Are you in control or are you 'being' controlled?

“None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.” — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Like it or not, we are constantly subject to different control mechanisms.

It can be on a small scale, with a micromanaging overbearing boss or toxic work culture. Or on a more macro-scale, with the constant indoctrination of agendas, of non-stop advertising and of potent media narratives.

Being controlled is not nice. It affects our ability to think freely and for ourselves.

The long-term play is that you become passive, almost automaton-like - programmed to follow instructions or to keep a certain status quo. Rinse and repeat on the regular.

Many would say it all starts in our school system and just intensifies from there. The ‘education’ process was certainly designed with that objective.

When the (British and French) colonialists came, they first brought their navy, then their armies, then their administration, then their school system. And then they left.”  — Neil Postman

When your narratives are shaped for you, your thinking suffers. You become what was intended.

We end up living like the Truman show - never really in control, just the perception of it.

As an Ummah, it's even more apparent. Our histories have been whitewashed, eroded or eradicated and so we have no idea who we are, let alone form a proper identity.

‘History is a people’s memory, and without a memory, a man is demoted to the lower animals.’ — Malcolm X

This is why many of our young people are confused and have an inferiority complex.

“By the time we’re old enough to contemplate our own identity, we already have one. By then, the way that we see the world is framed by our prior conditioning. That conditioning informs every choice that we make—even the choice to rebel against that conditioning.” R. Martinez

We need to take back and control our own narratives again. Our own institutions, particularly in media and technology are vital for this.

It is no coincidence that often when a country is invaded (such as the US invasion of Iraq in 2003), the first thing they do is destroy the museums and galleries.

Cut a people off from their own rich heritage and you can recreate the history you WANT them to believe—ergo you can control them.

“The victim of mind-manipulation does not know that he is a victim. To him, the walls of his prison are invisible, and he believes himself to be free.” — Aldous Huxley

This is why I'm such a big believer in the 'right' education - because it is truly transformational.

At an individual level, purpose unlocks you, shatters your belief systems and activates the real you.

And at a collective level, understanding our true history, what we are capable of and what we are destined to achieve is also vital for powering our minds with the right level of thinking required for greatness.

The keys to all of this lies within the Qu'ran.

It all starts with knowing your purpose though.

What do YOU think? Are you ready to take back control?

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If you'd like to get started with breaking free and to begin your journey towards a life of purpose, check out the quiz here: https://muslimpurpose.scoreapp.com/

And get involved in the free community of like-minded, curious seekers who all aim to take back control and live life on their own terms: https://www.skool.com/kn-ow/about