un pensamiento para ti...
"He aprendido que todo el mundo quiere vivir en la cima de la montaña, sin saber que la verdadera felicidad está en la forma de subir la escarpada. He aprendido que cuando un recién nacido aprieta con su pequeño puño, por vez primera, el dedo de su padre, lo tiene atrapado para siempre. He aprendido que un hombre sólo tiene derecho a mirar a otro hacia abajo, cuando ha de ayudarle a levantarse..."
~ Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Saw this article in the recent B Digest by the NUS Buddhist Society, a story told by Ajahn Brahm at their camp.
Doesn't matter if u believe in Buddhism or not. Think about it....
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5 children were playing a game to come up with the best wishes.
One said, "I wish to have a bowl of noodles!"
The second one thought for a while and smiled, "Mine's better. I wish to own an entire noodle shop."
Upon that, the third child burst out laughing. "You are so easily contented with just one noodle shop? Well, listen to mine. I wish to have 1 million dollars. Imagine how many noodle shops I can own."
"No," the fourth child interrupted. "All of your wishes are nothing compared to mine, because all I have is to wish for 3 more wishes. The first wish I would then wish for a noodle shop, the second for 1 million dollars, and the third," he leaned foward, "for 3 more wishes." He drew up a cunning smile, so confident that he would win the game.
After all that would leave him with an infinite number of wishes. What else could the fifth child say that could possibly triumph over an infinite number of wishes?
The fifth child was bound to lose.
Or was he?
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"I wish I can be so contented that I don't need to wish at all", was what the fifth child said.
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Written by Kuang Kim Sim
b digest (Jan/Feb 2005)
6 comments:
I've got a story too, told by a guy at a seminar. No end, no beginning, just an example.
There are two children, one forever a pessimist and the other always a optimist. The father gave both child a very big wrapped present. The optimist opened the present and found a big pile of manure. He dug through the manure although the father didn't put the gift inside but the kid just smiled and happily said "Daddy! I know it's in there somewhere" and he kept digging and digging.
The pessimist one opened the gift and of course saw the manure but did not bother to dog in though there was something he wanted inside it. He just said "Why bother? Nothing's in it.".
The point? I am sure there is one but it is interesting isn't it? Because by the end of the day the optimist one will be as miserable as the pessimist one eventhough he tried very hard looking for that something he will never have. I am sure I must have missed out some point which made this story hanging.
I wish Blogger would come out with editing feature as well. Anyway re my post and I meant dig not dog.
Even though the optimistic one tried very hard, there was nothing inside the box.
But at least he has tried his best. So even though there was no result, there should not be any regrets, knowing that one has at least given his best shot.
Life is not about coming in first all the time or getting a reward for one's efforts.
The process is more important than the end result. Conceding defeat without giving one's best shot, isn't it a pity?
Success does not always go to the strongest or luckiest man.
Ultimately, the man who wins is the man who never gives up.
~paw~
Knowing how to appreciate what you have at present is just as important as daring to dream the impossible.
Sometimes you just need to look around you, and you will find that you already have all that you ever need.
Wants are never satisfied. More of good goods is always better in economic theory.
But if you already have what you need, you can live your life relatively happily, contented with what you still have.
Nothing will ever be good enough, if you cannot be contented with what you have.
May you always be happy, my dear friend =)
~paw~
I think the politically right message from the story is, as what paw has said, that if you choose never to use that road, how would u know what what lies in store for u? Even if by the end of it you find nothing, you have at least tried and done your best. In this case, at least the optimistic child can confidently say that, "there really is nothing in the manure!", whereas the pessimistic child will forever be wondering, "what if..."
Have u ever thought what made the child pessimistic? Could it be that he chose to think on the negative side because didn't want to face disappointment by having high hopes? Maybe the child has experienced painful disappointments in his life before, and has learnt to use a pessimistic outlook in protecting himself from such a feeling? For all u know, maybe by being pessimistic the child has made himself a happier person because he knows he has successfully avoided feeling miserable?
Ok, I'm looking too much into it =P. Truth is, I am that pessimistic child, and that hasn't made me happier...
hi-5. i m pessimistic too. but i guess it doesnt hurt to be foolishly optimistic once in a while=) grins!~
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