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Saturday, April 23, 2011 My JourneyJoseph Campell said, "The heroic life is living the individual adventure. To refuse the call means stagnation." As inspiring as it sounds, an individual's adventure is a rocky (Should I say thorny?) path that takes a lot of resilience before reaching the respective destination. A "gap" is a phase that takes place between transitions. During this phase, one learns to adjust and embrace. It is a difficult phase because you often find both your feet in two different places and it may seem almost like you belong nowhere. Finally, when the right time arrives, you see light at the end of the tunnel and begin redeeming yourself. Last year, I was experiencing the "gap". As hard as I tried to seek job opportunities, nothing came my way. After a hundred futile attempts, I began to wonder if I was destined to be in the same situation for the rest of my life. However, life is full of surprises. When the right time came, I got a job offer and in less than 10 days, I became a teacher in an International school in Medan. My adventure had begun. The changes have been astounding and in seven months, I have faced various challenges; I had to adjust to the new environment and wrap myself around the language barrier, the friendship that I valued the most fell apart in three months, my lodging is still tentative and the school is recovering from a flood that took place not too long ago. I have been facing challenges since the age of 16, hence most of the time, I appear unfazed. The most difficult trial amidst all, is accepting the end of the friendship and working my way around it. It's a huge challenge to cut the only familiar tie you have when you're starting life anew in a foreign land. It is even a greater challenge when you realise that tie is just not meant to be. However, I have been successful in renewing my strength in each passing day by telling myself that I am being "fired" to be made into the best China. I know that I am going through a process for betterment and to become the best version of myself. On hindsight, my world has already opened up and I'm beginning to embrace the positive changes. I have got to know a few wonderful acquaintances and I have a clearer perspective on the things in life that truly matter. There is some unpleasantness that I need to let go in order to embrace the new world wholly. Instinctively, I know that that day is not too far away. Each time when the pain gets too much to bear, I tell myself this story that reminds me that my halcyon days are not too far away..... Once, there lived a king who was extremely rich and prosperous. The kingdom was doing so well for years that he wondered whether there could be anything in this world that could make him sad. Hence, he summoned his minister and commanded him to find a property that would make a happy man, sad and a sad man, happy. The minister spent several days combing the kingdom but to no avail. He was running out of time and he was becoming increasingly worried. He feared incurring the wrath of the king. As days passed, the minister grew increasingly unhappy, just worrying about this. While continuing his search, one day, he chanced upon a white smith and asked him if he knew of something that could make a happy man, sad and sad man, happy. The white smith gave him a ring with a few words engraved on it. A wide smile spread across the minister's face as he read it. He brought it to the king and showed it to him. Upon seeing the words, engraved on the ring, the king's smile vanished. Those words were, "This too shall pass."  Labels: Philosophy |
