These days have been tough. I've isolated myself from the world while chasing a chance to serve the world. Paradoxes flying around everywhere; we sometimes need to run the opposite way in order to catch the necessary impulse.
Setting goals help us move with a purpose and, having a purpose makes us feel we are here for a reason; at least this is what I've learned, so when I commit to something, apparently I really (really) commit. Good for me, right?.. then again, commitment always comes with a price and sometimes we seem unable to distinguish to what grade is that price bad or good for us in the long run?.
To prove yourself and accomplish things based on hard work, to put some horse blinders on and just walk/run towards that goal.. how much is too much?. There's too many opinions, the ones that believe you must give it all for your dreams, and the ones who think you must never sacrifice friends and family in the process of "improvement".
The first group of people believe that somehow we need to be the best version of ourselves in order to give the best to others, so that reasoning makes the efforts and sacrifices worth it in the end. Most of all, they understand that family and friends will always want the best for us and will get the why we must do what we are doing, that neglect is not really the right word to label the situation.
The second group of people see things differently, they believe that the process of reaching a goal involves the rest of the people, that sometimes we need to sacrifice some of our personal achievements to help others achieve as well. They sincerely think that "eyes on the prize" is not the way. There's more to live than achievements and what counts is the process.
Combining the two lines of thinking? that's the ideal, but in reality it's not always as easy. Balance is, to some people, the most wanted upgrade to life. Maybe an aggregated/secondary goal could be finding a balanced middle ground to our main goal.. I don't know, something like that, it's worth the shot.
Which way works better? well, you let me know when you guys find out.. in the mean time, I'll just try to surpass my own demons and be a little more receptive to my surroundings, blinders are tiresome. Hoping I'm able to, life is not as long as we sometimes think.
This talk has a lot of truth in it, wise thoughts formulated a few years ago that still apply to our present society when it comes to the general conception of success. I really don't need to formulate a lot of thought in order to introduce it, cause it certainly speaks for itself. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
"One of the interesting things about success is that we think we know what it means. A lot of the time our ideas about what it would mean to live successfully are not our own. They’re sucked in from other people. And we also suck in messages from everything from the television to advertising to marketing, etcetera. These are hugely powerful forces that define what we want and how we view ourselves. What I want to argue for is not that we should give up on our ideas of success, but that we should make sure that they are our own. We should focus in on our ideas and make sure that we own them, that we’re truly the authors of our own ambitions. Because it’s bad enough not getting what you want, but it’s even worse to have an idea of what it is you want and find out at the end of the journey that it isn’t, in fact, what you wanted all along.”
Alain de Botton: A kinder, gentler, philosophy of success.
Esas son todas, ¿verdad que sí?, pero en este caso intentaré delimitar a que me refiero. Muchas veces nos enfrentamos a situaciones ante las que escogemos la decisión más sensata ante la decisión más deseada (o viceversa), en casos sin respuesta correcta. Son más fáciles aquellas situaciones en las que el blanco y negro son palpables; mientras entre decisiones correctas, sin importar si una u otra, muchas veces quedará un sentimiento que cargar.
El equipaje del paralelismo, así lo pienso a veces.. y en cada oportunidad me llega a la mente la película Mr. Nobody. El concepto de esta película blew my mind, porque así como me sentí tan identificada al verla (hace unos dos o tres años ya), imagino que muchos por igual. Cada decisión que tomamos o dejamos acarrea una infinidad de posibilidades, una infinidad de giros a nuestras vidas, ¿no sería increíble la oportunidad de poder experimentar cada una de esas "vidas paralelas"?..
A veces cuando dejaba divagar la mente (cosa que ya hace muy poco), escribía historias de alguna de mis vidas paralelas, lo cual aunque fascinante era ciertamente perder el tiempo. Pensar en decisiones pasadas y sus alternativas consecuencias no lleva a nadie a ningún lado más que al mundo fantástico del "What if?". Aunque pensándolo bien, podría llevar a unos cuantos valientes a recuperar oportunidades "perdidas".. todo siempre dependerá de la persona.
