Wednesday 5 January 2011

Meaningful engagement in life

Think sparks flew off my fingers just now when I was sorting the cleaned laundry, especially when I was pulling my PJs away from Sito's towel.. Thought of the static shock I often experience when I brush my hairy arms accidentally against a companion; the laundry one hurt a lot more!

Anyway, I was thinking while doing housework. Kel said that I'd need to be more meaningfully engaged. I didn't think too much into it in that email but it suddenly hit me - just what does that mean?

Some people, like my dear Sito, find meaning in work. Well, I'm the sort who would live off my parents forever if only I could but I think that that doesn't mean I wouldn't be meaningfully engaged in my life.

Now that I can actually afford the time, I have ample opportunities to do things I've always wanted to do but couldn't due to work demands. Just last night, I put up a handwritten note on the wall in front of me - the six things I mentioned in my new year post. These are the things that I find meaningful to do - I get to learn new things, keep my mind off its ass, keep me off my ass, keep me happy.

The last bit is important - keeping myself happy. Bumming around is good once in a while, goro in front of laptop (since we have no TV) or in bed, but guess I'm happier if there's something to do. Watching dramas while ironing makes time go by quickly, but ironing or cooking or preening while watching dramas makes me feel better than just sitting there with only my eyes and ears doing the work!

That's part (a). And the following is part (b) of the story. It makes me think that life isn't just about doing things that we find meaningful. It's also about how we want to live our life.

We came across a commercial one day last quarter. I dug into youtube and found two more...







Aren't they nice?

Of course, they feature an impossible sequence, like the Penrose stairs. But it was a charming piece of work.

I'm guilty of not taking the effort to make simple gestures such as calling out to the girl who walk by that she has dropped a hairclip. I mean, it's only a hairclip. Right? But it happened before - I just got out of the MRT station at Ion and turned left when I saw this girl some three metres to my right drop her hairclip from her bag or something. I could have called out to her but I was heading to a different direction and yes, I thought, it was only a hairclip. But after I walked away and it was too late to do anything, I felt quite bad. It wasn't just the hairclip; it was me actively refusing to do something that I could and should have done, which could make someone's day.

Just finished watching "Beyond the Realm of Conscience". The main character lives by the three "goods" of speaking good words, doing good deeds and having good will - 说好话,做好事,存好心. Something to keep in mind as I go about, mfising...

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