Thursday 20 September 2012

#191 The Battle vs the War

     It's easy to become disheartened by difficulties and obstacles that incessantly block our path. We all fantasize (much more than we realize), especially when trying to achieve some worthy goal, that God, Mother Nature, or "The Force" should walk on ahead of us to sweep away all annoyances and petty hindrances!
     That line of "reasoning" is flawed in many dimensions. First and foremost, difficulties in life spare no one. You are not alone! And the kicker: one's intelligent, conscious interaction with difficulties is precisely what creates a mature evolved person. In fact, truly successful well-rounded people typically have had a surprisingly challenging life - see Kenneth R. Pelletier's remarkable 1994 book: "Sound Mind, Sound Body: A New Model for Lifelong Health." Simon & Schuster.  https://drpelletier.com/
     So sticking it out, be it in a marathon or a job, may be the polar opposite of martyrdom and self-abuse - it may well be exactly what you need to grow as a human being. Accepting the inevitability of loosing many battles along the way helps us win the war - and emerge as an evolved wise person.


2 comments:

  1. This kind of reminds me of this article I read yesterday by a Gen Y'er... basically saying that the Gen Y's obsession with "follow your heart" needs a caveat... http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/09/solving_gen_ys_passion_problem.html

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  2. Thanks Mandy - good article you mentioned by Cal Newport.

    He's made some good points. Nevertheless, I think Joseph Campbell's "follow your bliss" advice is a solid guiding principle, rather than a formula for rapid material success (wealth & fame). IMHO following Campbell's advice does GRADUALLY lead to what Parker Palmer calls an "undivided life".

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