***This post contains copyrighted material, I'm sure the publisher doesn't appreciate this unless it happens to result in greater book sales. The Author however, often pirates his own material and gives it away for free online. Considering I respect the author tremendously...and his goal is to make sure the words are shared.... I will take my chances***
I stayed up later than I should have last night. This is a bad habit I would like to break. Unlike most nights, which I mindlessly search for something to occupy my eyes until they can no longer hold themselves, last night I found something better.
Reflection
I have a difficult time reflecting on things that matter, mostly because it requires patience & attention. Both of which I have little of. Yesterday however the book I have been waiting for, finally hit the shelves and despite it not being in the "budget", I went and got my copy.
Paulo Coelho is my favorite author. Though his books are generally written in a fictitious style, they each hold elements of what I would say is "the human truth". They kick up the dust on profoundly meaningful subjects and always inspire me to remember..... THat I have a PurpoSe. Even if my purpose is valuable only to me.... I have one & I want desperately to see it through. Whatever it may be.
Below is an excerpt from his most recent book, "Manuscript Found in Accra". I chose to share this piece because It made me think of two friends. One friend whom I adore dearly that recently told me, "Love is not real". And another, an old friend whom I spoke to for the first time in many years. He, as a result of an impending divorce, has come to that inevitable place in life.... where beyond control... everything just changes.
"Wait patiently for the right moment to act.
Do not let the next opportunity slip by you.
Take pride in your scars.
Scars are medals branded on the flesh, and your enemies will be frightened by them because they are proof of your long experience of battle. Often this will lead them to seek dialogue instead of battle.
Scars speak more loudly than the sword that caused them.
"Describe the defeated ones", said a merchant,
when he saw that the copt had finished speaking.
And he answered:
The defeated are those who never fail.
Defeat means that we lose a particular battle or war. Failure does not allow us to go on fighting.
Defeat comes when we fail to get something we very much want. Failure does not allow us to dream, its motto is: "Expect nothing and you won't be disappointed".
Defeat ENDS when we launch into another battle. Failure has no end; it is a lifetime choice.
Defeat is for those who, despite their fears, live with enthusiasm and faith.
Defeat is for the valiant, only they will know the honor of losing and the joy of winning.
I am not here to tell you that defeat is a part of life; we all know that. Only the defeated know love. Because it is in the realm of love that we fight our first battles and generally lose.
I am here to tell you that there are people who have never been defeated
They are the ones who never fought.
They managed to avoid scars, humiliations, and feelings of helplessness, as well as those moments when even warriors doubt the existence of god.
Such people can say with pride, "I've never lost a battle". On the other hand, they will never be able to say: "I won a battle".
Not that they care. They live in a universe in which they believe they are invulnerable; they close their eyes to injustices and to suffering; they feel safe because they do not have to deal with the daily challenges faced by those who risk stepping out beyond their own boundaries.
They have never hear the words, "goodbye" or"I've come back. Embrace me with the fervor of someone who, having lost me, has found me again".
Those who were never defeated seem happy and superior, masters of a truth they never had to lift a finger to achieve. They are always on the side of the strong. They are like hyenas that only eat the leavings of lions.
They teach their children: "Don't get involved in conflicts: you'll only lose. keep your doubts to yourself and you'll never have any problems. If someone attacks you, don't get offended or demean yourself by hitting back. There are more important things in life".
In the silence of the night, they fight their imaginary battles: Their unrealized dreams, the injustices to which they turned a blind eye, the cowardice they managed to conceal from other people--but not from themselves--and the the love that crossed their path with a sparkle in its eyes, the love that god intended for them, but which they lacked the courage to embrace.
And they promise themselves: "Tomorrow will be different"
But tomorrow comes and the paralyzing question surfaces in their mind: "What if it doesn't work out"?
And so they do nothing.
Woe to those who were never beaten! They will never be winners in this life.
"Tell us about solitude", said a young woman
who had been about to marry the son of one of
the richest men in the city but was now obliged to flee.
And he answered:
Without solitude, love will not stay long by your side
Because love needs to rest, so that it can journey through the heavens and reveal itself in other forms.
Without solitude, no plant or animal can survive, no soil can remain productive, no child can learn about life, no artist can create, no work can grow and be transformed.
Solitude is not the absence of love, but its compliment.
Solitude is not the absence of company, but the moment when our soul is free to speak to us and help us decide what to do with our life.
THEREFORE, blessed are those who do not fear solitude, who are not afraid of their own company, who are not always desperately looking for something to do, something to amuse themselves with, something to judge.
If you are never alone, you cannot know yourself."
The story goes one in a biblical type format and continues to be a blend of inspiring quotables and confusing statements that you have to stop and ask ..... "what the hell does that mean?"
But in my estimation...Thats the POINT
Reflection is the sum of asking yourself "What does it mean & what does it mean to me". In the end hopefully you end up with something more meaningful.... some belief.... some tenet.... some arrow pointing you in the direction you are meant to go.
Both of my friends are strong, insightful people.......Both of whom will read this and know why I have shared it ....... They will each understand pieces of it.....but even better... they will find other pieces and ask themselves the question, "what the hell does that suppose to mean?"
ANd to them.... and everyone else..... I say.... THATS the point! =0)
**Chandra
