by Manuela Timofte

I have written many times about my return to the country after working abroad for many years (Happiness Recipe — 5 Common Ingredients). Since returning, it has happened to me many times, that different people who know me, give me advice to return to work as a teacher. I understand that their advice comes from their desire to do me a favour and it sounds something like this: «Go back to education, because you have a job and a secure income».

Is it really so? Can anyone say what is certain in this world? Can anyone guarantee that they will live to see tomorrow, keep their job until retirement, or stay in the same relationship for life? What defines safety? Who bestows it upon us? Some argue that true safety comes from money, but does it really? If you have money, you are sure because you have something to put your hands on. True, you have something to comfort. Its primary role is to help transactions, not serve as a false conversion for human worth. The size of one’s bank account, the grandeur of their home, or the make of their car may command respect in a selfish society, but money itself holds no intrinsic value. We have not yet discovered any seed from which money trees will grow instead of leaves and fruits, but our selfishness shows how much respect we have for those papers to the detriment of man and nature.

False security, which is actually insecurity, leads us to seek anchors such as finding a well-paying job or a partner with a good appearance or a good financial situation. Even if they don’t meet these standards, at least we have someone by our side so that we don’t feel «alone».

Living with a false sense of security is because we lack visible evidence of true security. Did you know that prolonged insecurity can result in physical conditions in the stomach area and the lumbosacral region? People who have had or now have sciatic nerve problems are often the most worried about financial insecurity in their lives. The fear of insecurity in the future leads to disappointment and anxiety, affecting everything related to movement, the nervous system, as well as the arms and legs.

Insecurity causes you to constantly seek confirmation in everything you do to boost your self-worth. It also leads you to look for faults in others or blame yourself for failures. As a result, you may be inclined to sacrifice self-respect and embrace servitude. Additionally, you may find yourself apologizing for mistakes that aren’t necessarily yours. Insecurity makes you view weakness as a fundamental error.

Insecurity, or false security, has been present throughout human history, stemming from the false sense of value associated with money. The only true security lies within us, within our souls. All you need to do is believe in yourself and follow your intuition. It’s from this place of inner security that you’ll find solutions to any challenges life presents, and you’ll come to accept that every experience you encounter is ultimately for your own benefit. When others offer advice or guidance, it’s important to remember that their perspective and experiences shape their understanding of what’s best for you. While their intentions are good, they do not truly understand what «your good» entails.

Take what resonates with you from their advice, but ultimately, you are the one responsible for defining what is “best for you”.

(Excerpt from the book «Garden of Love«)

The article was originally posted on https://medium.com & https://gobblersmasticadores.wordpress.com/

I am grateful to Marcello Comitini because he has translated my present article into Italian and French.
Thank you for your work and kindness, Marcello!

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