The past week has been one of great contemplation about how
to make a profit and what constitutes success, which is amazing because it
seems like I didn’t have time to breathe. We had two rounds of snow, I had six
emergencies, several surprise deadlines and the little ass was in high gear. A
bird person suggested that I get more toys of the foraging type and rotate them
around the cage to keep the little sh*t busy. The finch cage now looks like a
carnival.
 |
| you get the idea |
The good news is that not only did he calm down, but the
shyer ones started to come out more and forage around on these bizarre little perches
covered in festive paper and little bits of string. The cat has taken to
sleeping on her back beneath the cage, which is a level of cat language I can’t
even guess the meaning of. The thing that worries me is that while shopping for
anti-bullying devices for finches, I came across Clyde. Clyde is a sunburst Conure
who is “shy, but curious and friendly.” I spent some time with Clyde and
briefly fantasized about justifying adding Clyde to the household when I pulled
myself up short and asked, “Hell is with this bird thing?”
The fish are business. I run a Zen center and they are
calming. I have always loved dogs and cats, cats slightly more although the mad
kitten has been giving that preference a run for its money for years. Much as I
love dogs, they are very similar to having a child and having both raised a
child and had a dog for over 12 years; I think I am done with that. Living with
a cat is like living with a little alien. Dogs know you are not a dog. Cats can’t
tell the difference and just think you are stupid as all get out. But birds? The
bird thing has been growing over the past few years and has hit full on in
recent months (witness the finches). Now I look at a bird like Clyde and my
first thought is – yes.
I looked up the general meaning of birds and was surprised
to find out that the association with freedom and so on is minimal. They are
considered to embody the characteristics of the divine and to represent
rebirth, re-newed life and hope for the future. Now, my growing bird fetish
begins to make sense. They are also supposed to be messengers from what it is
that cannot be seen.
 |
| Clyde knows |
So I am living with a pocket full of futures and trying to
live up to it. In the past week, much of my work and discussion has revolved
around:
·
Misanthropy
·
Compassion
·
Love
·
Whether or not compassion and love are
compatible
·
The importance of meaningful work
·
The misperception of balance in modern life as
meaning one does not participate in meaningful work when one has time to devote
to it
·
How one defines success
·
How one creates a profit that is compatible with
the idea of meaningful work
It is interesting to me to watch two opposites pull at each
other in what people are looking for in relationships – they want someone with
a passion, but prefer someone who is not passionate about their passion.
Somehow, the notion of relaxation has evolved into a state of apathy and
passivity. When you consider that activity and mental engagement create
healthier states of mind and body; it makes one wonder where the idea of “doing
nothing” being rejuvenating came from.
Many of the people who come to me for help in trying to
change their lives have habits that only appear at night and on the weekends.
It is easy to spot that these are times that in the name of relaxation and
balance they engage in intensely passive and boring behaviors. The statement of
“boring” is not judgmental; it is based in a certain fact about our brain. If
our brain can process 25,000 words (written or spoken) a minute and we read
about 300 a minute or speak about 150 words a minute; watching TV or a movie is
going to bore the bejeesus out of you without you realizing it. It is why
reading is a much more engaging pastime because your brain can be busy taking
in words, building full images and making connections to memory, sounds and
smell while also applying what you are reading about to other issues. It is
also why walking in mostly silence with someone can be more rejuvenating and
create a greater feeling of intimacy then hanging out and talking non-stop with
them. If you are too focused on the conversation, there is no conversation
interesting enough to keep your mind occupied. It is why meditative practices
can be so centering, by sitting and opening your mind – you let your brain
engage itself as much as possible – which feels better than following you
around like my cat follows me and wondering how it is possible I have lasted so
long given that I just don’t seem to get it.
All of this plays into the idea of how to make a profit
based upon what you decide is success. GK Chesterton pointed out that with the
dawn of industrialization; the privileged classes began to determine what success
was for all. Everyone needed housing. Yes, they do. But what everyone needs is
housing that they have claimed as a home. A bedroom, living room, kitchen and
bath do not make a home. The sensation that your home equals what you value and
matches where you are on your determined path of success is more important to
the psyche than a generic box to provide one with shelter. Chesterton warned
about trying to equalize notions of success because it would eventual destroy
innovation, integrity, accountability and the drive to take responsibility. You
can see why he is one of my favorite authors.
In Buddhism, there is a constant reiteration about getting
rid of desire and being content with where you are now. Nowhere does it
admonish not to move forward and build for the future, but it cautions against
seeking success for the sake of success or comfort’s sake. Without meaningful
purpose behind the success, it becomes empty and eventually turns on the person
in the form of illness, disorder and addiction. In fact, complacency and apathy
is seen as an even bigger evil than the pursuit of desire.
Lao Tzu said that a scholar who cherishes the love of comfort
is not fit to be deemed a scholar. Therein lies the definition of profit and
success. What is the profit for a scholar? Recognition or knowledge? What is
the basis for their success? If they strive to be recognized then they are
falling into a love of comfort, if recognition comes from effort to gain
knowledge and to share it for benefit of others – that is success. What is
benefit to others? This is tricky. What is of benefit to others is what is of
service to them and that is determined by the other, not the author. The modern
world has reversed that order and tries to “help” people by pre-determining
what their problem is and what the help should be. This negates the validity of
the person, their life and their goals.
Success is defined by many things. Yes, it does include the
ability to pay your bills and not worry about food and shelter but it is more
defined by the ability to be fully present in life. Profit is that which
success provides that allows one to continue to move forward with success.
There is no profit and no success in apathy, complacency or passivity. One
moment of that can undo months of passionate effort. That is not to say that
you have to be full out in one way all the time, but care must be taken to make
sure you are not wasting time when you are nourishing and replenishing your
resources. Modern people are great time wasters.
When you waste time, you waste
life.
When you waste life, you live with regret.
When you live with regret, you lose the chance to see the
future in such shared symbols as a shy bird with large eyes, or a person who
has an idea, or the potential represented by someone who comes into your life
who doesn’t immediately fit into a slot to define what your relationship will
be.
To live without regret is to know that you were fully engaged
and that you tried. Having failed or succeeded, you continue to examine your
life to learn how to incorporate the experience and knowledge into something
new that will benefit you and others as well, should it be what they are
looking for.
No comments:
Post a Comment