Lifetime, Challenges and Purpose
Sunday, July 23rd, 2006Hello folks.. thanks for your
comments.
comments.
It surprised me, pleasantly, that many people
chirped up to ask me whether I am OK after the appearance of this post (coupled
with my absence from the `Net for quite some time now.) Many
thanks.
chirped up to ask me whether I am OK after the appearance of this post (coupled
with my absence from the `Net for quite some time now.) Many
thanks.
So I feel that I have to clarify that nothing
seriously undesirable happened. These are, but just challenges that perhaps everybody
has to face up to. The difference is probably the degree of difficulty, whether
these are things that one has control over or not, and whether the return/reward
for facing up to these challenges, and what is the level of reward for your
efforts in conquering them, does it commensurate with your troubles, is it high,
low, sufficient… or… even non-existent at all? And… are these recurring
problems/challenges? Or can they be solved once and for all? And if they can,
then why not? Why don’t you?
seriously undesirable happened. These are, but just challenges that perhaps everybody
has to face up to. The difference is probably the degree of difficulty, whether
these are things that one has control over or not, and whether the return/reward
for facing up to these challenges, and what is the level of reward for your
efforts in conquering them, does it commensurate with your troubles, is it high,
low, sufficient… or… even non-existent at all? And… are these recurring
problems/challenges? Or can they be solved once and for all? And if they can,
then why not? Why don’t you?
Actually, the purpose of this post is definitely
not to complain about the situation - If it were, I wouldn’t even bother writing
as there are bigger things in life than that, bigger fish to fry, if you may.
The purpose of this entry is to recognize that certain
niggles exist in life - certain undesirable aspects that one has to strive to
solve - and the goal is to solve these - once and for
all.
not to complain about the situation - If it were, I wouldn’t even bother writing
as there are bigger things in life than that, bigger fish to fry, if you may.
The purpose of this entry is to recognize that certain
niggles exist in life - certain undesirable aspects that one has to strive to
solve - and the goal is to solve these - once and for
all.
The previous two posts serve to record that there
are happy days in life - and there are frustrating ones as well.
are happy days in life - and there are frustrating ones as well.
Without deeply realizing this - life would just be
like a goldfish swimming in a goldfish bowl, not knowing about the concept of
time or purpose in life, and most importantly - not knowing that it
is ever in water in the first place. "Water? Where is
it?" asked the goldfish in the pictorial depiction of the ancient
Chinese philosopher Zhuang Zi’s sayings. But once that fish is taken out of
water, it does not matter whether the fish realized the existence of water or
that it happily swam in it just a moment before - the lack of water will be
seriously apparent.
like a goldfish swimming in a goldfish bowl, not knowing about the concept of
time or purpose in life, and most importantly - not knowing that it
is ever in water in the first place. "Water? Where is
it?" asked the goldfish in the pictorial depiction of the ancient
Chinese philosopher Zhuang Zi’s sayings. But once that fish is taken out of
water, it does not matter whether the fish realized the existence of water or
that it happily swam in it just a moment before - the lack of water will be
seriously apparent.
So, the purpose of posting those two posts - one
has to realize that there were ever days that one was happily swimming and
breathing… compared to not ever remembering that one was ever happy, healthy
and at ease during the times when one is in a situation like a fish out of water - And: one has
to realize that there is a possibility of being like a fish out of water…
perhaps not apparent, but perhaps at some time or another - and I always
subscribe to this saying by the great sage Sun Tzu (of the Art of War fame)
"Better for one to prepare, than to hope that the enemy will not
come."
has to realize that there were ever days that one was happily swimming and
breathing… compared to not ever remembering that one was ever happy, healthy
and at ease during the times when one is in a situation like a fish out of water - And: one has
to realize that there is a possibility of being like a fish out of water…
perhaps not apparent, but perhaps at some time or another - and I always
subscribe to this saying by the great sage Sun Tzu (of the Art of War fame)
"Better for one to prepare, than to hope that the enemy will not
come."
There are no challenges for the goldfish who is swimming in the goldfish bowl. Day in, day out, all the same. But is this a good thing? For one thing, it won’t go out and do great things like win the Nobel Prize (contribution to science on the dissection table does NOT count) or make love (if the owner just decides to keep just one goldfish.. boo hoo) It has no control if it ever feels bored with the limited real estate, wants to change the furnishing, or heck, even if it doesn’t like the goldfish bowl and wants to change to the latest trendy rectangular aquarium. Compared to the stream and lakes… where it has the freedom to look for new friends, change its housing if it gets bored and look for a mate of its own (as opposed to either an `arranged marriage` or remaining celibate for the rest of its life in the goldfish bowl). Sure, there are challenges outside.. like it can get eaten by bigger fish, etc. etc. … but at least it has options. Sure, food is not obtained at regular intervals, but at least it has the option to look for food by itself, as compared to just going belly-up if having an owner that for whatever reason (beyond the goldfish’s control) happens not to feed it.
Fine print: For the more pedantic biologically-correct purists (aka jackasses), let me inform you that, yes, I am aware that goldfish do not make love in the same way that mammals do, and probably are not known to derive pleasure in the same way. This is just an illustration for analogy purpose only. (Sorry to deviate from the flow of the topic, but then again, you never know when such assholes will come along. Just another gentle, friendly necessary pre-emptive measure.)
To sum up, let me just highlight this from my
previous entry’s comment box:
previous entry’s comment box:
From Jay:
>>But I guess its only a human nature to
have a tendency to sorta remember those bitter moments better than that of happy
ones.
have a tendency to sorta remember those bitter moments better than that of happy
ones.
That’s why I quickly recorded that I had an overall
happy time. At the same time, I record that I have rough times as well. Without
recognizing this, and just drifting through life, I feel one just doesn’t have
the impetus to improve. Just the things that I use to move me to: To make sure
that for whatever things that I have control over, I will not waste my time in
moving to make a difference.
happy time. At the same time, I record that I have rough times as well. Without
recognizing this, and just drifting through life, I feel one just doesn’t have
the impetus to improve. Just the things that I use to move me to: To make sure
that for whatever things that I have control over, I will not waste my time in
moving to make a difference.
Without realization that life is short to do all
the things that you want to do, or by resigning too easily… one just works for
survival. I do feel that I have control over things such that I can do better,
though.
the things that you want to do, or by resigning too easily… one just works for
survival. I do feel that I have control over things such that I can do better,
though.
