By: John S. Morlu II, CPA
Many people read the Bible, the Quran, the Torah, or sacred texts from Buddhism and Hinduism, yet they seldom practice these teachings in their daily lives—especially at work. Sitting in a hospital, surrounded by the sick and dying, I can’t help but wonder: What is the endgame on this Earth? My biggest enemy—my mind—begins to wander, and its accomplice, my body, starts to shiver, craving a change in life before it’s too late. “Life sucks,” my mind tells me. “Life is hard and unbearable,” it doubles down. “Life is banal and purposeless. From dust, you came, and to dust, you shall return. Just look at these sick people,” my mind insists. I find myself nodding in agreement, shaking my head. “Screw this,” I shout internally. “Do something different and meaningful with your life,” my body hints. I told my wife I wanted to escape to Uruguay or disappear into a jungle somewhere, and she looked at me as if I’d lost my mind. I wanted to tell her it wasn’t me—it was my mind playing tricks on me.
Ah, the mind—what a delightful trickster! Forever scheming, it works tirelessly to bamboozle us, spinning webs of confusion with the skill of a seasoned illusionist. If the mind were a person, it would be that one friend who always has a “get rich quick” scheme, one that inevitably leaves you with an empty wallet and a surplus of regret. As Christians, we’re sternly warned against being double-minded, and for good reason. The Bible cautions against divided loyalty or wavering between two opinions or beliefs, emphasizing the importance of being steadfast in faith and not easily swayed by doubt or conflicting desires.
Indeed, the mind specializes in sowing seeds of doubt, coaxing us to question the very foundation of what we know to be true. It’s that voice that tells you the grass is greener on the other side, even when you’re standing in a field of lush, vibrant green. It’s the mind that says, “The other woman or man is better than what you have. That other employer is greater than your current one. This or that is forever better than your current state,” leading us to leap from one thing to the next in a never-ending pursuit of elusive perfection.
Take, for example, my friend from MBA school. He wrote an entire paper on selling a product to China without even considering the U.S. market—the very country where he lived! Convinced by the mind’s sweet whispers of a “quick profit” in the Chinese market, he jumped headfirst into his grand scheme. Never mind that he hadn’t even sold a single product in the U.S. and hadn’t thought to include airfare or transportation in his budget. When the dust settled, he was left with a failed plan and an F on his paper. His mind had convinced him that a massive leap into the unknown was the way to go, completely ignoring the obvious, less glamorous path right in front of him.
And speaking of leaps, let’s consider the average weekday morning. You wake up, stretch, and the first thing your mind does is offer you a smorgasbord of anxieties. It convinces you that your job is awful, that your neighbor is a genius, and that your high school nemesis is probably living a more fulfilling life than you are. But remember, the mind is a master of misdirection. The reality is that your neighbor is just as baffled by life as you are, and your high school nemesis probably spent the last decade trying to win a reality TV show and failing miserably. Yet here’s your mind, telling you to switch jobs, move to a different city, and maybe even join a yoga retreat in Bali, because why not? Anything to escape the dread it has manufactured for you.
Then there’s the body—poor, pitiful, hapless body. The body is the mind’s most loyal lackey, always ready to carry out whatever absurd command it’s given. The mind says, “You’re stressed. Eat that entire cake,” and before you know it, your body is knee-deep in frosting, wondering how it got there. A slight whisper from the mind that a drink might calm your nerves, and suddenly, the body’s a full-blown alcoholic, stumbling down the street at 2 a.m., yelling at streetlights. If the mind decides it’s time to really shake things up, the body obediently follows suit, leaping off metaphorical—and sometimes literal—cliffs, convinced that the only way out of this hellhole (Earth, apparently handcrafted by the devil himself) is through a spectacular act of self-destruction.
But wait! Enter the spirit, the heart—the only sane voice in this chaotic trio. The heart is like the level-headed friend who calmly reminds you that maybe, just maybe, eating a whole cake or getting blackout drunk isn’t the best solution to your problems. The heart says, “Hey, let’s just take a breath, reconsider that leap off the cliff, and maybe try a nice cup of tea instead.” In Christianity, God commands us to have sincerity of heart because it’s the only surefire way to find true happiness. Why? Because the mind and body, left to their own devices, are like two children who’ve eaten way too much sugar—chaotic, destructive, and definitely not making wise decisions.
And here we are, living in a world where everyone is desperate to be somebody. We all want to live like the Kardashians, don’t we? Oh, to have the fame, the fortune, and the Instagram followers without ever breaking a sweat! Who cares about the years of branding, the relentless self-promotion, or the questionable life choices? In our minds, the Kardashians woke up one day, decided to be famous, and poof—there they were, gracing our screens with their lavish lifestyles and perfectly contoured faces.
It’s a bit like believing that if you buy a lottery ticket, you’re definitely going to win. The mind whispers, “Forget hard work and perseverance; just grab and go! The end justifies the means!” Never mind that the reality of living like a Kardashian involves endless public scrutiny, a meticulous management team, and an occasional scandal. The mind doesn’t bother with those details. It’s too busy convincing you that the shortcut to success is just around the corner.
In such a world, where we’re all rushing to grab our piece of the pie without even pausing to read the recipe, only the heart can bring balance. The heart, with its quiet, steady rhythm, reminds us that real happiness doesn’t come from mimicking someone else’s life or chasing after fleeting pleasures. Sincerity of heart is like the golden key we’ve all been searching for. It’s the friend who tells you, “You know, maybe instead of trying to live like a Kardashian, you could just…be yourself?” What a revolutionary idea!
The heart knows that true happiness comes from understanding who you are, appreciating what you have, and staying grounded in the reality of your own life. It’s not about keeping up with the Kardashians or trying to outdo your neighbor. It’s about living sincerely, with gratitude and purpose, knowing that the mind will always try to trick you, and the body will always follow—but the heart, the spirit, will guide you back to where you need to be.
So next time your mind starts its antics, remember: the grass isn’t always greener on the other side; sometimes, it’s just astroturf. And when the body wants to dive headfirst into cake or chaos, listen to the heart. It’s the one voice that will keep you sane in a world that’s lost its mind.
Author: John S. Morlu II, CPA is the CEO and Chief Strategist of JS Morlu, leads a globally recognized public accounting and management consultancy firm. Under his visionary leadership, JS Morlu has become a pioneer in developing cutting-edge technologies across B2B, B2C, P2P, and B2G verticals. The firm’s groundbreaking innovations include AI-powered reconciliation software (ReckSoft.com) and advanced cloud accounting solutions (FinovatePro.com), setting new industry standards for efficiency, accuracy, and technological excellence.
