"Things keep dragging me down. Things drag everyone down. It's hard to maintain a positive outlook on life when things aren't going your way and people are asking how do you stay positive?
Honestly, this is gonna sound like cheesy mac but I remind myself of how lucky I am. When I'm running outside I'm telling myself:
You are so lucky right now. Other people are probably working, dying. Like, there's so many problems in this world and you get to be running. YOU GET TO BE RUNNING.
Like, that's amazing! Retrospect, you know. Look at the big scale in where you are in life and you are truly lucky. You are truly blessed."
- Courtneypants
So in case anyone's wondering, that came from this video.
I realize how incredibly easy it is to blur the line between being realistic and being pessimistic. I guess there's a point where rolling with the punches simply won't cut it anymore.
A few days ago, this Cracked article came out. It's one of the most thought-provoking pieces I've read in a while. Is everybody really broken in one way or another? Personally, I know I still have a few ghosts haunting me. I've written about one of the bastards previously, although like I said there, things went relatively well in the long run so it evens out.
All things considered, having horrible shit happen to someone has another effect: they become determined not to repeat them (or prevent them from happening to someone else). I'm never one for heroics and whatnot, but I guess there will be times when one can't live with the fact that his or her own inaction allowed something bad to befall someone. I guess that's what Aunt May was blabbering about in those Spider-Man films regarding the notion of a hero being inherent in every one of us. I call that hero Conscience.
Right now, I still have no clue on how to look at the grand scale of things and how I fit in it. I guess we were never meant to see how the grand scale works anyway.
However, retrospect is a powerful tool for these things. It reminds me of how lucky I am to even have time for worry. Instead of worrying about how I'd get food on my plate, I only have to think about what I want to eat. Instead of worrying about where I'd have to spend the night, I'm writing nonsensical stuff on a blog no one but me probably reads. Instead of worrying where to beg for some loose change, I'm ranting on out how expensive shipping rates are on eBay. Instead of tripping over land mines or watching my house burn in the midst of a civil war, I get to waste my time on pointless things.
Oh Internet. Most of the time, you remind me of how humanity is a lost cause when granted anonymity. But sometimes the universe decides that hope should come from the words of complete strangers who probably don't even know we exist, and somehow that makes everything worth it.
Showing posts with label cracked. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cracked. Show all posts
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Sunday, May 06, 2012
The Fulcrum
"I think for most people, there is a tipping point where you realize that there are more people who depend on you than there are people who you depend on."
- David Wong, on the turning point of reaching one's adulthood
So should I be thankful then that at this point in time I don't feel like I have not reached the tipping point yet? I'd be lying if I said I have everything figured out. I feel that I'm tentative more times than I'd care to acknowledge. That there is way more guesswork than I'm comfortable with. That I ask the same question back because other people's guesses are more likely just as good as mine, if not outright better.
On a related note, I cringe every time relatives draw comparisons. Most people don't realize how loaded the term "role model" is. It's almost as if it's implied that one has things in order and is hence responsible to teach those to others. What most people don't realize is that there is no easy way to tell someone that repeated failure was the way those "things" have been figured out. Besides, I know, for a fact, that I'm a horrible teacher.
Life does not provide a syllabus, but it often gives us a ridiculously wide margin for error.
- David Wong, on the turning point of reaching one's adulthood
So should I be thankful then that at this point in time I don't feel like I have not reached the tipping point yet? I'd be lying if I said I have everything figured out. I feel that I'm tentative more times than I'd care to acknowledge. That there is way more guesswork than I'm comfortable with. That I ask the same question back because other people's guesses are more likely just as good as mine, if not outright better.
On a related note, I cringe every time relatives draw comparisons. Most people don't realize how loaded the term "role model" is. It's almost as if it's implied that one has things in order and is hence responsible to teach those to others. What most people don't realize is that there is no easy way to tell someone that repeated failure was the way those "things" have been figured out. Besides, I know, for a fact, that I'm a horrible teacher.
Life does not provide a syllabus, but it often gives us a ridiculously wide margin for error.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Root Cause
So yeah, I'm barely functional this week. I'm guessing it's another one of those times when I'm juggling too many things at once. It makes me remember this metaphor from Bryan Dyson:
"Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them-work, family, health, friends, and spirit-and you are keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls-family, health, friends, and spirit-are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life."
Unfortunately, we all need to work, yes? And my relationship level with work has always been at tolerance. I know, it's wrong.
Why is it wrong? Because a couple of years ago, I did not believe there was a threshold for tolerance. I thought that there was always a positive side to things. I thought the little annoyances could be ignored, because they were just that: annoyances. The scary thing is that those little potshots will add up if one does not do anything about them. And holy shit, there will be fireworks when the dam breaks.
Maybe that's why I'm a sucker for good stories. It's easy to relate to stories where someone messes up horribly, and somehow tries to get things together. It's really sad that there's probably one success story for every hundred failures, but I digress.
