. 

My hypothesis is this:

• Darkness exists
• To live is to experience evil
• Everything life offers is an opportunity to grow
• Growth = Freedom

As far as I can tell, there’s a percentage of every generation who believes, with unwavering faith, that all is lost. That things are too far gone, and therefore there is no hope for the future. Some of them think the world is so messed up that we should stop reproducing altogether. There’s no point in anything anyway, right? 

“I started writing a book, but I can’t bring myself to finish it because… the New World Order.” 

 "I love composing and performing music, but I stopped because… Bill Gates!”

Therein lies the problem.

"Be careful how you interpret the world: it really is like that." - Erich Heller

Life is as good or as bad as you perceive it to be, depending on the lens through which you look at it. 

Is this sounding a bit "glass half full?" You're damn right, it is. 

This experience, the eternal now, is everything all at once. I'm not saying time is an illusion. I'm saying that the most heinous thing a man is capable of, he is doing somewhere in the world right now. Conversely, the most beautiful expressions of compassion, generosity, and love are being carried out right now as well. 

The good, the bad, the ugly, and everything in between are always happening at every moment. 

Birth. Death. Laughter. Tears. Sex. Violence. Injury. Accomplishment. Failure. All occurring simultaneously all the time.

And on and on.   

People are sometimes overwhelmed by their awareness of “bad” things. They become addicted to the problems of the world. Which ultimately creates problems in their personal lives. Their awareness festers into obsession. Eventually battering their minds into apathetic submission.

They check out. They give up. Mainly on themselves. Sometimes on people in general. They see no point in anything. Their growth stalls and progress halts - their potential paused indefinitely. 

"Some people die at 25 and aren't buried until 75." - Benjamin Franklin

They drift through life, expecting the worst and blaming the "sleeping masses" for allowing the darkness to pervade. 

With total enslavement just around the corner, they sit back and wait for it. 

And here’s the rub: Now they need it to happen. They need the worst case scenario to play out so their lifetime of inaction wasn't for nothing. 

Expecting doomsday is the most dangerous mindset of all. 

If you're sitting there, defeated, waiting for the Apocalypse, "they" have you right where they want you. 

Pessimistic stagnation is a kind of solitary confinement. A self-made prison of fixed attitudes, habits, and routines. 

The good news, though, is that the prisons we construct around ourselves can also be torn down. 

You are responsible for you. 

That's how you make the world a better place. 

Because if not you, who? 

"Do your work and I shall know you. Do your work and you shall reinforce yourself." - Ralph Waldo Emerson 

 Are you tired of feeling unfulfilled? Powerless? Frustrated by a lack of purpose? 

 Let's talk.

 There are limited spots opening up in my new program, The Self Reliant Way. 

Click Here to book a call with me today. 

 Until next time. 

 Much love,

 Benny