"Only" One Way?
I was just reading an article by Beautiful Disaster - "At this point in time", and I thought I would compose my opinion, that is somewhat inline with my personal experiences, as to her dilemma.
A life of enjoyment, while being very necessary until an certain age in ones life, is only temporary. Enjoyment and adventure is unlimited no-doubt, and people can go through their whole life doing no more than just that. But almost everyone will agree that with only a limited amount of years on this world, to waste them with "easy" enjoyment and just "getting by" and not toiling and making the most out of oneself, is very shallow way of thinking.
In my opinion, there is a time in the early stages of life that should be dedicated to enjoyment. One should enjoy themselves to the full without worrying about the future as of yet, however they should always stick to the rules and not do anything that is irreversible. There should then be a conscious decision to put all of it aside and start to build a future that is not empty, and one that gives fulfillment and happiness. (Note that happiness and enjoyment and two opposites).
My point is that the enjoyment and adventure has to be experienced followed by the conscious decision for fulfillment. The reason for this is that when we choose our priority i.e. dedication and advancement in life, we can intergrate this with that which is secondary - the enjoyment. I think that sometimes some people try to run before they can walk, and try to set up their lives too early. They end up living a life that is solely for achieving, but forget that as human beings we need physical enjoyment too (as long as it is identified as being a complementary and not the "real thing"). People like such are usually not very healthy, and are rarely happy. They dig themselves into whole of stress and believe that their stress will disappear with more "success".
The author of the article that I referred to at the beginning, displayed a sign with depicting "only" in either one or the other direction. I will disagree and say that life does not have to be so, we can intergrate both religion, fulfillment and enjoyment (or whatever it is in each individual). The point is only though, to set your priorities right and be constantly aware that the enjoyment is not it. After all enjoyment and adventure is only temporary and not self fulfilling. Emptiness is usually not the best call for self esteem. However just like we need to eat to live live, we also need the "emptiness" to be healthy.
I am 21 years old and this is my opinion. Life is about living and learning, I only hope that I am learning the correct trade.
To the author of "At this point in time": Life is beautiful in that there is no one correct and one incorrect way. Choose your main priority wisely and intergrate you "flaw" and "missing value" into it. I don' think that you need to choose either one or the other. I hope I have the right end of the stick, I have a knack not to. But if not then take it as just a rant about my personal experiences.
A life of enjoyment, while being very necessary until an certain age in ones life, is only temporary. Enjoyment and adventure is unlimited no-doubt, and people can go through their whole life doing no more than just that. But almost everyone will agree that with only a limited amount of years on this world, to waste them with "easy" enjoyment and just "getting by" and not toiling and making the most out of oneself, is very shallow way of thinking.
In my opinion, there is a time in the early stages of life that should be dedicated to enjoyment. One should enjoy themselves to the full without worrying about the future as of yet, however they should always stick to the rules and not do anything that is irreversible. There should then be a conscious decision to put all of it aside and start to build a future that is not empty, and one that gives fulfillment and happiness. (Note that happiness and enjoyment and two opposites).
My point is that the enjoyment and adventure has to be experienced followed by the conscious decision for fulfillment. The reason for this is that when we choose our priority i.e. dedication and advancement in life, we can intergrate this with that which is secondary - the enjoyment. I think that sometimes some people try to run before they can walk, and try to set up their lives too early. They end up living a life that is solely for achieving, but forget that as human beings we need physical enjoyment too (as long as it is identified as being a complementary and not the "real thing"). People like such are usually not very healthy, and are rarely happy. They dig themselves into whole of stress and believe that their stress will disappear with more "success".
The author of the article that I referred to at the beginning, displayed a sign with depicting "only" in either one or the other direction. I will disagree and say that life does not have to be so, we can intergrate both religion, fulfillment and enjoyment (or whatever it is in each individual). The point is only though, to set your priorities right and be constantly aware that the enjoyment is not it. After all enjoyment and adventure is only temporary and not self fulfilling. Emptiness is usually not the best call for self esteem. However just like we need to eat to live live, we also need the "emptiness" to be healthy.
I am 21 years old and this is my opinion. Life is about living and learning, I only hope that I am learning the correct trade.
To the author of "At this point in time": Life is beautiful in that there is no one correct and one incorrect way. Choose your main priority wisely and intergrate you "flaw" and "missing value" into it. I don' think that you need to choose either one or the other. I hope I have the right end of the stick, I have a knack not to. But if not then take it as just a rant about my personal experiences.
I see what you are saying, but personally I believe them both to be a contradiction in a way (read further).
The difference between them in is that enjoyment is very temporary and short-term thinking - it is all about how much enjoyment you are going to get out of todays activities without any responsibilities. I don't think you are referring to the kind of enjoyment, but this is the true meaning of enjoyment. Fulfillment on the other hand, and I am also going to bring in religion, is more long-term thinking, and where your actions hold responsibility etc.
However, I do believe that you can "have it all". My only point is that you achieve this not by giving up what you already have and saying that you will choose a new "route", only this is achieved by accepting/choosing that what you choose to be your priority and incorporate your enjoyment into it.
The key point that I found though is identifying what you hold as being the priority, the rest just complements it. Don't get me wrong, the complimentory is in full throttle and there will be no need to tone it down, only it has new meaning. There is then no contradiction.
Something a bit off the track of the discussion....
Here is something I read recently: "Life is like driving a manual car - in the begining you have to concentrate on every action i.e. pressing the clutch, changing the gear, which gear to change into, the brakes, the accelerator etc etc, but eventually you no longer have to think about all these factors as they become second nature, and you cruise."
I have an extended take on this though, that, the only way you learn how be comfortable with the clutch and gears is by sitting in the car and doing it. You cannot stand on the outside and analyse it, and by that be able to drive! It doesn't work, and anyone who might tell you it does, does not know how to drive a clutch car. You gotta take the right advice from the right books and the right people, "living and learning".
REMEMBER, Sat night is always for partying ;)
Posted by
Pesach |
1:00 pm
Hmmm, automatic is the "get-by" approach to life. ;)
Posted by
Pesach |
2:34 pm