Though it may not seem like it, one always has a choice in how they make their everyday count.

Sadly, I think most people are so busy exploring the “fuck around phase” in the worst ways possible during the course of their life, the “find out phase” usually involves them in a coffin

While I’m of the mind self-reflection is a vital part of the everyday, the end of the year almost feels as if an inevitable part of a rumination of what has come to pass. Looking back is a great way to refocus one’s mindset, by learning from the past, and using the new insight gained from the introspection as a learning moment, in moving forward in more mindful ways. As I wrap up this year, I have a lot to consider, as I’ve set myself up for great success going into next year, with a lot of careful planning and meaningful follow through that is helping to set the stage for bigger and better things, which is an excellent segue for the premise of my Words of Wisdom today, related to the phrase “Memes to an End”, which is going to involve a forward thinking approach in taking care of ones future, by borrowing from a cultivated past that you’ve helped to create.

That’s why today’s Words of Wisdom: Memes to an End,has to do with the idea of Hero Projects, which is a concept that relates to the notion of what one is going to “leave behind”, when they finally shuffle from this mortal coil. I know what some of you might be thinking: “Wow, so we’re talking about death today? Words of Wisdom is usually a bit more of a lighthearted affair!” To that point of assessment, you are correct, though that doesn’t mean one can’t take serious the grand mystery of life, while also simultaneously not taking themselves too serious during the process, which is a greater ideal to maintain than one may first truly consider. I’ve always been a fan of contrasts, and playfully discussing matters of grave importance, or casually jesting about the gravity of one’s own demise is right up my flippant alley.

Digressing slightly to the idea of Hero Projects, one of the reasons I’ve been thinking about them so much recently, is that there has been a delightful confluence of events coinciding recently, as a mix of the end of the year, starting a new book called The Philosophical Thinking of Death and Dying, and playing through Expedition 33, which is heavy on themes of mortality, grief, and existentialism, all of which have helped contribute into feeding my voracious appetite of consuming ideas related to the post-mortem.

In the spirit of that idea, and in what is likely going to be a slightly meandering stroll to my eventual point, is related to the notion that I think it’s vital one spends their time in understanding oneself, in really getting a good idea of who they are. This is in the name of eventual self-actualization, which is essentially the equivalent of becoming the absolute best version of yourself you can be. While this for most seems like an impossible pipe dream, and indeed, is quite a lofty endeavor, it is absolutely possible for anyone willing to put forth the effort, in eventually living their best life, and that is through the hard work and dedicated time it requires in taking the steps of cultivating a great enough everyday, that you can finally achieve the “next level you” you’ve always wanted. However, it takes a genuine effort, a serious amount of focus, and a whole lot of time investment. In this regard, there are no shortcuts, no easy way outs, and no freebies involved: you genuinely have to earn the self-actualization, as there is no snake oil on the planet you can take which will ever achieve this goal for you.

How one can self-actualize is a lengthy and complicated process, and one we don’t have time and space to go into today, but the Words of Wisdom: Go For Thriving, Not Just Surviving from two weeks ago, represents some excellent first steps in getting you ready, and traveling down the road of self-actualization, so go give that a read if you have any questions about how one may achieve such a state. The reason I’m advocating for this “next level you” in reference to the hero projects idea, is probably more simple and obvious a truth than I’m giving it credit for, or really need to address with further explanation, but for the sake of transparent clarity, I will reemphasize that if we are talking about death, and the eventuality of the hero project to come along with it, we’ve got to talk about what we are leaving behind, and it’s a crying shame to think you’d be leaving behind an incomplete version of yourself before drawing your final breath. I also happen to think the self-actualized you will have a better beat on what they are able to do, and what is feasible in being left behind, when it is all said and done, so there is no shortage of good reasons to achieve such a feat with basically no downsides involved.