De todos modos, al ajustar los hábitos de esos años juveniles a los caminos "adultos" que tomamos, aprendemos a ir dejando los universos paralelos.. ¿la razón?, pues realmente no se.. quizás nos tornamos más seguros con respecto a nuestras decisiones, quizás sentimos satisfacción en nuestra presente realidad, quizás aprendemos a asumir más responsabilidad sobre dichas decisiones.. al menos por el lado positivo.
Este es uno de esos inconclusos.. algo que ocurre cuando ataca el espacio en blanco.
Aprecio la historia, aunque admito que nunca me ha apasionado en realidad, y es que no creo que deba regirse nuestra existencia por eventos pasados. Cada generación es pensante, cada generación se nutre de nuevos ideales, cada generación evoluciona de cierta forma en relación a la anterior. ¿Por qué parecemos nosotros retroceder en materia social?..
Hoy, después de tantos años de vivir en aparente comunidad, pretenden atarse "cabo sueltos" constitucionales que tienen décadas sin ser cumplidos. No me pintaré como experta o incluso muy conocedora de la materia, aún así siento que tengo derecho a formular una opinión. No todos entienden de qué se trata la sentencia 168/13 del Tribunal Constitucional (TC) Dominicano, así mismo no todos se han molestado en entender.
A diferencia de lo que piensan muchos, nadie se opone a que se cumplan las arcaicas leyes constitucionales.. lo que parece ilógico e injusto a muchos (incluyéndome) es la forma en la que se ha querido aplicar esta medida, después de décadas de venirse incumpliendo. Es realmente inhumano, no ya negar, sino quitar la nacionalidad a personas nacidas en territorio Dominicano desde hace años [que han realizado sus vidas en dicho territorio] porque sus padres se encuentran/encontraban "en tránsito" o de manera ilegal en el país en dicho momento.
La pizca de esperanza se pierde luego que la reunión con el Consejo Nacional de Migración no rinde reales frutos y se espera entonces conocer el susodicho plan para "Regularizar a los extranjeros" que será presentado en un plazo de no más de 60 días. Sobretodo es ahora cuando se pretende crear un Instituto Nacional de Migración, o sea que aparentemente nadie se ha encargado de estos asuntos en el país desde.. nunca.
Yo quiero creer que hay capacidad en nuestro país para idear y llegar a soluciones favorables para todos, que no será necesaria la intervención de organismos internacionales. Quiero creer que el alboroto será en vano porque nuestros gobernantes y consejales serán sensatos. Que se pierdan los sentimientos de no pertenencia y demos paso a una mentalidad más progresista, más empática. Poner orden no requiere de injusticias.
El orden inicia desde el hogar, queriendo decir que si invitas a tu casa a alguien esa persona probablemente copiará tu comportamiento, si nunca pusiste reglas no puedes esperar que se sigan. Los cambios se hacen de manera progresiva, ningún cambio repentino da resultados a la larga. Se requiere un poco de prudencia, no es una manada de vacas que se va a cambiar de pastizal, se trata de personas que quedan en un limbo migratorio.
Adoro mi país, pero también adoro las cosas bien hechas.
P.S
Una carta conmovedora que vale la pena compartir, pinta con claridad sentimientos que hoy reinan sobre todos los afectados por esta medida.
You probably have heard the song already, one supposes she's singing to her fans and expressing how much she needs them or something (speculating). Well, this song happened to be release around the time I was engaged in a little personal "research" on common behaviour of most teens in less known and more anonymous social media (might seem like I have a lot of time to loose). I got to kind of play the song in my head as the perfect soundtrack to that scenario.
So, we all know what an applause is, but to add some structured definition I'll use the lovely and helpful Wikipedia.. "Is primary the expression of approval by the act of clapping... As a form of mass non-verbal communication, it is a simple indicator of the average relative opinion of the entire group; the louder and longer the noise, the stronger the sign of approval.". Then you start connecting the dots.
Average behaviour between most teenagers and young adults pointed lack of confidence; interestingly, is not the lack of confidence I consider to be expected at this stage of someone's life. I mean, I'm insecure sometimes when it comes to challenge my capacities, trying new things or maybe at the time of considering big choices... but isn't that just normal human panic emotions anyway?. On the other hand, desperately and constantly appealing to other people is kind of disturbing when it's happening in a massive fashion. Appeal is a process for requesting a formal change to an official decision, being that formal decision (in my opinion) their own perception of themselves.
