What I learned whilst watching Netflix

I have recently been watching the epic saga The Rise of the Phoenixes on Netflix.  It's a subtitled Chinese series about an Emperor and his sons and has all the classic drama you would expect, but if you take some time out to reflect on the key themes you can see many of them playing out in modern day, thankfully without all the swords and deaths !!

What I saw on reflecting on the whole 70 episodes (yes, it takes some stamina to get through this) is recurring themes in modern life despite this being centuries ago.    There is the battle for power (every son appears to want to take over), there's the love story in the background with two men in love with the same woman, there is dishonest, disloyalty, corruption, downright hatred, as well as a number of different neighbouring countries all wanting to take over the other to become the biggest and most powerful, and then internally in the country there are the 'factions' within the peasant class who want to overthrow the regime and bring in the former one which was ousted 20 years ago.  Everyone wants their own way.  Each of the characters has their own deeply embedded values and beliefs that drive them and yet they are able to ignore their own faults and just project them on to others.  

I draw many parallels with politics, the war in Ukraine (and other wars), the uncovering of corruption, coercion and inequalities at all levels in society.  You only have to watch the news to see the same themes playing out time and time again and so despite the series being set many centuries ago, I wonder how far have we come?  Yes some things have improved but there is still a long way to go.

Whether we understand it or not, our values and beliefs are powerful drivers in our lives and how many of us never stop to consider them or whether over the years we no longer actually find them helpful but they are there like software programmes playing in the background of our subconscious minds.   By the time we reach 35 we have developed so many habits and ways of thinking we are running on autopilot.    We are so busy in our lives that we never stop to take stock of where we are, who we are, and where we are headed.

So the reflective questions for you are these:

1.  What are your deepest values and beliefs?

2.  Do they still hold true for you at this stage of your life?

3.  Do you want to change or are you truly happy as you are?

If you are at a point in your life where you feel its time to take stock and review your life, look at different perspectives and have questions which make you think, then consider Self-Mastery Course.   It's for you to make of it what you will - its a prod to review where you are and make any adjustments you want for the future, it's not telling you what or how to think, its about suggestions and giving you tools to use.  Only YOU can decide what's right for you, but do it from a place of strength, understand yourself.   Its free, no catches, no sales pitches.   It's my path in this life to help others, but you have to want it.

Namaste