Hope and dreams

Hope is a waking dream.


Aristotle (384 BC - 322 BC)

Guilt

Guilty conscience. There seems to be no end to it and we’re all too prone to self inflicting it upon ourselves as it if it’s more noble to do so. Now, I’m not talking about feelings of guilt that comes from murdering someone or “doing someone in”. Rather, just your regular everyday feelings of guilt, of having felt inadequate or fear of having “let someone down”.

Yes, it is somewhat more comforting to ourselves to say that we’re wrong and that we deserve all the blame and then allow ourselves to wallow in grief than it is to fight your own system, mind and emotions.

Sometimes we go into a mode of lessening one end to sort of “make up” as if it makes up for the guilt. We start to destroy or avoid lending support to something good just so that we might not feel too guilty about having screwed up the other end.

But hey, two wrongs do not make a right.

What is right, let it ride and work on doing the right thing to heal the wrong. And as for guilt, perhaps we should all learn to put its perspective in the right place and not just have a blanket cover for everything else. Isolate what’s damaged and work on it.

And no, it is not any more nobler to succumb to feelings of guilt and thereby to wallow in it. It is just more cowardly an act. So, it’s time to give ourselves a good kick in the behind and move on.

Blogging

Just when I’d thought I’ve had it nicked with me wanting to blog because I did not win the lottery, life throws a surprising curve ball.

Now, I’ve mentioned time and again how my editors and press colleagues used to tell me that I can’t write to save my life. Well, interestingly, I’m somewhat stuck in the better part of my career writing. Now, that’s irony for you.

But while I had not intended to enjoy this vocation, always resorting to labeling it as a mere job and not putting any real passion into it (like how a lot of Hemingways are…), I must admit that I was somewhat pleasantly surprised by the cathartic properties that I’ve derived from it.

Perhaps the words of my brother would best describe the redeeming qualities of blogging when he said “Writing liberates the mind and expresses the soul/spirit”. Yes, that’s my brother… and yes, he’s a pretty deep person while I on the other hand am pretty shallow.

Nonetheless, this is very true. While I had not intend to garner anything more than maybe putting together a book at the end of all this blogging, the daily inspirations that I derive from putting thoughts to words does work, even for myself. A little like looking into a mirror and telling yourself good things before beginning the day. Only better, because you get to argue your case out before blindly believing in one’s own inspiring words.

And believe me, it works for just about anyone, not just someone that write for a living. I’ve seen it work where my own fiancée who berates herself as not possessing skillful writing abilities churn out some of the most inspiring blogs I’ve ever come across.

So, whether it may be a blog to inspire or to lament life’s frustrations, maybe its time to put it out there… if not to help someone else navigate through life’s maze, at least it’ll leave some residue to medicate ourselves and help us though the day.

Justifying wrongs

The wriggling and worming out of either responsibilities or done just to hold onto power is not only confined to juntas and authoritarian regimes around the world. It happens very much also in so called free democratic societies where politicians and authorities go about with their business without a hint of shame from dishonour.

One sees it all the time. How a minister or head of some bigwig corporation go about screwing the general public and then proceeds to justify their wrongdoing by labeling them something else. Some are more brazen and even heap praises upon their misdeeds, believing very much that the public, yes, even the world can be fooled.

While I can understand why they employ such tactics, and subsequently understand the justification for them doing so, it does not make things right. Misdeeds cannot be justified, regardless.

And to think that one can hoodwink the world shows nothing more than lack of maturity as well as a total disregard for humanity and the goodness that’s suppose to reside in all of us. Obviously, some have chosen to harden their hearts and minds for the “privilege” of ruling over others… very much like what Lucifer did to become God himself.

Now, let’s not kid ourselves. We’d always say that it’s an evil world we live in today. But has the world actually become more evil? Or have we allowed ourselves to roll over whenever someone tells us to do so just because they have the money, resources and are in positions to do so? In many ways, we ourselves are to be blamed as well when we allow hardened men, men of high stature but low regard lord over the general populace.

Think of it. If we will only stop back-stabbing each other for monetary and material wealth, you will see that a man, regardless of his wealth and status is just a man and then maybe we will stop putting him on the alter as though he’s God and that we are all his servants to serve and sing his praises.

Perhaps then, we ourselves can stop justifying people that justify misdeeds.

Be prepared

Though I was a rather sordid example of a boy scout, even having been kicked out of the organization in grade school for failing at all sorts of activities (as well as having failed to obtain my basic tenderfoot merit), nonetheless, there remains one thing that I’ve taken with me all this while.

The immortal words – “Be prepared”, which is the official scouts motto is still practiced very much in all my activities. And yes, I make all conscious decisions with it in mind.

Simple things like, to recheck whether the doors are locked, giving myself an additional half hour or more leeway for appointments, mentally count the things off my imaginary to-do-list, bringing two sets of something “just in case” and even sending documents over emails, storing them in thumbdrives (which I carry with me) and having a printed copy as well, all at the same time.

And believe me, there were many a times when I’ve had to rely on such “back-ups”. When you make it a habit, the convenience of having things wherever and whenever you need them makes your day easier to live with. So what if you don’t use them? You wouldn’t have lost anything except a little paper, thumbdrive memory or a slight bit of energy getting them ready in the first place.

Hey, after all, its good exercise, both physically and mentally.

Having said that, to have such a routine put into practice will save your countless frustrating moments when you’d just wished you’ve done a little more to ensure that you don’t end up having to waste more time and energy putting things right. And believe me, there are too many things in a day that could absolutely ruin your mornings without having to add another problem that could have been avoided in the first place.

Oh, and about punctuality… If you get to a place half an hour or even an hour earlier, at beast, you can order yourself a relaxing cup of coffee and just spend some quality time with yourself while at worst, you’d discovered that you’ve left something important at home or in the office and because you’ve allocated extra time, you therefore can afford to go back and get them for the meeting.

See, you just can’t go wrong even if you wanted to, thanks to the “Be prepared” attitude.

Honour and cheap shots

Nobody ever forgets when it comes to money or something that’s owed to them, regardless of time passed or even how they may just shrug it off as “not all that important”. And believe me, if you’d think that elephants have great memory, wait till you experience a human scorned.

Here’s a point where we in Asia fail to realize the importance of good business/personal practices, thinking all the time that we can get away with IOUs and er well, a quick and quiet sweep under the carpet… hoping that the other party would eventually get tired or just forget about what’s due them.

See, this only proves one point… we are indeed penny-wise and pound foolish. Because of a few cents to the dollar, we sacrifice honour and respect. What we fail to realize is that a lot more projects/contracts, goodwill and friendship or business contacts are stopped by the people we owe gratitude or something to. All these goes hand-in-hand with damaged reputations.

And unlike the “older days” when reputations mattered enormously, these days, everyone seems to think that they can run friendships and businesses without that. This accounts for the screwed up friends we’re getting as well as the sinking of so many business ventures and such, thanks to ourselves, thinking that we can actually fool everyone, everytime. It’s no more different than debasing ourselves for a few cents worth. Truly telling about the value we place on ourselves, our reputations, our characters.

See, honour and fair-play comes through and are both inter-dependent externally as well as internally. Unless we are prepared to be honourable, we will not receive any honour in return.

Character

Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.

Helen Keller (1880 - 1968)