Is Self actualization and success being determined by the place you live?

[PhilGR]

Hello , I am a teenager from Greece (so my English are not so good) and I have started my journey in Actualization about a month now .I am thinking about my future self ,my future carrer, but I always consider the country I live and all the stuff happening here. If you are watching global news you should know about the economic crisis in Greece and the dangerous situation in Turkey and all this stuff, clearly here we are bombarded everyday with terryfing news nobody knows what is going to happen next, people are constantly talking about politcs and ecomincs while they expressing ton of fears.So my point is ,how a young man like me can make thoughts  about Life purpose and carrer when you don't even know what is going to happen next month , will it be a war or a total economic fatality ? I dont know if I am going to move to another country or stay here , everything is possible here and I think many many people in other small and weak countries have their fears . If the next day a war begin will I have space in my mind about Self actualization and all this stuff? I really want to know your thoughts and what you would think and plan about future in my case.

Edited March 15, 2018 by PhilGR

[Ether]

Buddha was a prince and still suffered

[PhilGR]

@Ether I dont know if place and circumstances play a role on self actualization . How to avoid all of that propaganda ? Also I dont know much about buddha so if you could give me another example

 

[frnsh]

I think it depends on you a lot. Where are you in the scale between "You can't identify yourself with anything in your country" to "You don't want to leave home and possibly start your life from zero in a foreign country". How much of the self actualization process are more limited in the place you live than in another place that you'd possibly want to go. There is more aspects that you really need to focus on figuring out before you make a decision but as a person who left her home country, these came to my mind. 

[aurum]

9 hours ago, PhilGR said:

f the next day a war begin will I have space in my mind about Self actualization and all this stuff?

You might not. Self-actualization is in many ways a luxury.

So I would say take care of yourself first if something like that happens.

[Staples]

@PhilGR Man the situation in Greece is rough. You really need to assess whether the chaos in Greece is worth staying for. Because you're so young, you have time. You must think in the long-term about this. Do what would be best for you 10-20 years from now, not what would be good for today.

[PhilGR]

@Staples You are so right but the problem is I don't clearly know what is good in 10-20, also many say and believe that situation should change in circa 10 years but nobody actually knows the truth . Sould I watch more news politics and all this stuff? I don't want to live my home so easy.

[Staples]

@PhilGR I don't know what is good for you. Do your best to figure it out the best you can, and fast. What do you parents think about Greece? Your teachers? What's the general attitude towards the problem? I have a feeling that if most people in Greece don't think the situation is going to change for the better, they might be right.

I'd be careful about watching the news, specifically greek news, you don't know what kind of biases or scandals are going on behind the scenes.

The best advice I could offer is to try to find similar events in history compared to what is happening in Greece now, and see how they end. If they don't end too bad, maybe it's okay to stay, if they end in catastrophe, well, it's up to you what to do in that case.

[egoeimai]

@PhilGR because u watch the news that's why y want to leave 

Quit watching TV in general. Its rubbish.

[PhilGR]

@egoeimai are you from greece??

[egoeimai]

36 minutes ago, PhilGR said:

@egoeimai are you from greece??

Yes Buddy

[BjarkeT]

I don't think thats truth it's probably more based on what resources you have available but with the internet which almost anyone have you probably have what you need for the most part when it comes to information 

Edited March 16, 2018 by BjarkeT

[Forestluv]

@PhilGR Your English is very advanced. Nice work. I think it’s fairly easily to reach an intermediate conversation level for English, yet very difficult to reach an advanced written and verbal level.

One idea I had for many years was that spirituality or enlightenment was “out there” somewhere. At a meditation retreat, in a book, a teacher, a community, an ashram in India. That’s part of the *seeking* dynamic of the self. Ot’s part of The Game. Seeking the ideal job, girlfriend, recognition, acceptance, spiritualily. Yet, that “it” I seek doesn’t exist. The “it” is what IS in this moment. Not what it could be or what it should be. What is here and now. That here and niw exists for all of us - wether we are meditating in an ashram or being held in a prison. 

Would some environments be more conducive to realizations? I’m not sure. For me, any environment that takes me out of my habitual thinking and attachment to my story allows space for realizations. A meditation center may seem like a great environment, yet I still need to be aware. There are darma talks that may challenge an old belief, but they are replaced by new concepts and beliefs which end up getting challenged. 

My favorite environment is simply nature. Observing nature and life.

[Elisabeth]

If a real war breaks out you probably won't think much about higher stuff - see Maslow's pyramid, safety is at the very bottom. 

I don't know though if there's really a war coming for Greece. The media tends to catastrophise. Try doing a real objective assessment (or find a trusted source who can, like a foreign political commentator who speaks about the issues), and if it's not that bad, stop watching the news, as mentioned

If you're able you might want to go to study in another European country, for a year at least. Grim predictions are being made every now and then, but we're still safe by and large. And, studying abroad will make you feel like a real citizen of the whole world (or Europe at least).  

[Elton]

@PhilGR that makes everything fall into perspective if you are really serious about self actualization you would try to get to transcend level to overcome your fear of death.

[sarapr]

That's what news does, overdramatizes the whole situation while at the same time you can find a lot of people doing exactly what you think is not doable in that situation but either way it's probably best to leave the country in the long term planning.

[PhilGR]

@Serotoninluv I like those true opinions , because they are by far put out from life experiences , I don't know your age but you sound wise.

Anyway I can't filter all of your experiences, but I can grab some advices tho. 

I mostly had a problem with life purpose , so I think the situation here doesn't help much and I don't know how it will continue ,so seeking for me hasn't started I am just having ideas , I am still 16 but a 10-20 years visualization is hard , in my case there are two completely different roads.

My parents for sure want to support my opinions , but they also as parents love their child and want to keep me here. Consider that around 100.000 young people had left the country , so it mostly have become a trend to move from Greece . I didn't want to leave at first but after I learned about Actualization and life purpose I thought about my self in a global view , I am not the center of the planet either my culture is the best and for sure my country doesn't provide to me the best. So my mindset had changed. Is that way of thinking good ?

 

[PhilGR]

@sarapr yeah maybe in the long term but I don't  want to move immidietly after finishing college , I can fight a little if the situation has change in 10-20 years.

[PhilGR]

@Elisabeth Look here the university is free but there are very difficult exams you have to give and its hard to get in the university department you want if you are want something good or succefull(like i want to become dietician) .So in a nutshell you are compete all the other 10.000-20.000 teens at your age. This a very general explenation , actually Greek education is a real drama and very difficult to understand.

So I have another solution open too.I can come to Usa and study for free because I am a really good swimmer here , and I latley work with a company which promotes swimmers in American universities , but also this is not so simple as it sounds.

What do you believe? I have a dilemma here . In my opinion I mostly wanted to study here but we would see.

 

[Elisabeth]

18 hours ago, PhilGR said:

@Elisabeth What do you believe? I have a dilemma here . In my opinion I mostly wanted to study here but we would see.

2

I believe all the options are good (if there's a good school to teach your subject in greece). You could apply to both. You could take the exam and see if you're accepted to the department you want, if not, maybe you could take a gap year, work some related job if possible and apply to USA. All the options are good. Your self-actualization doesn't hinge upon where you study, more upon how you study and what you do besides study. 'Abroad' is likely to make you grow up faster - but you lose your roots, it can be hard for some.