Then "I live for the applause" could be easily interpreted as living for the approval of others, seeking that loud noise and living to make it louder and longer. There's a difference though between younger and older people regarding this subject. Younger people try to stand out, they're trying to be different in a way that gets them to call attention and gain popularity, they just want to be liked; while older one's try to be successful within the normal to be approved, taking in accountant their neighbourhood, house, car, job, et.
This is nothing new to anyone, this is the way it has been and probably will be for most. I just wanted to state that Lady Gaga got to capture the essence of this joke, probably cause she also gets it (being her the one who radically transformed into a whole new personality just to gain fame... and God, must be hard to maintain that act). Do you "..live for the applause, applause, applause"?
As any other recently graduated young person, I think about the future and the next step that will take me closer to what/where I aim to be in that future... I worry, I over-think, I return to a confidence state of mind and it all becomes a cycle. All of this is normal.
Anyway, before facing the "real world" as graduates we all expect a major revelation, some kind of marvellous set of words put together to kind of reassure us everything will be ok... instead we get some random person talking about their big achievements as if being read an extremely pompous resume (at least that's what I got), in the end graduation speeches are all pointing to professional development, to how we should set goals and pursuit them. Great, we all want to take the bull by the horns.. but sometimes we tend to forget about really important things in the process.
Thanks God (and social networks) some great people, with maybe miles of years and life experiences ahead of us, are trying to reach us with lots to say and some amazing advices that will change our lives for the better. This is an example, George Saunders (professor and writer) delivered the 2013 graduation speech at the Syracuse University, and believe me, you have to read it (AND in case you're not a huge fan of long reads, I won't let you use it as an excuse to miss this, I found the video! =P).
. . .
Down through the ages, a traditional form has evolved for this type of speech, which is: Some old fart, his best years behind him, who, over the course of his life, has made a series of dreadful mistakes (that would be me), gives heartfelt advice to a group of shining, energetic young people, with all of their best years ahead of them (that would be you).
And I intend to respect that tradition.
Now, one useful thing you can do with an old person, in addition to borrowing money from them, or asking them to do one of their old-time “dances,” so you can watch, while laughing, is ask: “Looking back, what do you regret?” And they’ll tell you. Sometimes, as you know, they’ll tell you even if you haven’t asked. Sometimes, even when you’ve specifically requested they not tell you, they’ll tell you.
So: What do I regret? Being poor from time to time? Not really. Working terrible jobs, like “knuckle-puller in a slaughterhouse?” (And don’t even ASK what that entails.) No. I don’t regret that. Skinny-dipping in a river in Sumatra, a little buzzed, and looking up and seeing like 300 monkeys sitting on a pipeline, pooping down into the river, the river in which I was swimming, with my mouth open, naked? And getting deathly ill afterwards, and staying sick for the next seven months? Not so much. Do I regret the occasional humiliation? Like once, playing hockey in front of a big crowd, including this girl I really liked, I somehow managed, while falling and emitting this weird whooping noise, to score on my own goalie, while also sending my stick flying into the crowd, nearly hitting that girl? No. I don’t even regret that.
But here’s something I do regret:
In seventh grade, this new kid joined our class. In the interest of confidentiality, her Convocation Speech name will be “ELLEN.” ELLEN was small, shy. She wore these blue cat’s-eye glasses that, at the time, only old ladies wore. When nervous, which was pretty much always, she had a habit of taking a strand of hair into her mouth and chewing on it.
So she came to our school and our neighborhood, and was mostly ignored, occasionally teased (“Your hair taste good?” – that sort of thing). I could see this hurt her. I still remember the way she’d look after such an insult: eyes cast down, a little gut-kicked, as if, having just been reminded of her place in things, she was trying, as much as possible, to disappear. After awhile she’d drift away, hair-strand still in her mouth. At home, I imagined, after school, her mother would say, you know: “How was your day, sweetie?” and she’d say, “Oh, fine.” And her mother would say, “Making any friends?” and she’d go, “Sure, lots.”
Sometimes I’d see her hanging around alone in her front yard, as if afraid to leave it.
