Our life is all full of "wants", "wishes", "hopes", "dreams"..... sometimes these are so strong (and for some real) that seems that some people loose the sense of reality. I am not saying it is wrong to do anything of these but look a bit around you, look at nature does anything else do that? Do dogs (just to give an example with just one animal) dream of having a new kennel or a new owner or simply dream of a nice juicy bone for dinner?
They don't! And that I think is simply because they have a purpose in life. Their purpose is living. Us humans on the other hand try to make the purpose, or simply strive to look for that purpose in life and I guess we simply miss the bigger picture, that our purpose is to live.
I say this because I do that all the time. My mind is constantly thinking, churning up new ideas, trying to create something new and getting pissed when I realize it's already been thought of. I sometimes find myself wasting a day worrying about what's next, instead of enjoying the day and using the time to just feel alive.
I guess we are hard wired to feel and think this way from birth (and even before that!). Even from inside our mother's belly we could feel the stress that human life was putting on our parents. We gradually learn that crying is something to avoid, as although mum and dad come to check us out they seem pretty pissed at us. We used to leave stuff in our dinner plate and the result was that money doesn't grow on trees. The list keeps going on and on and the result is that of building a human being ready to face the world. But is he?
Did anyone teach us the beauty of simple things? Did anyone explain to us that life is simply a journey and not a race? Did anyone show us the greatness of nature?
I might sound like trying to imitate the Dalai Lama, but that is not even an intent! Furthermore I lack all the knowledge and the insight he has in this subject and I am far from being a holy man. What I would like to share is that for quite sometime I was totally engulfed in the race and in which in a way I still am, but gradually I am managing to see things differently, observe more and understand more.
Last Sunday, I went for a walk near the sea in the lovely bay of Mellieha. We were trekking along the shoreline on the rocks with the sea on one side and some lovely fields on the other. Since lately we had some rain there was fresh water flowing down from the fields onto the rocky slopes, filling the holes with fresh water. On closer inspection we realized these holes were full of life, there were tadpoles and we even spotted some Maltese Painted frog, which was a relief to see they are still surviving!
Then it struck me. These frogs were living, reproducing, eating and going about with their lives in a place which ain't so normal to expect to see frogs - near the sea. But yet they were there, happily hopping around their little ponds. These frogs were better then me - all they lived for was to live and that was their "ambition". They don't quit as their normal habitat is a nice fresh water stream, they don't call it a day if the pond is drying up - they just move on and find an alternative, but keep striving to live.
We as humans do that too, but in our way, that in my opinion (and this is only my opinion) is getting a bit too ugly. Our lives became a time table with strict timings, you're born, you grow, learn to speak (a language or two before school), get in school, study, learn a sport discipline or a musical instrument, study, go to collage and university, study, plan your career, study, date, start working, get a house, work, get married, work, have kids, work, work more to advance in your career, work more, retire, enjoy your grandchildren since you didn't have much time to enjoy your kids.
I think in the life we live in today, its normal to be like that and anyone who isn't is looked at as being different (or even considered lazy or a deviant), but were is the enjoyment of life in all this? I speak about myself, isn't it boring knowing that your next day is simply the same as today? I think it is, so I guess a change is needed, maybe not in the whole time table as parts of it as I said before are needed, but maybe in the way we do things, slow down a bit and enjoy the journey a little bit more.
They don't! And that I think is simply because they have a purpose in life. Their purpose is living. Us humans on the other hand try to make the purpose, or simply strive to look for that purpose in life and I guess we simply miss the bigger picture, that our purpose is to live.
I say this because I do that all the time. My mind is constantly thinking, churning up new ideas, trying to create something new and getting pissed when I realize it's already been thought of. I sometimes find myself wasting a day worrying about what's next, instead of enjoying the day and using the time to just feel alive.
I guess we are hard wired to feel and think this way from birth (and even before that!). Even from inside our mother's belly we could feel the stress that human life was putting on our parents. We gradually learn that crying is something to avoid, as although mum and dad come to check us out they seem pretty pissed at us. We used to leave stuff in our dinner plate and the result was that money doesn't grow on trees. The list keeps going on and on and the result is that of building a human being ready to face the world. But is he?
Did anyone teach us the beauty of simple things? Did anyone explain to us that life is simply a journey and not a race? Did anyone show us the greatness of nature?
I might sound like trying to imitate the Dalai Lama, but that is not even an intent! Furthermore I lack all the knowledge and the insight he has in this subject and I am far from being a holy man. What I would like to share is that for quite sometime I was totally engulfed in the race and in which in a way I still am, but gradually I am managing to see things differently, observe more and understand more.
Last Sunday, I went for a walk near the sea in the lovely bay of Mellieha. We were trekking along the shoreline on the rocks with the sea on one side and some lovely fields on the other. Since lately we had some rain there was fresh water flowing down from the fields onto the rocky slopes, filling the holes with fresh water. On closer inspection we realized these holes were full of life, there were tadpoles and we even spotted some Maltese Painted frog, which was a relief to see they are still surviving!
Then it struck me. These frogs were living, reproducing, eating and going about with their lives in a place which ain't so normal to expect to see frogs - near the sea. But yet they were there, happily hopping around their little ponds. These frogs were better then me - all they lived for was to live and that was their "ambition". They don't quit as their normal habitat is a nice fresh water stream, they don't call it a day if the pond is drying up - they just move on and find an alternative, but keep striving to live.
We as humans do that too, but in our way, that in my opinion (and this is only my opinion) is getting a bit too ugly. Our lives became a time table with strict timings, you're born, you grow, learn to speak (a language or two before school), get in school, study, learn a sport discipline or a musical instrument, study, go to collage and university, study, plan your career, study, date, start working, get a house, work, get married, work, have kids, work, work more to advance in your career, work more, retire, enjoy your grandchildren since you didn't have much time to enjoy your kids.
I think in the life we live in today, its normal to be like that and anyone who isn't is looked at as being different (or even considered lazy or a deviant), but were is the enjoyment of life in all this? I speak about myself, isn't it boring knowing that your next day is simply the same as today? I think it is, so I guess a change is needed, maybe not in the whole time table as parts of it as I said before are needed, but maybe in the way we do things, slow down a bit and enjoy the journey a little bit more.
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