Hero Worship

Reading about Lance Armstrong reminds me of something that occurred to me in June....earlier this year (but I don't recall the context).

"When companies or people are almost worshiped, they either die trying to justify the reputation or resort to unbelievable tactics"

Hold On or Let Go?

Unintelligent & inconsiderate people (or communities or systems) who are associated with you can undo what you've done. It is bunkum to say everything is under your control. We live in an interdependent world & need to face the consequences of things we may not be responsible for. What matters is how you deal with your luck and get up every time you are knocked off, whilst understanding you may fall more frequently than you think (and accepting it). What ultimately matters is how long you are not willing to give up. What ultimately matters is how much of the fight is left within you and how much energy you can muster and re-build every time you fall or fail. 

When it is said that Life is not what happens to you but how you react to it, there is more to it than what meets the eye. It does not mean that you can still decide every single thing and get exactly what you want despite other external influences. It actually indicates that your life could be drastically different from what you intend it to be like and you better be prepared for it. You may not get what you want at times. You may have to change your plan and approach at times. You may have to adapt yourself to a new situation almost every time something external changes it. It may still mean lost opportunities. It may still mean a change of ideas. It may still mean a change of desires. 

There is a time when you can be obstinate and chase whatever you wanted to all your life, till you achieve it, despite a million set-backs and there are times when you must go with what emerges and be ready to change your own mind or desire. You must be in a position to decide what you cannot compromise on and what you will never ever give up on and what you will have to let go of in order to accommodate for the uncertainties of life.

The Dance of Life

Note: Made some updates - added a few more lines (5th Oct)

With due apologies to the Bard of Avon, all the world is a stage and we are all dancers on it. We can't help but dance in order to balance the paradoxes, see two sides of the same coin, experience moderation rather than extremes, manage perceptions and so much more. (Each of the following pairs of words could be seen as paradoxes, perceptions, extremes or two sides of the same coin!) 

The dance of the unique and the un-understood,

The dance of victory and vulnerability.

The dance of bliss and bewilderment,

The dance of humor and hope.

The dance of spontaneity and strategy,
The dance of seriousness and silliness.

The dance of silence and sharing,

The dance of solitude and society.

The dance of dignity and determination,

The dance of dearness and distance.

The dance of freedom and familiarity,

The dance of forgiveness and the future.

The dance of the constant and change,

The dance of the creative and the crazy,

The dance of the cool and the casual,

The dance of confidence and confusion

The dance of insight and indulgence,

The dance of inertia and inspiration.

The dance of risk and routine,

The dance of rejuvenation and resurrection.

The dance of the mundane and the miraculous, 

The dance of the mighty and the minuscule. 

The dance of the past and the present,

The dance of peace and perseverance.

The dance of the given and greed,

The dance of growth and governance. 

He stood up on one leg and reached for the crutch,

It was a poor substitute, but something he would, nevertheless, clutch. 

His dance would look awkward all right,

But his very attempts would make life less of a plight.