A borrowed story

读了一则小故事，有个朋友去了餐厅吃饭，服务小姐态度恶劣。朋友很生气，要投诉的时候，却被另外一个朋友制止了。

A friend dined out in a restaurant where the waitress had a horrible service and attitude. The friend was extremely angry. When he was about to complain, another friend stopped him.

“也许她失恋了，或被老板责骂， 总之，我们该原谅她。"

"Maybe she had a heartbreak, or maybe she was scolded by her boss. Anyhow, we should forgive her."

“不管怎样，她也不因该影响工作。 这是她的错。”

"In any case, she shouldn't let those affect her job. This is her fault."

“是的。正是因为她全错，而你全对，才需要你的宽容。”

"Yes. Because she is all wrong, and you are all right, she needs your forgiveness and generosity."

"He that cannot forgive others, breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass" - George Herbert

My Philosophies

The System

Everything around us functions in its own rules, down to the very cell, the unspoken rule of leaving the toilet seat down, the tiny ant crawling on your kitchen table.

When you don't know what is the most appropriate thing to do. Don't do anything. Just inhale, exhale, and be ...still.

Try being a member of the audience. Take a step offstage, you don't have to feel trapped, frightened, nervous or stuck in that awkward situation.

Observe, listen, and you will see how the system flows, in her own intricate ways. Your mind will try to trap you on stage, bind you with frustrations, tie you up with horrible fears. You are way smarter than that. Just take a step back.

Flash that confident smile of yours, take control of your mind, and you will gain control of the situation. ^ - ^ <- The best weapon against awkwardness.

The Tyrant

"Why the #&?!~ is this not working out? I tried so hard. %$&#@!/"

"This is plain stupid. Why must I do this xxxx?"

Yes, the guy that runs the whole "system" is dumb, sometimes. You are the wise one.

"True ability is the only way to success. I don't need to kiss asses to get to places....."

"Inner beauty is the only thing I need, so I can just eat my chips, watch TV, and wait for my true love to come knocking tomorrow."

We all know, some of the rules in the "system" are plain stupid. There are outlaws just like us, out there, being the exception.

But honestly, wasting your life trying overthrow the tyrant, or blindfolding yourself with dogmatic ideologies, is not the wisest thing to do.

The wisest move, I think, is to learn it and make them work for you. If you know the rules, you can probably tweak it your way, with some help, of course.

The Circle of Life

Status 1: I am standing here. You are standing there. I don't know you, you don't know me.

What the worst that could happen, if I reach out and say "Hi. It is so nice out today, isn't it? I am Hui Ying. Do you work/walk/run around here too?"

Yeah, right, we will be arch enemies for life. I will be chasing you with a kitchen knife for the next decade! Kill Bill Vol. 5!!!

It is very unlikely that we will end up worse than Status 1. But there is a huge probability that we will be good friends/neighbors/or who-knows-what.

In general, people are lonely. And you are making someone feels awesome by making the first move. Don't you feel flattered when someone (decent-looking) is being friendly and interested to know you better?

We need a lot of love to make the world a better place. Let's close the circle, bit by bit.

Pursuing your dreams

"It's never too late to be what you might have been." George Eliot

"To get something you've never had before, you have to do something you've never done before."

Just do it now. If you need a reason, tell someone you are doing it for them. You are doing it because you care. Because life is short and unpredictable. Keep your promises, even the ones you made to yourself.

Get your butt moving, quit facebooking, leave the virtual world of fantasies and pretty graphics.

Go out that door, smell the grasses, feel the sun torching you, talk to someone in person, give someone a hug.

The real world is waiting. The virtual world is meant to be a bridge, not a marsh. Find your balance.

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Reference:

Friends, internet, self-help books, elders, movies, news.

All comments welcomed.

Overthinking

Hmm...how do you stop an overthinking mind?

How do you quell the strong yearning of the heart?

How do you quiet a fluttering heart?

Where is reason when you need it the most...

I am guessing "it" is just lazing around in the corner, enjoying the show.