I've always found wisdom in the things John Cheese writes. He may have fucked up most of his life, which is probably why there is something comforting in his words when you can look past the profanity. It's almost like most articles he writes is a "Hang in There" sign for someone, somewhere. I hope the guy writes a book about his life, because I swear I'll read the living shit out of it.
This one in particular, I re-read whenever things get crappy at work. It doesn't promote materialism, but it does point into a certain direction (as said in the comments):
"Money doesn't buy happiness, but it does buy choices."
I have no comeback to that. Damn.
Lastly, for some unknown reason, I keep recalling Hope for the Flowers as I wrote this. I have no idea what moral lesson other people have derived from this book, but to me it has always said the same message: that it is pretty goddamn lonely at the top. If one really thinks about it, the ending is sort of an eye opener for the main character(s), and points to that same message (albeit at a much different vantage point).
And for the record, I hate butterflies. It's like they're the works of the devil, and yes, I realize how irrational that sounds.
"Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them-work, family, health, friends, and spirit-and you are keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back. But the other four balls-family, health, friends, and spirit-are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed, marked, nicked, damaged, or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life."
Unfortunately, we all need to work, yes? And my relationship level with work has always been at tolerance. I know, it's wrong.
Why is it wrong? Because a couple of years ago, I did not believe there was a threshold for tolerance. I thought that there was always a positive side to things. I thought the little annoyances could be ignored, because they were just that: annoyances. The scary thing is that those little potshots will add up if one does not do anything about them. And holy shit, there will be fireworks when the dam breaks.
Maybe that's why I'm a sucker for good stories. It's easy to relate to stories where someone messes up horribly, and somehow tries to get things together. It's really sad that there's probably one success story for every hundred failures, but I digress.
I've always found wisdom in the things John Cheese writes. He may have fucked up most of his life, which is probably why there is something comforting in his words when you can look past the profanity. It's almost like most articles he writes is a "Hang in There" sign for someone, somewhere. I hope the guy writes a book about his life, because I swear I'll read the living shit out of it.
This one in particular, I re-read whenever things get crappy at work. It doesn't promote materialism, but it does point into a certain direction (as said in the comments):
"Money doesn't buy happiness, but it does buy choices."
I have no comeback to that. Damn.
Lastly, for some unknown reason, I keep recalling Hope for the Flowers as I wrote this. I have no idea what moral lesson other people have derived from this book, but to me it has always said the same message: that it is pretty goddamn lonely at the top. If one really thinks about it, the ending is sort of an eye opener for the main character(s), and points to that same message (albeit at a much different vantage point).
And for the record, I hate butterflies. It's like they're the works of the devil, and yes, I realize how irrational that sounds.
Friday, April 13, 2012
Cracked: Unsolicited Advice
So I was reading this thread on Cracked.
It's quite interesting that there are things that should be common sense, yet we still seem to take for granted. I guess people are mostly shortsighted, that's why we get into so much trouble in the first place.
And since it's everyone's noble obligation to pitch in on the Internet:
Never keep score.
Don't bring up the good things you've done for someone as a reason for them to return the favor. Even more so, don't dig up dirt as ammunition for an argument. Resentment is never a good thing. If they're halfway decent people, you only need to ask.
Don't worry, be happy.
Time spent worrying is time lost. If a problem is not within your control and there's nothing you can do about it, it's probably some other person's responsibility in the first place. Otherwise, learn to mitigate. Sleep it off if you can't think straight, as bad decisions are more likely when you're worried and restless.
Punctuality is key.
Being somewhere ahead of time is always a good way to make an impression. In the unfortunate case that you'll be late, CALL or text if you're on commute and let the other party know (don't just hope that they hang in there, for fuck's sake). Also give an ETA that is way more than what it would take you to arrive.
And lastly, when family or close friends ask for your time, DO IT.
It's quite interesting that there are things that should be common sense, yet we still seem to take for granted. I guess people are mostly shortsighted, that's why we get into so much trouble in the first place.
And since it's everyone's noble obligation to pitch in on the Internet:
Never keep score.
Don't bring up the good things you've done for someone as a reason for them to return the favor. Even more so, don't dig up dirt as ammunition for an argument. Resentment is never a good thing. If they're halfway decent people, you only need to ask.
Don't worry, be happy.
Time spent worrying is time lost. If a problem is not within your control and there's nothing you can do about it, it's probably some other person's responsibility in the first place. Otherwise, learn to mitigate. Sleep it off if you can't think straight, as bad decisions are more likely when you're worried and restless.
Punctuality is key.
Being somewhere ahead of time is always a good way to make an impression. In the unfortunate case that you'll be late, CALL or text if you're on commute and let the other party know (don't just hope that they hang in there, for fuck's sake). Also give an ETA that is way more than what it would take you to arrive.
And lastly, when family or close friends ask for your time, DO IT.
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