And then – they moved. That was it. No tragedy, no big final hazing.
One day she was there, next day she wasn’t.
End of story.
Now, why do I regret that? Why, forty-two years later, am I still thinking about it? Relative to most of the other kids, I was actually pretty nice to her. I never said an unkind word to her. In fact, I sometimes even (mildly) defended her.
But still. It bothers me.
So here’s something I know to be true, although it’s a little corny, and I don’t quite know what to do with it:
What I regret most in my life are failures of kindness.
Those moments when another human being was there, in front of me, suffering, and I responded…sensibly. Reservedly. Mildly.
Or, to look at it from the other end of the telescope: Who, in your life, do you remember most fondly, with the most undeniable feelings of warmth?
Those who were kindest to you, I bet.
It’s a little facile, maybe, and certainly hard to implement, but I’d say, as a goal in life, you could do worse than: Try to be kinder.
Now, the million-dollar question: What’s our problem? Why aren’t we kinder?
Here’s what I think:
Each of us is born with a series of built-in confusions that are probably somehow Darwinian. These are: (1) we’re central to the universe (that is, our personal story is the main and most interesting story, the only story, really); (2) we’re separate from the universe (there’s US and then, out there, all that other junk – dogs and swing-sets, and the State of Nebraska and low-hanging clouds and, you know, other people), and (3) we’re permanent (death is real, o.k., sure – for you, but not for me).
Now, we don’t really believe these things – intellectually we know better – but we believe them viscerally, and live by them, and they cause us to prioritize our own needs over the needs of others, even though what we really want, in our hearts, is to be less selfish, more aware of what’s actually happening in the present moment, more open, and more loving.
So, the second million-dollar question: How might we DO this? How might we become more loving, more open, less selfish, more present, less delusional, etc., etc?
Well, yes, good question.
Unfortunately, I only have three minutes left.
So let me just say this. There are ways. You already know that because, in your life, there have been High Kindness periods and Low Kindness periods, and you know what inclined you toward the former and away from the latter. Education is good; immersing ourselves in a work of art: good; prayer is good; meditation’s good; a frank talk with a dear friend; establishing ourselves in some kind of spiritual tradition – recognizing that there have been countless really smart people before us who have asked these same questions and left behind answers for us.
Because kindness, it turns out, is hard – it starts out all rainbows and puppy dogs, and expands to include…well, everything.
One thing in our favor: some of this “becoming kinder” happens naturally, with age. It might be a simple matter of attrition: as we get older, we come to see how useless it is to be selfish – how illogical, really. We come to love other people and are thereby counter-instructed in our own centrality. We get our butts kicked by real life, and people come to our defense, and help us, and we learn that we’re not separate, and don’t want to be. We see people near and dear to us dropping away, and are gradually convinced that maybe we too will drop away (someday, a long time from now). Most people, as they age, become less selfish and more loving. I think this is true. The great Syracuse poet, Hayden Carruth, said, in a poem written near the end of his life, that he was “mostly Love, now.”
And so, a prediction, and my heartfelt wish for you: as you get older, your self will diminish and you will grow in love. YOU will gradually be replaced by LOVE. If you have kids, that will be a huge moment in your process of self-diminishment. You really won’t care what happens to YOU, as long as they benefit. That’s one reason your parents are so proud and happy today. One of their fondest dreams has come true: you have accomplished something difficult and tangible that has enlarged you as a person and will make your life better, from here on in, forever.
Congratulations, by the way.
When young, we’re anxious – understandably – to find out if we’ve got what it takes. Can we succeed? Can we build a viable life for ourselves? But you – in particular you, of this generation – may have noticed a certain cyclical quality to ambition. You do well in high-school, in hopes of getting into a good college, so you can do well in the good college, in the hopes of getting a good job, so you can do well in the good job so you can….
And this is actually O.K. If we’re going to become kinder, that process has to include taking ourselves seriously – as doers, as accomplishers, as dreamers. We have to do that, to be our best selves.
Still, accomplishment is unreliable. “Succeeding,” whatever that might mean to you, is hard, and the need to do so constantly renews itself (success is like a mountain that keeps growing ahead of you as you hike it), and there’s the very real danger that “succeeding” will take up your whole life, while the big questions go untended.