Okay, so, let’s say you’re self-actualized, and in a great place overall in life itself. Now; what is your hero project going to be? There’s a few major ways to go about this, and I’ll share one of my main thrusts of what I want to leave behind, as we discuss a couple of different possibilities thereafter. An easy first one I can mention is financially related, but money bores me, and what one would do with wealth in relation to the future is obvious and tedious within the idea of explicating any further upon, so we leave it aside and move on. The second, and quite frankly, most common (and obvious) of the hero project options one can leave behind is their progeny, aka, a kid…or children…any configuration of a genetic legacy one can fathom, really. This is obviously in relation to planting “the biological seeds of the future”, which you can help cultivate, and eventually see off to help take care of and even become the next generation.

Just as a quick aside, I’m not promoting reproducing here, which I felt was worth mentioning. If anything, I think most people are completely inadequate at being parents, and far too often, the majority of folks who are into child rearing, have absolutely no business in doing so. Overall, I’m likely closer to being anti-natal when getting down to the brass tacks of the situation, but ultimately, I have to confront the obvious realities involved with most people’s everyday, so in considering the hero project through the lens of the laymen, this did feel necessary in mentioning. Not my personally idealized version of what I want to leave behind, but if one has the genuine ability to do something as noble as being a good parent, than you’ve got your work cut out for you.

For everyone else, we’ve got another great third option on the table, and it’s the one that is motivating me in recent days. Another thing one can pass on is their “memes”, or “memetic information” as it were..which, just to clarify, I do mean the definitional standard of memes, in relation to the idea of cultural information, not funny internet pictures, just so we’re on the same page. Passing on memes in this way, in transferring ideas, philosophies, wisdom, skills, ways of life etc along to those who will fight after we are gone, will be vital in helping shape the hearts and minds who will do the fighting, in cultivating a brighter future. In this way, if one is not going to have children, one can instead of passing a long genetic information, one is passing on their memetic information instead, which, depending on the person, ranges from important, to greatly valuable, to a terrible tragedy in not being passed on, depending on what the person is able to leave behind.

This is kind of where the self-actualization relevancy comes into play, as in essence, in order to maintain both the confidence levels one indeed has to have, not just in having the self-esteem enough to think they have memes worth passing on, but also the confidence in acquiring worthwhile memes during ones lifetime, is essential in passing their memetic legacy onto the future. Being able to do this effectively does require a strong sense of self, an unflappable will, and an ironclad constitution to make sure those ideas, mind sets, and overall cognitive vibes, are successfully passed on to the future of tomorrow. Someone who has not self-actualized likely won’t see the value they possess, in passing their ideas on to the next generation, and or likely would not have had the confidence levels to acquire anything overwhelmingly worthwhile to give to the future, so a lot of this hinges on what you are able to accomplish, in cultivating sense of self, over the course of your entire lifetime.

Cause ultimately, and very much in line with the old adage “the best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago, the next best time is right now”, the amount of relative value you will be able to leave behind, in terms of a memetic legacy, arguably does take a lifetime to cultivate, so starting as early as possible, and then maintaining it throughout your life, increases the probability you will pass on a treasure troves worth of memetic information, when the time comes to finally pay the ferryman. If we also consider that, there will always be evil in this world, and people of ill repute who will do the very same as us in this instance, in passing along their memes too, in all of their corrupt and crookedly vile misery, it is vital that the memes they will pass on are not left unchallenged, as then the only kind of memes given to the next generation will come from a place of bad faith, selfishness, and cruelty, and will continue to infect the human race moving forward. So really, when you consider the process of self-actualization throughout your life, hopefully with the eventual goal of honing a virtuous sense of self in the process, you will eventually be able to pass all of that along in helping to give something worthwhile to the future, and thusly helping to create a better chance for a brighter future as a result.

Though this may all sound like a bit too lofty of a goal, I reiterate, I think everyone has the power to accomplish something such as this, and if everyone genuinely did try to pass on “the best version of themselves” in meme form, and to that point, memes that spring from a place of virtuous self-actualization, we would all help in giving the next generation an excellent leg up, and be part of the reason the future of humanity has the chance to not just survive, but absolutely thrive, when all is said and done.

Cause ultimately you must realize the grim reality of the situation, and what we fight for. If you take nothing else away from my Words of Wisdom today, I hope you at least take this final notion with you: all it takes for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing.

As always, take care of yourself, and others.

-Pashford