To “reflect” is “to think, ponder, or meditate a fixing on thoughts with careful consideration.” So far we’ve learned certain concepts, examined both relevant and irrelevant anecdotal examples. With reflection, we ask: “why” for the sake of asking “WHY?” Children ask all the time: Why?” It is perhaps the most fundamental and essential of question of all. Like life itself “WHY?” has to do with its essence: “WHY?” is deep, philosophical, profound, simple, all a bit out of the ordinary. If one question leads to another, the second one will take us to a journey, an experience. There is this thing called “Life” that is both an experience and a journey. What else do we need to know about “journey” and “experience?” It’s days, one after the other that represents a journey, each and every one adding a life’s experience. There are good days and bad, and some barely all that a person can do is just to be able to deal. Despite the aches, pains, trials and tribulations, we manage to persevere, get through the day albeit frustrated, exhausted or drained. As we live and breathe, our lives have purpose and meaning, gauged by accomplishments or lack thereof. They follow a course, path or life road map, planned or unplanned. For those journeying down the path of deliberateness, life is methodical, with direction and predestination, and along the haphazard or prescribed course we call life, and there are tasks that we take charge.
The tasks are ours and ours alone, like the fingerprints or identifiers that make each one of us different. Each day, we perform certain of these tasks or duties that are routine and manageable according to our personal settings and profiles. These particular tasks we take in stride because we expect and await and are prepared for their arrivals. The others, the ones we disdain, we wish are someone else’s headache and more than not, they don’t go away, despite what we hope and wish for. This notwithstanding, whatever the task, we must remain at the ready, always poised for battle. Battles, big or small, are won or lost, assumed the personas of inner struggles where, for example, some “experience” idleness, isolation, loneliness, the likes of which involve empty stares, focuses, ambitions, temporary setbacks or perpetuity. Under duress, faced with harsh and trying, if not extreme circumstances, the battle lines are unequivocally drawn. The process to choose to fight or surrender with respect to all tasks is absolute and comes from within. We are breathing, thinking beings, and we possess this ability. We are warriors one and all, ultimately emboldened to face tasks with confidence and accomplishment. If our minds are cluttered or narrow; not being of open or of “empty” mind, then we may be setting ourselves up for failure. Regardless, each of these tasks or events is depicted or “cartographic,” so to speak, on the map of life. And identifying or recognizing ourselves as warriors or not, we are alive with abilities to make things happen. Do we accept the challenge of “task-facing” or more correctly, “task-taking” with responsibility?
I believe most do. And I believe that those who do, do so fulfilled, multi-dimensional in scope, breadth and depth. Our ferocity, our tenacity forge life ahead forever transforming a world, our world, always in transition, always evolving. With this constant evolution, we have adapted, always persevering. Those who persevere are survivors. Bottom line? It’s either sink or swim; no such thing as swim badly.