So, quick, end-of-speech advice: Since, according to me, your life is going to be a gradual process of becoming kinder and more loving: Hurry up. Speed it along. Start right now. There’s a confusion in each of us, a sickness, really: selfishness. But there’s also a cure. So be a good and proactive and even somewhat desperate patient on your own behalf – seek out the most efficacious anti-selfishness medicines, energetically, for the rest of your life.
Do all the other things, the ambitious things – travel, get rich, get famous, innovate, lead, fall in love, make and lose fortunes, swim naked in wild jungle rivers (after first having it tested for monkey poop) – but as you do, to the extent that you can, err in the direction of kindness. Do those things that incline you toward the big questions, and avoid the things that would reduce you and make you trivial. That luminous part of you that exists beyond personality – your soul, if you will – is as bright and shining as any that has ever been. Bright as Shakespeare’s, bright as Gandhi’s, bright as Mother Theresa’s. Clear away everything that keeps you separate from this secret luminous place. Believe it exists, come to know it better, nurture it, share its fruits tirelessly.
And someday, in 80 years, when you’re 100, and I’m 134, and we’re both so kind and loving we’re nearly unbearable, drop me a line, let me know how your life has been. I hope you will say: It has been so wonderful.
Congratulations, Class of 2013.
I wish you great happiness, all the luck in the world, and a beautiful summer.
The New York Times / Magazine / Published: July 31, 2013
. . .
Got to read it thanks to a tweet linked to an article written by Joel Lovell.
"Nature is capable of taking our abusive treatment and transform it into a master piece, giving beauty back to us.. as much as it can, it tries". -V.
Walking on the sand, taking in the greatness and warmth of the beach during summer time, perfection at its purest expression; until one step brings you back to reality, ouch! and all the sudden you're looking down at broken glass. Furious with human race and the sloppiness of our actions I breathe, profoundly, like swallowing my rage and the amount of questions that would probably remain unanswered forever; I sit, part frustrated part disappointed. As my mom and sister approach me after their own walk, I notice they carry something in their hands, like sort of over-exciting children, they show me what they've been holding.. pieces of beautiful sand-shaped glass or sea glass as commonly called. Those same pieces of glass that were trashed by us carelessly, converted into gloriously frosted gems.
I took multiple thoughts with me that day.. On how we contribute to changes in our ecosystem, how nature is patient enough to fight against our destruction, on how some are capable of seeing beauty beyond the negative, how something can both hurt and amaze us, how harmful can be shaped.. among others..
Creces, lo haces junto a un grupo variado de personas que pueden acompañarte durante solo una etapa o durante un gran periodo de tiempo.. Pero eso es lo de menos, no importa que tanto o tan poco alguien camine contigo, siempre ese alguien afecta tu vida de alguna manera, e incluso podría llegar a encontrar en ti cosas que quizás nadie en una vida descubriría.
Mi día no empieza temprano hoy, más empieza lo suficientemente temprano para sentirme tan tan alegre por la oportunidad de leer la corta y plena publicación de un viejo amigo.. Él sencillamente escribe "Hace mucho tuve un sueño.. Ser quien soy hoy en día.. Feeling happy =)". Pues quizás esta sea una publicación cualquiera, muchos escriben este tipo de status cada tres segundos; sin embargo me ha llamado la atención, me ha hecho sentirme muy feliz por mi amigo, porque cuántos podemos sinceramente escribir lo mismo?.
Nunca he temido admitir que no estoy ni cerca de ser quien he soñado ser; tampoco temo admitir que es totalmente mi culpa lo lejos que estoy. A veces sentimos que nuestras aspiraciones son muy hardcore, que quizás en toda una vida no podremos alcanzarlas..la verdad es una sensación que me acompaña muy seguido, mas mi amigo me ha hecho pensar en lo mucho que he dejado de trabajar para ser la persona de mi sueños. Hace tiempo que me he fijado en el momento correcto para empezar, en el momento correcto para decir que tengo los medios para ser y encaminarme en esa dirección.. Pero y mientras? Al parecer eso de estar en un limbo existencial sale barato, porque muchos nos refugiamos en el observar lo bello y lo trágico del mundo, en apreciarlo, todo mientras esperamos llegar al punto "correcto", a la parada "correcta" donde nos toca empezar a ser la persona que soñamos seríamos.. =\
Gracias querido amigo, porque con tu valiosa realización has tocado un componente importante de mi vida.. Espero poder llegar a decir lo mismo algún día.
