Monday 30 April 2012

Waiting for Destiny

Waiting for Destiny 


So I was hanging out in a cafe like any regular day, when I decided to go to the bathroom. I arrived there and I found the door closed and locked, so I figured out that someone was in there. I kept waiting outside for more than 10 minutes, that's when one of the waiters came and asked me rhetorically "Why have you been waiting all this time?". So he checked the door, and he just opened the knob. I smiled, looked at him awkwardly and just entered. 

What happened was that I thought someone was in there. I was convinced of that and I acted upon that belief. That's why I kept waiting for someone to come out. All what matters is that I knew I was right.

However, when the waiter came and opened the door. That's when it hit me. Have I been wasting my time? Have I been standing all this time for nothing?

Now let's try to reflect on that in our lives. 

We do believe most of the time that we have the right reasons behind our actions, that we know what we are doing and most importantly we believe that we're walking the right path! Even though there might not be someone inside the bathroom, we are still waiting for someone to come out so we could go in. We are still acting upon our own assumptions and limited knowledge, and never have considered ourselves to be mistaken. 

So, what happens when we realize that there's no one in there, whether by the help of someone or by realizing that on our own?

This is where the self concept comes in.

Some people will just laugh at themselves or feel frustrated. And they will believe in the end that what has happened was just a coincidence or a funny story to be shared when they go back to where they were.
Those people believe that they have wasted their time, and they have stood there for nothing.

Those are the ones who fall down in life more often. Who whenever face obstacles, hard times or tough situations, fail to comprehend the reasons behind such events and eventually give up!
Those are the ones who do not learn from their mistakes, or do not actually learn from their experiences, so they never grow.

Nonetheless there is another type of people who will look at the waiter, smile and learn something from that, who will always reflect on what's happening in their lives and always believe that things happen for a reason, and they try to make the best out of their own experiences.

Which type of mindset you think is more effective for your self,  your growth and your life?

The way we perceive the events occurring around us is very underrated. If you fail to learn from each and every thing happening in your life..then you are simply not living!

We waste our time arguing whether destiny exists or not. While what we should be arguing about is whether we are living or not.

Destiny is inevitable, but it's up to us to know why.    

Now I've come to know the reason why I have been waiting for 10 minutes before I discovered that no one was there. It's to acquire this insight. 

If I got there and found the door was opened, I wouldn't have written this article nor would have someone else not read it.

This itself is living every moment, and you can do it starting right now!

The reason why I smiled in the end when the door was opened was not because I discovered that I was waiting for nothing, but I found out that I was waiting for Destiny.




Tuesday 3 April 2012

Living a Dream

Living a Dream



One of the things that makes us special as human beings, is the ability to have our own Dreams. It is something that triggers our creative and emotional abilities. It's when you have nothing and you turn it into something.

Dreaming of being successful, dreaming of travelling the world, playing in a rock band or just being happy, there are no limits when it comes to having our own dreams, we only limit ourselves when it comes to believing that they could come true.

So the first obstacle to achieving your dreams is actually not faith, it's you. You are the only thing that is standing in your way. 

There's a saying "You cannot achieve more than you think you can."

It's only logical. Were Gandhi, Newton, Beethoven or  Columbus surprised of what they accomplished? Or was it that they had complete faith in themselves and of what they were capable of doing?

So maybe the first thing that we could do before judging and analyzing whether our dreams could be accomplished or not, we should start by evaluating the way we see ourselves.

Once you have the "I can" mindset and attitude, probably nothing could stop you from accomplishing anything in your life.

But what if you fail? Does this mean that you can't?

There is a concept that is important for us to comprehend, which I would like to call "Conflicting Dreams".

If someone is on the path of realizing his or her dreams, and they are facing obstacles that are out of their own control, that's because there is another dream that they want to realize and it must be done this way.

Let me give you an example.

Let's say that a student has decided to be the first in his class, that's his dream, he believes he'll be happy, successful and he'll make everyone proud. So he only dedicates his time to studying to accomplish that dream. But then he met new friends who started discussing the challenges in the working environment and so on, and he found out that he wasn't equipped and he's been somehow isolating himself. So he started to realize that his dream, being the first in class, will not ensure a successful career and life, and he discovers now that he has a BIGGER dream which is to be successful in his career.  Only when that happened, he got engaged more with people and expanded his learning circle, which led to less time studying and more time increasing practical and social skills, which also led him not to end up being the first in class, but nevertheless a very skilled employee.

From that example we can deduct that some dreams somehow conflict with other dreams. In order for some dreams to come true, others have to be partially realized or put off.

 SO WHO GETS TO SAY WHICH DREAM TO LIVE?

The answer is simply YOU.

This is where your set of values kicks in. The dreams that are aligned with what you value the most are the ones that attract you to them. 

All of us want to live our dreams and all of our dreams want to be lived.