Over the years, people have said and written all sorts of things to and about me like:
· We were destined to meet.
· Have we met before in a previous life?
· I want you to be the mother of my children.
· I can feel you even here: little person, BIG presence. [They were in Singapore, I was in London.]
· You’re very special. I’ve never met anyone like you.
· You’re so different.
· We’re like two peas in a pod. Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer.
· No one I’ve ever met is as scintillating as you.
· I promise you that……..
The ones who don’t know or like me have also claimed I’m “crazy / etc.”
If I was conceited, insecure or intellectually challenged I’d either think I was Marilyn Monroe, Albert Einstein, Confucius and “the best thing since sliced bread” all rolled into one! That or the offspring of Mr. Rochester’s secret mad wife, :*).
It’s just as well that, whilst I believe their words say more about their generosity of spirit than my loveliness, my day-to-day life is not about the power of me but the potential of we.
Plus like everyone else I may be a complex amalgam of continuous adaptation (this is what I think all humans are), but I’m certainly not a fictitious character from ‘Jane Eyre’! I am as real as your next-door-neighbor except, obviously, Oriental and petite.
Since childhood, my observation has always been that Life is less about what people say and more about what we do individually and collectively to make positive differences.
Sometimes, no matter what platitudes / kind words / eloquence / spin / guff / reasoned apology is communicated we can’t help but feel that a certain moment in Life is futile because no tangible progress has actually been made. Typically, that’s because a third party is frustrating what is an otherwise straightforward and reasonable process.
We may wonder, “Why is that person being so difficult / obtuse / downright uncollaborative / a pain in the derrière?” and we may even bend over backwards to be tolerant and accommodating of them whilst unknown resentment builds within us (that may one day be released). We may even ask ourselves, “Why are we always the nice, responsible, considerate and mature ones when all they do is behave like energy vampires, intellectual pygmies and selfish pigs?”
Here’s a truth: that’s just the way Life is. We have to work within its natural flows. Sometimes, it’s good and fair and brilliant, and other times it simply…….sucks.
Now, that’s not to say we should all be martyrs, doormats and suffer in silence whilst someone else tries to take advantage of our good natures and forces us to conform to their system when we know it to be fundamentally flawed or undemocratic. What is within our responsibilities is to establish clear personal boundaries beyond which people can’t disrespect us and others like us. We also need to accept that there is a point where reason and tolerance simply do not work so then it may be advisable for the unscrupulous pains in the derrière to get a taste of their own medicine.
Don’t worry about those pains, though. There is such a thing as KARMA. What goes around comes around.
Life and systems have a strange way of auto-correcting and auto-calibrating between good and bad.
Look at the person who was bullied in school who ends up with the most fulfilling / high-profile / rewarding career.
Look at the banks that allowed a small clique of male egos and hubris to dominate and self-destruct instead of be calibrated with female traits of financial nurturing and the majority sense-making of smart males. They ended up writing down US$50+ billion each, being bailed out by governments and investors lost confidence in their brands and their share prices plummeted.
Look at political parties that instead of being the embodiment of integrity, ethics, democracy, social constructors etc. for which they were elected, allow themselves to become embroiled in expenses fiascos, questionable wars and social disarray. The electorate vote them OUT.
Look at companies that seek to disrespect their customers. They end up criticized by their own users, are left for better alternative competitors, die a development death or are even closed.
It’s karma and it’s also known as cause+effect.
Our words and actions have a direct and indirect impact on what will boomerang back into or appear anew in our lives.
It’s within us to make that choice: do good or be bad.
If we decide, “Do good” then destiny and serendipity will reward us by bringing people into our lives who can make it even more special, rewarding and enjoyable.
If we opt for, “Be bad” then karma and natural retribution will catch up with us sooner or later and punish us.
I choose……………….live Twain.
LOL. Well, I can’t live someone else’s life or make their life choices for them, can I? I can only go with the natural flow of mine.
PROJECT ART
I look at the factors and arcs of my life so far and recognize that destiny and serendipity are at play.
Firstly, one of the people involved is GC and we met on a plane by chance over eight years ago. Secondly, I was returning from visiting the Venice Art Biennale at the time. Thirdly, I feel as if the whole thing is a natural progression and the way my life is supposed to be.
Plus there’s the distinctive dream I had in 2005 in which I arrive at an art gallery and meet a little boy in a lift whom I can sense is my son.
So I have some confidence and quiet hope that what’s still ahead for me is…….LOL GOOD.
