Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

Confucius says: Life is suffering

I came across this quote one time when i was ruffling through stuff that weren’t mine in the office. I found a daily planner, the kind that had quotes or words of wisdom (supposedly) for each day. I don’t remember which day in the calendar year this particular quote fell under but i read it nonetheless.

A lot of the time, i use this quote to make my trainees or colleagues laugh. usually i quote it when i hear them complaining about one thing or another. i’d say, "well you know what Confucius said: Life is suffering". But to be honest, i’m one to talk, for if there were a profession dedicated to complaining, i’d probably be CEO by now. Can you blaim me though? there’s just something so cathartic about complaining and whining out loud. Although, most of the time, once you’ve stated your complain out loud, it doesn’t sound as grave as when you heard it in your head.

Some people would say that I shouldn’t complain as much since i probably have it better than most. This might be true, but being the "professional complainer" that i am, i found a way to rationalize this. I’d think, well, others may have their problems, but i have mine and it’s up to me to decide if my problems are big or not. they don’t have to be relative to others’ situation for it to be big.

That was before. Now, i’ve come to realize that mostly, it’s a matter of perspective. you have the option to view a challenge as a problem, or you can see it as an opportunity. Easier said, ofcourse. that’s why maybe, the real battle isn’t really against your problems but against yourself. not against the situation but against how you choose to approach it.

So, all due respect to Confucius, i know he was wise and all, but maybe, life doesnt have to always be about the suffering. Maybe the suffering part is just a fraction of the bigger picture. It may be unavoidable, but not the end all. Plow, plow ahead, that’s my philosophy. who knows, someday, somebody might be quoting me too.

It’s funny how sometimes you don’t know you want something until it is offered to you. sometimes, it’s only when something is dangled in front of your face that you realize just how badly you want it. And then it becomes impossible to get it off your mind. You just have to have it!

My friend once told me that most successful people are successful because they know what they want. i guess that’s true. but how did they come to know what they want is what i want to know. how do they get to that point where they just know? do they get there on their own or does somebody push them there?

hmmm… i’d like to know their secret… in any case, kudos to those who know what they want for knowing is a sucess in itself. And plus points to those who are actually doing something to get what they want. if you’re one of them, give yourself a pat on the back. you deserve it!