What do you want for Christmas?

[anon]

All of us feel that way to some degree. I shouldn't have wasted my time with certain people when there was no real attachment, or worse, they'd eventually and delightfully backstab me. I shouldn't have said this or that, or instead, should have said it because people can't guess what I think or feel. I should have used my time better instead of procrastinating. I should have spent more time with my friends... the real ones, those who were always there. I shouldn't have ignored problems just because they'd "eventually work [themselves] out" while I was busy playing with my latest techno device. I shouldn't have paid what amounts to 15% of my current life savings in taxes, when no one here cares about tax evasion and information on how to do it is readily available online. I shouldn't have lent money to this person who had just moved to a new place with zero funds left, and whom I thought was really close to me, yet later decided I was too much of a problem and ran a two-month scheme from the shadows to get me kicked. Or that "friend of a friend" who was supposedly balls-deep in debt but later scammed us all by disappearing.

The thing is, you learn these things as you go. Only time will show you which one of two choices was, or would have been, the best. Only the experience of getting fucked over by others at least once will teach you how to avoid getting fucked over in the future. If you're thinking you made mistakes or bad decisions, remember that's only in hindsight. At the time, you did whatever seemed the best idea with the knowledge and resources you had. If they ended up being good, that's great. If they didn't, apply that knowledge to avoid getting burnt again in the future.

And if you could somehow tell all of this to your 2009 self, do you think he'd listen? I know mine wouldn't.

[anon]

As for Christmas, I haven't gotten any presents since '07, but that's okay. I learned that all I truly want is to 1. survive the season, 2. look back and say I was able to get goals accomplished. Not all presents are tangible, and the ones that are I can buy for myself online anyway.

Getting some of the latter would still feel really awesome, though. There is no age limit for that

[slikrapid]

I'd like to return to 23.12.2009 and say to my younger self "Be prepared kid. You''ll get to know the real world: your friends and family will betray you, important members of your family will die, you'll meet the scum of the earth at every work place and receive tasks and orders by imbecils".

why did they betray you? because their own goals were more important than any promises made (to you)
if your family members died, it means you don't need them in your life anymore (in terms of physical presence)
this so-called scum is simply people who (temporarily) lost their way due to some disappointment(s) or problem(s) in their life
if receiving tasks and orders by imbecils is what was happening to you, it means you were not ready to receive tasks from better persons or to be your own boss in terms of business

5x I shouldn't have...
3x I should have...

whatever you did do was necessary and whatever you did not do was not needed or not available for you to do

The thing is, you learn these things as you go. Only time will show you which one of two choices was, or would have been, the best.

the first sentence is fine, i'd shape the next one into something like : time will show that all your choices were the best, since on one hand you could not make different ones due to the conditions at the time (both external ones as well as own, internal ones) and on the other hand, those exact choices will lead you to where you really want to be in the end (of the materialistic world or your own journey within it, whichever comes first)

At the time, you did whatever seemed the best idea with the knowledge and resources you had.

agreed

And if you could somehow tell all of this to your 2009 self, do you think he'd listen? I know mine wouldn't.

maybe not, but he'd definitely do some things different, as any kind of intervention in the past changes the outcome (though the outcome still remains predictable due to the conditions or conditioning mentioned before)

I learned that all I truly want is to 1. survive the season, 2. look back and say I was able to get goals accomplished.

1. might not happen in this life (referring to your current persona/role, known as anon of sbi), though spiritually speaking, you cannot die/perish/end/cease to be
2. will certainly happen upon accomplishing your journey(s) in the materialistic world, but these goals are of a spiritual nature - the accomplishment of materialistic goals will vary


moral of the story:

1. you both need to accept all the things in your lives as needed and necessary and fine and positive, regardless of how you feel about them or how you were taught to feel
2. the future is bright, though your own desires (or the foolishness thereof) will show whether you'll take the more direct path of ascendance or the more meandering one through various swamps along the way
3. getting stuck in a swamp means times of trouble are ahead, but even the greatest fool of all will eventually get out of his own swamps and get on towards where he originally wanted to be
4. the only thing you really need is spiritual truth, truth about what/who upholds your own consciousness, your own true, eternal identity - because only this truth allows for a completely fulfilled, wholesome, life eternal


so, the original question was:

What do you want for Christmas?

what does anyone truly want? truth, truth and nothing but the Truth
christmas is basically the (re)birth of a spiritually pure being, it is the mass of spiritually aware beings known as the Supersoul, it is the manifestation of supreme will (known as free-will)

notice how the usual holiday (holy day) or christmas (christ mass) gifts are ideally fulfilling one's materialistic wishes, whereas its true meaning fulfills one's spiritual wishes (or desires), one of which is to know one's own true spiritual identity, to know who you really are, that is the purpose of your life (self-realization)

[anon]

if your family members died, it means you don't need them in your life anymore (in terms of physical presence)

I know what you're trying to say, but it's really hard to put it that way and not have it sound ugly And I guess no one else needed them in their lives either?

1. might not happen in this life (referring to your current persona/role, known as anon of sbi), though spiritually speaking, you cannot die/perish/end/cease to be

I didn't mean it literally, of course. It's just that for a few years now, it seems things always get bad towards the end. Last December was no exception. I had to deal with my mom getting hospitalized, my dad also having health problems, all the workplace drama that struck me out of nowhere (and is still going on), plus the depression that always shows up. Needless to say, it was a pretty bad month. The ones that followed weren't much better. Big price increases + me being on the edge of my seat as my situation was getting resolved and thousands of government layoffs were announced.

But well, I made it this far and am still here.

[slikrapid]

but it's really hard to put it that way and not have it sound ugly And I guess no one else needed them in their lives either?

they did not need to stay any longer
their activity in this particular chapter of the universe was completed
a stage of their living experience got accomplished
it was their time to move on
...

the same applies to whatever experience others had of them, in terms of physical presence

however, their past activities of any kind remain 'forever' embedded within the subsequent events in the universe (as causes and influences) and as memories of those who have met/known them

and there is also reincarnation, or returning in another role, if necessary

It's just that for a few years now, it seems things always get bad towards the end.

all people experience difficulties, the question is can they keep up without (temporarily) losing their way or falling too deep into various swamps (like over-attachment to various materialistic things, heavy depression, endless mourning, fear/anxiety, lack of optimism, negative feelings or desires, living in the past, etc.), as all these will make things more difficult to overcome/endure or keep clarity in one's life

But well, I made it this far and am still here.

you'll make it much further, as time will tell

[SomeGuy]

All I want from Christmas is a kiss from anon

[anon]

All I want from Christmas is a kiss from anon

If only your name was SomePrettyGirl

[SomeGuy]

^ I joke I joke.

[slikrapid]

only if his name was different? he'd still be a guy though hehe