No se crece en un segundo..
Y me atormentan estas líneas de Drexler "Se es lo que se es, lo que siempre se ha sido..", pues cierto, lo que pasa es que a veces nos escondemos demasiado bien..
"Y nos damos cuenta a veces, que corremos en nuestras mentes, que nuestros pies [verdaderamente] no se mueven". - V.
Es increíble la satisfacción de lograr metas, aunque exista el componente agridulce de luchar, alcanzar y seguir; aunque a veces se siente que no hay descanso durante el trayecto, hay que seguir en movimiento, cierto?
Agradezco a Dios por hoy permitirme cruzar un punto de llegada, después de una larga carrera. Me regocijo en la oportunidad, aunque efímera, de levantar mis brazos como símbolo de celebración y alivio. Sin embargo, como los campeones, gracias a las fuerzas que me otorga el gran Señor, debo seguir mirando hacia adelante y seguir corriendo hasta encontrar la próxima parada... Sólo un ratito para recargar baterías.
Asustada?... Pues clarooo, cómo no estarlo?, el camino será todo menos fácil, todo menos relajado... pero como dice una hermosa frase "I don't need easy, I just need possible" (Bethany Hamilton, Soul Surfer). Cada pequeña victoria -al igual que cada pequeña derrota- tiene la capacidad de otorgarte las fuerzas para seguir adelante, para ser capaz de afrontar el siguiente nivel, the big leagues... todo depende de ti, sin duda.
It's obvious that even if I play cool, I'm so incredibly happy and overjoyed to have been blessed with this big honor... I'm now a Medical Doctor and I'm ready to assume the responsibilities given with that tittle.
Gracias Dios, por no soltar mi mano durante tan difícil trayecto, por darme la oportunidad, por mis padres y poner en mi camino maravillosas personas que hicieron que todo valiera la pena y que fuera soportable... You got me here and I'm planning to keep walking with you. Thanks again and again, thanks.
She never came back, she vanished with the night. I still wait for her, wait for her before I call. Will she tell me the truth?, the truth about where she's been; will she be unable to speak?...
I just want to know where are you, I just really need to hear your voice, I don't care about the rest, just tell me you're ok...
Please be my lost and found, be sure you're back around... Please be as well as I, minus the pain of not knowing about you... Please, just be ok.
La sociedad se ha convertido en una constante búsqueda del bienestar personal, lo que no es enteramente despreciable mientras se tome en cuenta el bien común... pero muy importante, mientras se tenga pendiente que no siempre se puede ganar o que ganar no siempre significa ganar; es precisamente ahí donde radica el problema, estos días, nadie quiere sacrificarse.
Ese siempre querer ganar, ese no permitir nunca derrotas o salir algo perjudicado... podría sonar como una buena modalidad de vida, como la manera más efectiva de permanecer a flote en el mundo actual; aunque en realidad, me parece totalmente despreciable.
Admito no saber cuál es la mejor manera de responder ante este tipo de personas que simplemente esperan que o te rindas fácilmente ante sus deseos o que pelees y al final termines "perdiendo" (sabiendo que en realidad solo ellos pierden, en esa búsqueda de total comodidad) o siendo tu el "beneficiado". Pensar que es beneficio trabajar menos, hacer menos, tener más tiempo para derrochar en tus quehaceres personales, es de mediocres.
Si las personas dejaran de buscar formas de acomodarse y empezaran a cumplir con sus funciones, el mundo fuera un mejor lugar para vivir, las cosas funcionaran como deberían funcionar, todos tendrían la oportunidad de vivir vidas saludables. Lamentablemente al escribir esto, me doy cuenta de lo utópico de este deseo... ya ni en los puestos más demandantes existen personas con la suficiente moral, educación y voluntad para hacer lo que debe hacerse... todo el mundo busca la vida fácil.
