I have discovered about myself or the world around me via interfacing with the written word from a statement of the Scott Peck (1978) that ‘Life is difficult.’ This simple statement has a very profound meaning for me at is has revealed to me many truths and I would say has helped me recover from what I may describe as a pit of depression. In pondering upon the statement that life is difficult I had found explanation for many of my situations in life. I found the purpose of problems in life. I have realized that since problems are realities which must be faced, I became more forward-looking on how I will face each responsibility each day. I came to see challenges in every problem that I encounter as I found deeper meaning in life.
To realize that life is difficult helped me to realize the deeper truth about the reality of dying starting from birth. Before discovering this great truth, I used to have that notion that every birth is a new beginning. But as I age in life, I found that life becomes really more difficult and hence dying must have started hence the life is difficult become paradoxically true. Life is so meaningful because although the reality of reaching the final point is accepted by the mind, there is another truth which asks the question of how to maximize then that travel through life given the stages and processes that man passes through. Given therefore the realization of life’s definiteness, a set of priorities come into play. This compels any right thinking person therefore to reflect which really is more important than others? Is it the riches? Is it achievement? Is it the family? Or, is it the spiritual thing? One cannot just have enough time to write so many questions that pops up then from the mind because it also a reality that one may not even have enough time to answer all these questions.
But going back again to that reality that a priority is needed to be set, I was in my perfect agreement with my senses that I need to be addressing first what I needed now or at present, which is more important from any other point in time even the future. For in bridging the present, the past, the present and the future, it is the present where I am now and it is the point where I could do most to reflect from the past while trying to contemplate about the future. People who are living with the present are the ones who need not unnecessarily burdened with what the dark past may have implanted as a consequence of encountering unpleasant things at times. They are also the people who are perfectly guided with an internal compass that points them to realizing their full potentials. Given what I feel at the time of this writing, I believed I am such of kind of person who must living in the great present with the benefit of leaning from my past as well at with the hopeful anticipation of my great future although I know that life is difficult.
Having decided therefore that the present is more important among the three points in time, I have now a starting point to satisfy that need that now feels inside of me. That need inside of me longs for meaning too as the mind keeps functioning to supply the needs of my being. That mind asks me the following questions: What do you need now? If your needs is satisfied, what do you do next? The answer readily is quick for the other part of the mind just takes these questions subconsciously as it works completing something that it finds doing.
To conclude, it may be states that simple words found in that comes from interaction on text just give a lot of meaning and sense of direction. They are so profound that I have found time to relate them with the great things that are presently happening in one mind. One can only say that no words can express completely express that these words may make upon one’s life. As for me , my discovery that life is difficult has made me a more matured and more responsible person. Seeing my definiteness is something that I should be humble for. It is an easy way of finding self sense of purpose and acceptance. Having the sense of purpose would simply put many things in proper perspective since I may now express my values and may now aim at fulfilling them. Attaining this sense for me is one of the greatest truths that may just be learned in learning from the simple encounter with written text. Self acceptance (Long, 1993) for me is also one of the purposes of a fully functioning person. For me it is what is discovered by having self-knowledge (Jopling,2000) as a result of accomplishing a sense of purpose. By being able to accept one-self, everything else follows. Acceptance generate realism in one’s strength and weakness to face the great challenges of life. It is also involves accepting the possibility of committing mistakes from the experiences of being youth and learning to grow from these truths. A person who does not know his or her strengths and weakness is a person who is who will be unconvinced of himself or herself of what he or she could actually do with confidence. To paint more graphically, he or she will be like a general that is going to war without knowing how many are his men and arms and ammunitions remaining after an encounter with the first group of enemy. For failing to count his capabilities this general would unnecessarily putting the life of his soldiers in the line of fire to be annihilated defenselessly. A defenseless person is a person that lacks the skills to face the great challenges through life. His or her failure to have seen and realized that life is difficult will cause such person to miss life’s sense purpose and self-acceptance. When problems will come to that person, he or she may not be able to face with a smile and understand that they are all part of the process that must be conquered each day.
Reference:
- Jopling , D. (2000) Self-Knowledge and the Self ; Routledge, 2000
- Long, V. (1993), Masculinity, Femininity, and Male Scientists’ Self-Esteem and Self-Acceptance; Journal of Psychology, Vol. 127, 1993
- Peck, Scott M., (1978) The Road Less Travelled, Simon and Schuster, New York