I have the occasional privilege of sharing my wisdom with the youth of Australia and on one particular event the topic was 'Loving your enemies'.
I think people nowadays take these words too literally and forget the true meaning of it. I don't think Jesus literally meant hug someone who's holding a gun to your head, whether you are religious or not I think it serves us a great insight to the way we understand the world around us.
Don't get me wrong, to love your enemy is one of the most difficult things in life and like everyone else I find it almost impossible to swallow my pride and love the people I despise. This is a common issue in amongst us humans, a hatred builds inside towards those that may have harmed us in some way and causes for us to react or behave destructively. This is something that no matter what we do to them, won't make us any happier. If you were to resent and harm individual who irritates you, the hatred that is built inside only begins to increase. Will it make you happier if that anger is still welling up inside? How can you get rid of such a feeling if the cause of it doesn't go away?
It is all about being wise and open minded. It begins from within you. As a person who has an irritated issue against them, you must learn to be patient and let go of the feelings that you have when associating with that individual. Put yourself in their shoes and imagine the things that they may have gone through, the possible reasons why they are who they are. It's important to see the world from another person's perspective so that you can understand, how they're feeling and that deep down they are just flesh and blood like you.
However, seeing through their eyes is not the hardest part, it is learning and seeking to accept them for who they are. Accepting others for who they are is a part of life, you're going to go through so many years having to accept it because it won't change. An unwillingness to accept is an unwillingness to love. Forgive, let go and find something about them to love. Find a reason to love them, and reach out to them, you never know all along this certain person or people could have been your long lost friend for life.
Go out there and test yourself, be a better person.
Thursday, 23 January 2014
Friday, 8 November 2013
Marriage
Yesterday my aunt decided to lecture me about dating and marriage.
She said "Date someone who's got a medicine/science degree so that when you're older you don't have to worry about finances because they earn at least 100,000 a year."
I told her "I'd rather be poor and in love than hating myself and rich. Money can't buy long term happiness. You're shallow."
She says "Oh please, you're still young you don't know anything. Look at me and your uncle, we're dealing fine with our finances."
Now normally if this conversation had happened ten years ago, I would have let it go but I'm here in my early adulthood in a completely different world as to when she grew up and this frustrates me. There are so many people out there on their deathbeds regretting the fact that they didn't live their life the way they wanted to but rather the way that others had expected them to. I've already broken the social norm for an Asian by being horrifically appalling at math so why stop there?
Fair enough there are some aspects as to why money and career is important. But it seems as the older generations don't know a thing about life balance. This conversation with my aunt ended last night with me saying this to her:
"I never said I would date a low life. I'm looking for a partner who is strong minded, who's intelligent because he understands why he's made his life choices. A person who has a willingness to work hard in times of distress and who doesn't mind a challenge. I wouldn't careless if he doesn't have a degree because in this changing world, no employee is looking for a piece of paper that says you're qualified anymore, they're looking for experience and hard workers and adaptability. So excuse me if my choices offend you, or my parents but in the end I am not going to do it to make you happy, I'm doing it for myself."
She said "Date someone who's got a medicine/science degree so that when you're older you don't have to worry about finances because they earn at least 100,000 a year."
I told her "I'd rather be poor and in love than hating myself and rich. Money can't buy long term happiness. You're shallow."
She says "Oh please, you're still young you don't know anything. Look at me and your uncle, we're dealing fine with our finances."
Now normally if this conversation had happened ten years ago, I would have let it go but I'm here in my early adulthood in a completely different world as to when she grew up and this frustrates me. There are so many people out there on their deathbeds regretting the fact that they didn't live their life the way they wanted to but rather the way that others had expected them to. I've already broken the social norm for an Asian by being horrifically appalling at math so why stop there?
Fair enough there are some aspects as to why money and career is important. But it seems as the older generations don't know a thing about life balance. This conversation with my aunt ended last night with me saying this to her:
"I never said I would date a low life. I'm looking for a partner who is strong minded, who's intelligent because he understands why he's made his life choices. A person who has a willingness to work hard in times of distress and who doesn't mind a challenge. I wouldn't careless if he doesn't have a degree because in this changing world, no employee is looking for a piece of paper that says you're qualified anymore, they're looking for experience and hard workers and adaptability. So excuse me if my choices offend you, or my parents but in the end I am not going to do it to make you happy, I'm doing it for myself."
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