THE protagonist of the play of life we are going to talk about today can be either Ali (any man) or Hana (any woman). I'll pick Ali but you can pick Hana. The meaning of the story is absolutely the same. Only the personal pronoun changes from "he" to "she". Let's proceed.
Scenario one
Ali is a normal person, neither worse nor better than anybody else. He has a family (or is single), goes to work, scolds his children, kisses (or doesn’t) them good night, regularly fights and then makes up with his spouse, gets upset at a colleague, meets with his friends and watches TV. Does he sometime (or ever) think about the quality of his life? If he doesn’t, it means that he is okay with what is going on and does not need to wonder about other possibilities.This is possibly the most common case, because “regular” people tend to see their present life as the only possible one, they go with the flow and don’t feel the need to shift their train of thoughts onto another direction. This is the way it is, they say, and they accept what comes along with resignation.
Even if Ali "does" happen to think, he most probably shrugs his shoulders and says, "Well, this is the way my life is. Why waste time in useless wondering?" So he carries on his existence remaining in a rut and he is content - but certainly not fulfilled - with the situation. He doesn't see, and doesn't care to see that there could be much more to experience.
He reaches the end of his life having done nothing particularly good or particularly bad. He spent his existence mainly thinking about material stuff, such as earning money - possibly getting as much of it as possible - having a nice house, going on holiday, watching football games etcetera, maybe also being interested in (= reading the news about) the political or economic situation in his country and around the world.
What else? Ummm... Not much "else". A quiet, normal (boring?) life, doing what he believes he is expected to do, and this is it. He behaves like the frog who lives happily at the bottom of the well because he has no idea that a whole wide world exists beyond the walls he is used to seeing every day. The sad thing is that, even if someone else comes about and tells him that another, wider world exists, although it’s presently not visible, the “normal” frog won’t believe it, actually he won’t even listen. And he’ll probably make fun of his visionary friend.
Scenario two
Ali is still a “normal” person, who performs the same actions that he carries out in scenario one. But “this” Ali is like the frog who, looking up, wanders what is there beyond the edge of the well. Even if no one gives him any ideas, he wants to "know", he believes that his daily, routine-led life cannot be all. He is okay with what he has and with what he “is”, but he has a gut feeling that he could – not so much have – but “be” a lot more. He could “give” more. After all, does life only consist in an attempt of always “getting”? In truth, what is more fulfilling, giving or receiving? Thus, Ali’s wondering, his questions, his desire lead him towards discovering the gifts he shelters inside himself, the wonderful skills he can use to make his life more fruitful.
In so doing, he can also contribute to the happiness of others – his family, his friends, all those he comes in contact with. Actually, he, unknowingly, will take part in the progress of the whole planet. When he dares to jump beyond the boundaries created by the well (= the huge conditioning he constantly receives from society), he will find all the opportunities he needs in order to create a “different” (and certainly more exciting and fruitful) life.
Which scenario best represents you present lifestyle?
E-mail: [email protected]
Blog: recreateyourlifetoday.blogspot.com