El tema sinceramente me deprime, no es gracioso ver como una sociedad se consume en la estupidez, la vagancia, la mediocridad y el desinterés. Debes luchar contra ti mismo cada día, contra esas ganas de acomodar estos bajos valores... pelea por ser una mejor persona y prevalecer ante esta actitud que corroe el fino soporte en que se sustenta lo que queda de este circo ya corto en gracia.
"Sometimes it's too late when you come to realize you built the sand castle too close to the shore" -V.
I've been thinking about throwing a party, a party like no one have seen before... nothing fancy really, just the conventional Masquerade that goes on day by day around the place without even being organized. A conventional masquerade with a Twist --->The mask will be your face, for a change.
It's hard to face an unknown crowd, an unknown crowd of people that "know" each other. The people you spend time with, the people you share moments with, the people you work with, the people you grew up with, the people you live with...
Sometimes you perceive some thought as negative in a moment of absurd joy (those are good ones), but sometimes you're sober -let's say sober to make it clearer- enough to realize that "negative" thought is just reality. Like Dr. Gregory House from House, MD when he says -as confident as he could be- that Everybody Lies.
Surreal to face the fact that Everybody Lies, stupid to ignore that it is a fact.
Extracted from: ArtsyHome: Photography for sale. http://www.artsyhome.com/product/golden-masquerade
"And in the end, What will you use to cover the cover-up?" - V.
"No se hacer trucos, solo tengo unos cuantos talentos, como todo el mundo". -Vera.
Era un día hermoso, soleado, lleno de infinitas posibilidades; sin embargo para Harriet, una dedicada estudiante de derecho y recepcionista de medio tiempo en una firma de abogados, era un día más de trabajo... un gris y agotador día más de trabajo. Con cada día que pasaba Harriet se llenaba de dudas acerca de su decisión de vida, se preguntaba si realmente era feliz o si fingía serlo; en el fondo, su mayor anhelo era volver a ser niña y no tener que lidiar con las responsabilidades de su actual realidad.
El trayecto a la firma hoy se hacía más largo y tedioso que nunca, el embotellamiento enfrente parecía infinito y el viejo auto de su padre definitivamente no hacía el viaje más placentero. Mientras los autos de enfrente se movían apenas centímetros, Harriet se quejaba en voz alta de todas las mañas y dificultades que tenía el viejo auto, no pensando nunca que este era el único medio para llegar todos los días al lugar al cual fuera requerida.
Harriet sacó su tablet y se dispuso a avanzar un poco el trabajo que la aguardaba al llegar a su destino, sin embargo se sintió tentada por un vídeo desplegado en su muro de Facebook. El vídeo había sido posteado por un amigo, este añadió que era parte de un experimento pero que le explicaría después en qué consistía todo. Por un momento la curiosidad de Harriet pudo más que sus ansías laborales y se dispuso a mirar. El vídeo consistía en un chimpancé saltando de un árbol a otro y haciendo bobadas, muy talentoso en este arte por cierto, ya que Harriet cambió por carcajadas todos los problemas filosóficos y agobios de su vida durante 4 minutos con 10 segundos. Sin poder contenerse, tomó su teléfono móvil y marcó a Gabriel, necesitaba saber la razón de este absurdo pero gracioso vídeo.
Antes de poder tan siquiera formular la pregunta, Gabriel contestaba lo siguiente:
"Durante 4 minutos con 10 segundos, no estuviste viendo a un chimpancé saltando de un árbol a otro y haciendo bobadas, veías a un grupo de abejas trabajando arduamente y a un juguetón chimpancé intentando derribar su colmena; sin embargo, sólo prestaste atención a lo que necesitabas ver en un momento de estrés, al factor relajante, a lo que parecía gracioso, a lo que te haría sentir mejor por un rato..."
P.S Sí, Harriet cargó el vídeo una y otra vez en ese momento, allí pudo notar lo que de verdad ocurría; sin embargo en otro momento de estrés, la historia era la misma.
El experimento: Cuando te encuentras en una posición de profunda presión, cargado de trabajo y problemas, no buscas más de lo mismo... y aún cuando esas abejas te están ayudando, te cae más en gracia el chimpancé juguetón, quizás porque quisieras ser él, quizás porque sin duda relaja un poco el ambiente de tensión, quizás porque simplemente te recuerda quién eras una vez, antes de tener todas las responsabilidades que hoy tienes.
