The fundamental difference between living your dream and stagnating is fear. Fear of losing it all; fear of what another might think; fear of being less than enough.

This is a guide with practical techniques to overcoming these fears – psychological methods, with a touch of Zen.

This is a continuation of a series on finding one’s purpose and passion; a collection of thoughts, opinions, and musings. It provides information on the impermanence of purpose, inner purpose, struggle, hierarchy of needs, meaning, pleasure, morality and riches.

A human being without purpose is like a leaf, tossed and turned about on the winds, going wherever fortune wants to take it. What can it do? Go east, says the wind, and so the leaf goes. Go west, says the wind, the leaf follows.

What is one’s passion? What is one’s purpose in life, and how do we find it?

Life is a choir, a symphony. Imagine an ensemble that was competing against itself; each individual was trying to outdo the other, trying to make their voices heard over the rest. It would no longer be singing, it would be screaming! And yet this is how we go about our lives.

Perhaps it is time to try the opposite. Join our voices with others and work together in the spirit of cooperation, and watch as we begin to find what we want.

There have been many excellent questions raised at the end of the previous post, Surrender and Joy in the Pursuit of Excellence. I have no definite answers, but I’d like to give my perspective on them here – and encourage my readers to give theirs in the comments section.

There are many beliefs – myths – on the concepts of success and greatness; and even around something as simple as making an honest living. For most of us, these revolve around struggle, competition and lack. I cannot say if these old beliefs are right or wrong but I want to share an important alternative with you.