From where does the authentic self draw its life?

Truth be told. We can all be able to live real, prosperous and peaceful lives. It all depends on where we try to draw such a life from. I have discussed a bit of this here.

The real me does exist.
Enough must have been said by now regarding the age old question of "why am I here?", most of humanity knows for sure that there really is a reason to life. Many also know how difficult it is to attempt and tailor one out ourselves. The majority by now know that self discovery is probably the single most rewarding thing ever. And when we talk about self discovery we are talking about finding the authentic self - not some imitation of what we would like to see on ourselves.

The external me.
The most common way that the human being spends his energy trying to discover self is by filling himself with external things in an attempt to create an impression. An outward impression that is knit together in order to deceive the world that "all is OK with me". No need to talk about bodily pleasures - this is something to do with the whole misconception that the purpose of life is sensual pleasures. Even while we think that the world stands deceived, deep inside us we continue to suffer turmoil and dissatisfaction because the true self still lies undiscovered.

The internal me.
Few people can claim to have discovered the authentic self - least of all me! Statistics show us that probably only 2 to 3% of the human beings have discovered the true self. Statistics also tell us that the entire group is made up of millionaires - evidence that durable wealth resides with the authentic self. Surely then, if the rest of the universe - and more so the inanimate rest - can continue to exist relatively free of turmoil (except that which is brought upon it by man!), I must have in me that natural harmony that is necessary for my own life. If the rotation of the earth on its axis does not require regular servicing and repair, if the sun does not have to be constantly regulated to maintain its heat, then really I as a human being must be better knit.

The joy of self discovery.
The majority of us love challenges and this is quite normal. Personally, I have come to appreciate that it is not so much getting there (I don't think you ever do), the joy is really in the discovery journey. Like every journey in life, getting to start off with a given and definite destination is the big thing, once this bit is take care of, then one can sit back and enjoy the rest of the trip (and appreciate the scenery as you go along). As they say "when you don't know your destination any road leads there!". Or even something about climbing a ladder and discovering it was lying on the wrong wall when one gets to the proverbial top. It is in taking the correct road that we derive our best pleasures. But a word of warning is appropriate here - it is not all smooth sailing. For some strange reason, when one starts hitting home runs the opposition tends to grow in strength. All that we encounter once our destination becomes definite, is the joyful bit.

My initial joy began when I determined to find out what my purpose is. And that should be everyone's joy (and pain, I might add).