The Simple Truth About Life: Are You Open or Closed?

Big one today…

Arlin here…

I was thinking the other day about how everything in life—every choice, every experience, every moment of joy or despair—can boil down to just two words: open and closed. 

This might seem too simplistic, almost laughable, but bear with me. The more I reflect on it, the more I realize that these two words are the keys to everything.

You think you want to get married, have a beautiful house, climb the ladder of success, or maybe just find some peace in your life. 

But here’s the thing: it’s all only ever about whether you’re open or closed. 

The house, the spouse, the money, even your “purpose” in life—they’re just external manifestations of something much deeper. 

If you’re closed, none of these will bring you the fulfillment you’re seeking. 

But if you’re open? Well, let’s just say that everything you want is already within you, waiting to be felt. Right now.

Imagine this: when you close your blinds, it’s dark inside your house. Simple, right? And when you open them, sunlight floods in. You don’t have to “create” the sunlight; it’s already there, shining brightly, just waiting to pour in. The same principle applies to the light inside of you. The joy, love, enthusiasm, passion—all that good stuff—it’s there, always. But the moment you close yourself off, it’s like drawing the blinds on a beautiful sunny day. Sure, you can sit in the dark if you want, but why would you?

Here’s the radical truth: the difference between living in the light and living in the dark isn’t about what’s happening “outside” of you; it’s about what’s happening “inside”. Your light, your happiness, your sense of purpose—they’re all inside you. You just need to keep the blinds open to let them shine.

You don’t need me to tell you this. You already know it, deep down. Think about it: when something wonderful happens—maybe you get that job you’ve been dreaming of, or you sign your first $50,000 deal and it hits your bank account, or the person you’ve been crushing on finally texts back, or you get into the college of your preference—you feel incredible. You feel alive, vibrant, full of love. But here’s the trick: that feeling isn’t coming from the job or the money or the acceptance letter or the text. 

It’s coming from you. 

You OPENED UP in response to that event, and suddenly, you were flooded with light. The event didn’t give you that feeling; it just helped you open up and let it flow.

Now, imagine the opposite. Let’s say you get into the school you wanted, but suddenly, it doesn’t feel so great because your best friend didn’t get in or you realize it’s not what you expected. 

You close off. 

And just like that, the light inside dims. The school didn’t change, but your experience of it did. Why? Because you closed.

You!

You did that!

It’s not the event that carries the energy; it’s your reaction to it. It’s your decision to open or close in response to what’s happening around you. 

Notice that I said “decision”. It is a decision. Your decision.

Wake up.

This is the fundamental truth we often miss: the outside world doesn’t control our happiness—we do, by choosing to be open or closed.

Think about a time when you felt completely in love. It could have been with a person, a place, a job—anything. That love, that excitement, that passion wasn’t coming from the object of your affection. It was coming from you. You were open, and when you’re open, the light shines through, and you experience love, joy, enthusiasm, and all the other good stuff.

But if you’re not careful, you’ll start to believe that the person, place, or thing is the source of your happiness. You’ll start to think, "I love this person," or "I love this job," and you’ll cling to it. And that’s when the trouble begins. Because what happens when that person says something you don’t like? Or that job gets tough? You close off. And suddenly, the love you thought was coming from them disappears.

And then after enough closing off because of doing things differently than your partner and how you prefer… you both begin to ask yourself, “Do we even love each other anymore?” What a silly question! 

You might even start to chase after material things, thinking they’ll make you happy, make you feel open again. But here’s the secret: they never will. The more you get, the less it satisfies. It’s called the law of diminishing returns. You’ve seen it, haven’t you? 

The new car, the new relationship, the new job—it’s thrilling at first, but over time, the excitement fades. Why? Because you’ve closed off again.

Have you ever met someone with like 9 supercars? And all they can talk about is how they want to get another one? You think they are truly happier than you?

This person is in trouble. They have tied their happiness to their supercars.

When I see this I think of Andrew Tate. Guy has 26 supercars. When is it enough G?

Here’s the real top G challenge: can you stay open? Not just when things are going your way, not just when you get another supercar, but all the time. Can you keep the blinds open, letting the light pour in, no matter what’s happening outside because the light is always there, waiting for you to let it in?

Side note - i think that Tate in jail thing was probably the best thing for his development. He talks about it too - having to stay grateful even in a prison cell.

This is why spirituality, life, everything—boils down to those two words: open and closed. It’s not about what you have or don’t have. It’s about whether you’re open to the light that’s always there, or whether you’ve closed yourself off from it.

So, next time you feel that surge of joy or love, take a moment to recognize what’s really happening. It’s not the event. It’s not the person. It’s you, opening up and letting the light inside of you shine through. And when you feel dark, heavy, or burdened, remember: the light is still there. You just need to open up again.

Let’s make a commitment—to ourselves, to our lives—to stay open. Because that’s where the magic happens. That’s where life gets really, really good.

With love,

Arlin

PS - If this letter resonates with you, share a part of it on your Instagram story and tag me! Your feedback means a lot, so feel free to DM me on Instagram—I try to read and respond to all messages.

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