—Chinese Proverb
1. The future is not obvious.
The future is neither secured nor obvious if you reside in the comfort cave. Change is constantly happening in life; if you resist it by staying inside, you will simply perish. Charles Darwin wrote about “survival of the fittest,” not survival of strongest. Those who adapt to change ultimately survive and achieve their aspirations, so why waste time by residing inside the cave when the future is not promised? Just start your quest in search for eternity or meaning. Nothing is lost except your dreadful fear.
2. Inaction leads to eventually hating yourself.
Residing inside the comfort cave feels secure at the beginning. But in due course, you will come to hate yourself for your inaction and you may die at the end of a boring life. It’s better to die from living life without regret and shame; the worst predicament you could find yourself in is hating yourself despite knowing this fact and doing nothing about it. Just get up and start the adventurous voyage of life, which you will never be ashamed of, unlike residing in a cave.
3. The journey is worth pursuing.
The journey outside the cave can leave you with many trials and tribulations. It’s definitely not going to be easy, but I can surely say that it’s worth pursuing. All those hurdles in the way make you tough and capable of fighting the uncertainties of life. The pursuit towards happiness is always preceded by harsh truths, so be prepared and cherish the journey. At the end of the day, its not always about destination; the journey matters too.
4. You may find the treasure.
Joseph Campbell famously says, “The cave you fear to enter holds the treasure you seek.” Treasure could be anything that you truly believe in; it might be your passion toward music, interest in politics, love of art, faith in people, etc. History is full of amazing heroes who challenged the comfort cave and found their treasures. So do not worry—have faith in your heart and plunge into the journey, for we live by faith not by sight.
5. You will grow as a person.
The universe is within you; you cannot discover it unless you grow as a person. The journey outside of the comfort cave gives you a chance to grow spiritually and change accordingly. You cannot expect the world to change and anticipate that the world will change you. Life is full of paradoxes; you can only understand them if you grow within, or else you end up succumbing to the paradoxes in search for answers.
6. You will discover the purpose of life.
The ultimate purpose of life is not defined by destiny; it has to be discovered by you. It is only possible to discover this purpose by coming out of the comfort cave, for discovery will happen only on the journey. Residing in the comfort cave and contemplating the purpose of life will ensure that the maze always remains unsolved to you. The purpose of life will never be discovered unless you go on a quest for it.
7. You will achieve “Nirvana.”
Buddha describes “Nirvana” as the supreme form of human achievement; it is nothing but a transcendent state of overcoming fear and desire. The journey tests you to the core to overcome the fear of uncertainty and to lose your petty desires in transcendence, along the way of achieving “Nirvana.” The true and transcendent state of mind will be the eternal source of happiness that you have been searching for your entire life. Featured photo credit: Liam Andrew Cura via s3.amazonaws.com
