Hi Shan
struck a chord in you huh?
I hope you don't feel like I was coming after you for the way you
choose to live, I was just talking about the way I see it after going
through it myself.
"
Shannon : Strange night… I couldn’t fall asleep for quite some time after you
left. I got to thinking about a couple things you said. One thing
that really struck me was your idea of ambition… I agree living in the
moment is imperative to achieving happiness, but isn’t having long
term goals also key to fulfilling a complete life? The way you
pitched it, you made it seem as though the latter was secondary in
your definition…when in fact, ambition has more to do with taking
action towards something that will give a person a sense of
accomplishment, sense of power for attaining something only certain
people can.
"
important, without it we can be lost in the present - no direction. We
all have been there. However, what my point was is that I think the
important part is to HAVE the thing to work towards - to give you a
direction. The danger comes from thinking that 'nothing else matters'
but getting there, that the only way you will feel content is if you
accomplish your long term goal. I believe just having the goal to give
you direction is enough, it gives you the peace of mind that you are
headed to a greater future, not a lesser one. I think it is important
to have ambition - I was just issuing a word of caution as to its
power over the mind and body.
Another question that comes to mind is what is your definition of a
long term goal? A short term goal? 1 yr? 5 yrs? whats short, whats
long?
My short term goals are what really spice my life up, because my long
term goals just aren't close enough. Short term goals: restore my VW -
get a regular paycheque - strengthen my leg - reconnect with my
childhood friends - and to have a good time with you.
My long term goals don't really help me with my short term, so I put
them aside, or throw them in front of me, they are still there, still
anchoring me into the future, but they have lost their importance in
light of my current reality, my current circumstances.
An ambitious person would argue that I am wasting my time with short
term goals (which constantly change!) putting my long term goals up on
the cross.
There are exceptions to everything, and I am not telling people one
way is better - people are driven my different emotions, and have
individual circumstances, and reasons for doing things. If you want to
be the worlds greatest Lawyer and its your passion and you're Driven -
then who am I to say the present is more important? Best of luck, but
my red flags are going up - if youre not careful you'll reach year 6
and all of a sudden you'll look around and everything has lost its
meaning and you have a 6yr hole in your life that offers no solace and
another two year hole in front of you that looks cold and dead - I've
seen it happen to many people... Man creates meaning, so we are the
masters of our own purpose and define what has meaning in our lives!
Do you see where Im coming from? I can't imagine my life if I had
spent the last 8 years in law school! It's almost my whole life! the
things, places, people I met in the last 8 years - not even my own
Lifelong ambition (treehouse resort) would be worth trading that for!!
yes, I would meet people and have experiences in law school and I
would make it work for me, but there's a high Oppertunity cost that
comes with blind ambition, and thats all I'm saying.
:)
"
Shannon : Taking your self discovery travel into consideration… does it really
apply to everyone out there? Does the journey have to be something in
the physical world? Can it not be based in the mind more than
relative to an actual place?
for my life lessons - nature has been my teacher - danger has been my
favourite teacher, showing me what is possible, and what I am truly
capable of doing . That experience has been invaluable to me, I don't
know how I could achieve the same solely in the mental world. I guess
I see how Tai Chi and mind body power exercises can strengthen you -
however, doesnt it lead to a question mark? a curiosity about how that
translates into the physical world? I would be testing myself on the
side of a cliff and up a tree right after my tai chi lesson! Do you
see what I mean?
Personally I think theres no substitute for the lessons of the physical world.
Shannon: Each road a person travels is one that is either chosen, or not.
Sometimes people have to learn to grow up faster than others...
circumstance happens, they are thrown blindly down an unknown path,
stumble to regain their footing, and then beat their feet to the end
of that road… at the end, having reached some sort of realization for
whatever lessons they learned along the way.
Sure, that is true!
I have not been thrown or forced onto a path, I am a lucky one,
fortunate to be physically, mentally, and circumstantially "gifted" to
choose my own paths (So far) .
I see it like this (this is my patented 360 infinite possibility
theory) - When I learned about dimensional theory, (Hawkings) I saw
some parallels when it came to living creatures, here goes:
One dimension = a single dot
2nd = two dots , now theres a line between them
3rd - we live in the third
4th = time above our heads - folding... anyway not important right now
When the universe was created in the big bang - as it expanded
(imagine a growing sphere) so did the possibilities contained within
it. Infinite possibilities. An infinity. ( zoom out until the universe
is a dot - then imagine another dot beside it - another infinity,
another universe - thats like the 7th dimension - out of 10 i think -
anyway..)
OK so now imagine your birth as a big bang, and from the moment of
your birth there is a sphere that expands 360 from you, 360 of
infinite possibility. I feel like its my universal duty to try and
catch up to that sphere (impossible but thats not the point) to travel
360 roads (imagine 1 for each degree) as far as I can - each road has
an end, an edge - that falls off into space - Watch out for that - on
Every road.
Ok so When I started pushing to the ends of these roads, sometimes the
edge almost killed me - extreme sports - whats possible whats not -
But then I realized I had been neglecting some other roads on the
other side of my sphere and I was unbalanced, So I am trying to push
my sphere out in all directions so I have a comfortable sphere to spin
inside. the more roads the merrier!
That comes back to ambition - if you only push one road - your sphere
is going to be very unbalanced, like an egg. And when you get to the
end of that road, where to next? back to center if you want to learn
something new, or you can just stay on that 1 road you pushed, be the
worlds greatest lawyer until you die - Personally I think the worlds
greatest lawyer missed out.
I think you get it right?
I have to go to doctors, Ciao!!
Have fun chewing on my thoughts haha :)
Shannon - These aren’t actual places that exist, but everyone travels down roads
like these. So the journey doesn’t necessarily have to do with land
that is foreign, rather, it is completed in a state of mind, not a
state of existence.
Shannon - Judging what others choose to dedicate their lives to is hypocritical.
Both the physical and mental roads will lead the person to a state of
completion… but who’s the happier one? Does that exist? Or are they
both equally happy with the roads they chose in their lives? Taking
you as an example… you dedicate yourself to being free; free to pick
up and travel 400+ kms on any given day, free to take a job
opportunity on the other side of the country, free of anything that
means long term. That’s your choice, and you want people to respect
you for it. The other side of the equation is where you recognize
another's choice, and reciprocate the same... not feel like they've
been cheated because they don't make the same choices as you.
people unless I am close to them, and know their circumstances, and
they have told me that they want to change certain things - when this
happens, Im there to kick their butt and to get them motivated to
break unhealthy patterns etc. I still get in trouble for that though.
But I wont stop - In the end they always thank me :)
Shannon: Know what I’m saying? just making a point... hope you're having a good day!
