If you cannot create, Collect things.

Imagine you cannot create. I highly doubt that you cannot. More likely is you haven't yet found out what you are good at. But let's assume for a fact that you do not have the ability to create something and you are 100% sure that the gene is not there. What can you do? What is the next best thing?

I would say, the next best thing you can do is to collect things.

I am not sure what it is you are going to collect. Maybe feathers, maybe dried up leaves, maybe marbles. It really doesn't necessarily have to have a value. And there is a point I am going to make. That is the value increases over time whatever you collect. Most likely as your collection grows people will make notice of this. First they will start to look amazed. They will come and visit your collection. They will talk about it and get photographs. And Obviously you are going to find some meaning to your collection. It will be surprising when it happens, and I can tell you that is one of the best feelings you are gonna get.

Stapms collection: https://unsplash.com/@eze_cmf

I know about a guy who collected films. Just for a hobby. At a time nobody cared. He had collected even terrible films. Black and white. Everything he could get his hands on. And after years and years, maybe 40-50 years, he has the finest collection of films from the whole country. And once he had digitized his collection the value was uncountable. It's not always about money. Its vintage, historic records of the era of film industry. The places in these films have markedly changed. I am sure generations of his grandchildren will benefit from his collection. And this is only one good example.

Benefits of making a collection of things

Collecting is easy. It doesn't have to involve a lot of effort. No need to spend a lot of money and resources either. But the most important ingredient should be passion. You should be passionate about what you are collecting. So even when it doesn't have any value for others to appreciate, it will grow in value in yourself.

I would say it is like having a good relationship. In a relationship what you essentially invest Is time. Time is an invaluable asset. If it is kind of rewarding inherently if the relationship is passionate. Just like that, your habit of collecting things should atleast make you feel good. There are a lot of examples we can learn from nature as the ability to collect fancy stuff is not inherent to humans. Do it until it becomes the finest collection of things, with your spare time.

Maybe some Music: https://unsplash.com/@nataliedivine

Not collecting is also important

I think this is enough to give you the message you should collect something. Yet there is more. For a major part of this life I have believed in the opposite. Which means, not collecting things. Even photographs, memories, toys. There is some truth in this too. Because none of the collections you make, you will not be able to take to the afterlife. So a true seeker, who seeks the meaning of life should be able to give up collections. Not make them bigger. But then why am I asking you to collect things, while emphasising your collections have no inherent value?

The reason  is unexpected. As earlier I used to think the spiritual life I seek is the same as the successful life I seek. But now I understand these are two different things. It is true the collections we create in life have no meaning when we look at it from a point of view of  a true spiritual seeker. But they have a profound value when we consider a successful life. And most importantly they do not have to cross each other. There is no clash when you understand these are just two different points of views, originating from the same mechanism. In Fact we do not have to give any value to either of these and still live life.

What do you think? Do you believe you are extraordinary?