Monday, July 25, 2011

Tessie Lim: Living a life of meaning

It was odd how I found this article and liked in particular (touched the right chord!) the following excerpt: I took out the page which has the Wonderword puzzle to kill time at the coffee shop when the cleaner was mopping the house. So I had time to read in detail and to focus, when normally I would just browse through...

Excerpt:

One night listening to the radio, I heard a story written by Leo Tolstoy: There was a man called Ivan Ilyich who was on his deathbed. All he could remember as he drew his last breath was how mean his wife had been to him all his years. His last thought was, “What if my whole life has been wrong?”

I felt a lump in my throat. I remembered Maslow’s words: “If you plan to be anything less than what you are capable of being, I promise you, you will be deeply unhappy.”

Right there, I made a mental note to myself: “Tess, don't die with your music still inside of you.”

How I wish I had discovered Maslow sooner. “Be independent of the good opinion of other people,” he said.

Maslow was studying self-actualising people and he noticed how “unusual” they were. He observed how fully engaged and happy-go-lucky self-actualising people were — they willingly subjected themselves to challenges way into the "stretch zone", yet seemed not to worry about the outcome.

“These people were more concerned with self-improvement than success,” said Maslow. How odd!

Now, as I approach the “afternoon of my life” (Carl Jung), and having learnt my lessons from the school of hard knocks, I know this: Once fiercely motivated, I find comfort and safety in... allowing and accepting. Inspiration is different that way. Inspiration means letting go and letting spirit (or passion) lead. You're meant to travel at a rate and speed that’s just right for you.

Read more: GET A LIFE: Living a life of meaning http://www.nst.com.my/nst/articles/GETALIFE_Livingalifeofmeaning/Article/#ixzz1T5Jfz6Vr

I think this article would be relevant to young men and women who happen to be wondering and questioning whether they have found their right partner or career.

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