Lessons of Life

Lesson 1 - Be Do Want instead of Want Do Be

A few weeks ago a friend of mine came to see. She was all excited to share her new found learnings from a life education class she had attended. I did not mock her, I listened to her attentively even asked questions. Somethings made senses, others seemed age old known tricks of the mind. She sensed my skepticism and exclaimed she had felt the same way initially. Nevertheless, a few logical ways of thinking that she mentioned stuck with me; I wrote 1 thought on my refrigerator white-board:
"Be; Do; Want (Get It)"

I possibly read this once in 3-4 days coming in and out of the kitchen but did not derive much meaning out of it. Last few days I had been feeling down, helpless and restrained from doing the things I wanted to do at work and outside. Today, it all made sense finally!

I Want to do X, Y and Z.
There is no point in me waiting around till people realize I am capable of doing X, Y and Z and give me permission/authority/whatever-u-call-it. Since I don't really care to lose anything why should I wait around fuming and wasting my energy and drive. Why waste the energy in selling myself to people?

Rather than Want and Wait I will Become what I wish by Just Doing the work that needs to be done. Once I have done it people will automatically realize what I Wanted to being with was valid and Give it to me. Even if they don't; heck who cares I will already be Doing it!!

Lesson 2 - Pain is real. U can either come out of it more humane yet spreading joy or bitter and spreading hatred.

Person N gave a speech on an offbeat topic "Why do bad things happen to good people" today at the toastmaster's club. She did not go in to an emotional overdrive; in fact she presented information factually and logically. We have all seen very bad things repeatedly happen to do-gooders, why? After eliminating several religious and age old excuses in the name of reason, she arrived at the point that it is not God who decides these things. God or an exterior power is not trying to teach a good person or anyone a lesson by doing something bad. Perhaps, it is just that forces of nature or the unknown do not discriminate between the good and bad karma. When a tsunami strikes a coastal city it doesn't impact just the bad people, it kills the good, bad and the ugly.

Instead of looking at pain as a life sucking parasite it helps to develop a positive attitude in life and moving on from the pain rather than keep cursing God, people, circumstances, etc. The success that can be felt in arising out of sorrow and making something out of your life must be unmatched. It is our primal expression if we strive to make life enjoyable for ourselves and others by doing something meaningful with our time on earth instead of wallowing in self-pity and misery.