Que si es una actitud errónea ¿?, pues no veo el por qué, aunque se me haga difícil admitir. La situación es realmente injusta cuando eres la abeja, dando todo de si para pasar desapercibida ante unas cuantas bobadas. No es que la abeja quiera reconocimiento, la verdad trabajaría con o sin él, pero quizás le haga falta un poco más de consideración, ser tomada en cuenta.
Pero mientras, quizás en este espacio es un poco utópico el deseo de la abeja, ojalá que no deje de ser quien es.
Comentarios:
- Las comparaciones realizadas no pretenden denigrar a los adorables chimpancés, simplemente son el animalito más gracioso que cruzó por mi mente en el momento, pudo ser cualquiera.
Si te tomas un momento para analizar lo mucho que has cambiado, lo diferente que eres hoy en relación a unos años, unos meses, unos días, incluso ayer... Te golpea la idea de que creces, lo haces sin darte cuenta, segundo a segundo.
Agradezco a Dios por la oportunidad de vivir tantas experiencias lindas, tristes, esperanzadoras y pues de todo tipo, a lo largo de este año que pasó. Bienvenido sea otro año, bienvenidas sean las vivencias que se avecinan.
Todos somos desconocidos, aunque sea por un segundo, hasta que decidimos romper la barrera invisible que nos separa como individuos.
Todo ser está dotado de una esencia única que nos diferencia de los demás, pero que nos hace parte del mundo y de una comunidad no limitada por fronteras. En una sociedad como la que vivimos hoy en día, ser extraños es en realidad un mecanismo de defensa. Tenemos que tratarnos como extraños porque es difícil y peligroso regalar trozos de confianza a cualquiera, porque existe la maldad, porque el mundo ya no es seguro.
Dicho y aceptado esto como verdad absoluta, hay que disputar esas excepciones que existen para toda regla. Hay espacios en donde todas estas barreras se rompen y no es posible ser más tan extraños: en las adversidades y en el delicado espacio de la Medicina.
Este escrito va dedicado a todos los que trabajan en el ámbito médico, en el campo del cuidado ajeno, a todo el que está vivo y tiene contacto con otros seres humanos. Ningún ser humano puede conservar su calidad de extraño cuando está necesitado; ningún ser humano puede conservar su calidad de extraño cuando alguien lo necesita.
Se hace difícil ignorar a quien necesita de ti, aún así parecemos hacerlo todo el tiempo, parece no afectarnos.
En el caso de un médico interno, que trabaja arduamente en un ambiente inadecuado, el cual paga para hacer lo que hace -que a diferencia de los residentes, se fajan de gratis-, es fácil olvidar su propósito fundamental, que definitivamente no es salir del paso cuando se encuentra frente a un paciente. En el gran escenario de la vida, es mejor actuar de corazón y hacer las cosas bien, es mejor adentrarte en tu rol de humano antes que fingir estar fuera de la obra. El propósito fundamental es el de dar lo mejor de sí para ayudar a quien lo necesita, para devolver el bienestar a quien busca mejorar. Las personas no son personas X, no son extraños de los cuales no nos interesa conocer. Y no es que nazcan mejores amigos cada milésima de segundo, es simplemente que se vea al ser humano como eso, como un ser, no como un problema que debemos resolver... no deshumanizar un individuo.
Cada vez que haces algo solo por salir del paso, ya sea porque estás cansado, porque sientes que no serás adecuadamente remunerado, porque dices que no vale la pena o simplemente porque no te parece lo suficientemente importante... Te restas valor a ti mismo, te restas respeto a ti y a tu oficio. Es mejor sumarse, es mejor dejar de si un poco en cada cosa que se haga, porque todo lo que haces es tu creación, sin importar lo pequeño que parezca. No hagas de nadie una persona X, no hagas de ti una persona X.
Setting goals help us move with a purpose and, having a purpose makes us feel we are here for a reason; at least this is what I've learned, so when I commit to something, apparently I really (really) commit. Good for me, right?.. then again, commitment always comes with a price and sometimes we seem unable to distinguish to what grade is that price bad or good for us in the long run?.
