Do wealth, status and power really matter? Whenever I wanna expostulate to someone the futility of it all, I feel sawdust choking up my throat. I feel like a broken record sometimes, saying some things so many times that they have become hackneyed. But I believe it's necessary to save me from the slippery slope (thanks mr chan for teaching me this term, heh, jjc memories) of craving too much and/or wanting too much. These material things are actually not material to our happiness. The things that are material, however, comprise health, family, friends and your own conscience. Conscience brings to mind this chinese phrase, "不求尽如人意，但求无愧于心。。" And I'm constantly trying to remind myself that I must 待人以诚. It's hard for me, yes. Because I think I'm mean by nature, but hey, give me props for trying! :)
But what I am really sayin' is that...
The reasons given for the relentless and fiendish wooing of material comforts are always remarkably feeble. They are often glorified in order to put people on your side, to root for your own selfish pursuits. You may say that you're doing these things because you're can help people next time, but tell me that only when you don't feel a sense of self-congratulatory arrogance whenever you see obsequious people on the receiving end of your help lie prostrate at your feet.
You may say you participate in many charity events, but really, if you secretly despise the lowliness of the people you're helping, and their dirtiness, and their unpolished aura, how different are you from a hypocrite who wants to justify his own self-importance by force-feeding his help down those 'poor, poor' people's throats?
The best is to say nothing at all, really, and offer help when people really need it. AND say nothing. And only do it when you know you won't complain of the work in hushed whispers or start blabbing about how you've helped so-and-so to your friends later on.
Also, I always find people who put everything on hold just to chase that elusive tail of success so pitiful. You've taken that route, but are you happy? Because you find yourself comparing yourself to more and more people who are getting smarter and smarter. It's sometimes just... too much? What if you wake up to find that what really matters is gone because you've spent SO MUCH time to do whatever you used to think was important? Too late by then...
Not that I mean that people should just give up and start slacking away. I really think that just doing your best is good enough? It's no use beating yourself up just because you want to succeed. The beaker measuring success is not calibrated by how much money you have in your OCBC bank account. Right???
"Mediocrity kills." No not really, not being content kills.
And this post abruptly ends.
Not referring to anyone in particular but in consideration of the many contemplative entries recently I just have to add my share.
I leave you here with my current favourite quote:
"Remember when getting high meant swinging on the playground? When protection meant wearing a helmet? When the worst things you could get from boys were cooties? Dad’s shoulders were the highest place on earth and mum was your hero? Your worst enemies were your siblings. Race issues were about who ran the fastest. War was only a card game. And the only drug you knew was cough medicine. When wearing a skirt didn’t make you a slut. The most pain you felt was when you skinned your knees, and goodbyes only meant until tomorrow?
And we couldn’t wait to grow up."
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irritated
peaceful
blah
cold