One Thing
November 16, 2009
The problems we face every day are no match when compared to the weapon we all have at our disposal. The turtle has its shell, the tiger has its claws, the falcon its wings. Likewise, we too are given an advantage to survive in the world despite our fragile body: our intellect -- namely, our good judgment.
So today you might not be greeted by "good morning" or "how do you do" but by "out of my way" or "get it done now." Yet you'll be ready and know how to respond, and that sometimes means choosing a non-response.
You will also encounter those who gossip, are ungrateful, or feed on contention. Will you be sad? Will you be mad? No. Luckily you have your good judgment to navigate through all the muck, gliding on like you're on skates. This is more natural than you think. For example, if you play football and an opponent tackles you, will you yell at him for tackling you? No. It's part of the game and what you must expect. You learn to absorb the hit in good stride, or better yet, outrun him.
Evolved from your forebears, you are born to handle anything that society throws at you. It would be unfortunate to not use what was given you from the beginning.
The First Step
November 15, 2009
I begin writing here not at a jubilant time but a period of great challenge. Perhaps you yourself are also going through a trying time yourself. Yet how relevant to the concept at hand for life is full of matters outside of our control and very little is in fact within our control.
The problem lies then in the belief that each of us should be able to wrestle fate in all aspects of our lives, if only we have more confidence, if only we apply specific techniques -- tricks, really -- to make others do what we want them to do. But the belief fails miserably when pushed to its limit, since if everyone has confidence and uses the techniques, who will everyone control?
We cannot help but feel sad and angry sometimes. The question we must ask ourselves during those times is why. Worse yet, we are hard on ourselves. It is illogical since we would never hurt others like that.
Contentment can reliably be achieved if we listen to ourselves and focus on what we can control. I would go further to say there is only one thing you can truly work on and it will be the topic of my next discussion. Without spoiling the surprise, you can say I am doing so today by taking my first step onto the Cuong.com stage, since being a philosopher is more about action than simply saying the right words.
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