STARTING ALL OVER AGAIN

Everything has been said before, but since nobody listens we have to keep going back and beginning all over again. - Andre Gide


The other day my friends complained of how tough life is and how baffled mystified bewildered confused and totally clueless they are about it all… I replied to that with.

“It’s everything you say it is. But maybe still a lot more which you don’t know -- yet.”

Apparently despite the many inspirational and motivational writings filling-up the shelves in book stores everywhere and talks given by good life coaches, it seems that the issue is as befuddled as ever – about what my friends now call the ‘clueless life syndrome’. Well, no matter how many more new words they aptly or ineptly coin for it, it only boils down to one thing which my buddy Sienna uttered in exasperation one day – “I just don’t understand it!”

So this lead me to try something … maybe if I retrieve this old post for their benefit as they seem to be at their wit’s end trying to figure it all out. Perhaps this will knock them into their rightful senses and lead them to fresh new insight and perception which apparently they failed to grasp the first time. Now if only they forget their angst for one bit and try to see what this little story is meaning to tell them.

Maybe also try for a little patience and some one-track-minded focus to see that all this is leading to something good. It could only be for better if not best. I should know – cos I had that in my backpack of lessons learned too. :-)

Okay, buddies, this one’s for you.



POTPOURRI #8 - WORKING TOGETHER TO COMPLETE YOU

Here’s the story.
---------------------

I had a dream one night. I saw myself standing on bare dry ground not a mountain or tree in sight -- nothing there but an odd-looking weighing scale. Odd with huge and I say huge, empty plates. Then out of nowhere appeared an old but distinguished-looking man with long gray beard which oddly touched the ground. He looked at me with nary an expression on his old wrinkle-lined face and raised his right hand in the air. I followed his hand, looked, but saw nothing there. Then he lowered it pointing to the right empty plate on the scale. Soon enough the plate began to fill with the events of my life –

The good memories of my life --- One by one it filled the plate now almost overflowing. I smiled at the thought of those wonderful moments and memories of the past. I felt so good and happy that I wanted to stay there forever.

The scale tipped down apparently under the weight of its load and thereby raised the opposite empty plate high. I waited for the old man; I felt the show wasn’t over yet. The opposite plate was still empty. As if reading my thoughts, he raised his left hand the same way he did with his right. It seemed like a gesture or motion to someone unseen to begin. And similarly when he pointed down to the left empty plate, it right away began to fill up with the other events of my past –

The sad memories there --- As it piled one after the other on the plate, I felt my tears fall. The hurt and pain I could not deny despite leaving it all behind with time. Sometimes it haunts me in the present… it still can prick hard.

And then something strange caught my eye ---- the scale stood evenly at that particular point. It stayed there so still --- So very still, unmoving.

Finally, he turned to me and spoke his deep voice cutting through the hallowed silence felt in my bones……

“The good and the bad times of your life
stand equal on the scale.
Neither is greater or lesser than the other;
both stand mutually invaluable
in the work that they do in you.
Be grateful for the good that happens
and humble in misfortunes when they occur
because both essentially and equally
work together to form mold transform create --- YOU.”


---The End---


posted on Friday, May 11, 2007 12:55 PM