This week, I have been “babysitting” a group of 4 teenage boys. Our son Gabriel, who is 16, invited some of his friends to spend a few days in Miami. "Lucky me", I was chosen as the chaperone. Anyway, every morning, Gabriel leaves to do his community service, while Alex, his friend, goes out fishing. I have been paying attention to Alex, his fishing techniques and the amount of hours he can spend doing it. He wears a Hawaiian shirt and a floppy straw hat, never in a hurry carrying a short fishing pole. By looking at his mannerism and attire, one could never guess his age; he could easily pass for a retired man that has plenty of free time. “Alex how was your fishing today?” “Great!” “Did you catch anything?” “No, but the weather was great” Next day our conversation: “Alex, did you catch anything today?” “No” “So Alex, what did you do all day?” “Well, if I like the area, I can spend all day there just enjoying the scenery” “What do you think about?” “I try to imagine all the animals living on the bottom… and thinking, who am I going to catch today…” “And when you catch something…?” “If I’m that lucky, I take it out of the water, talk to him, give him a kiss… and throw him back into the water… I will never eat what I catch!” Wow!!! I called, Nesrin, my wife… “At seventeen, Alex understands something that the majority of us will never get or we learn to understand at an older age.” He has found a passion, and while enjoying it, he has learned the magic of solitude! This young man has found something that he loves to do and better, he has discovered that he can cherish his time alone. When Alex goes fishing, he takes a break of the cycle of day to day business, to listen to his own breathing and heartbeat, to pay attention to his mind and to reflect on his past, to understand his present and to draft a blueprint for his future. He has learned to practice solitude, to enjoy his time alone. _So Alex my young friend, you have taught us all 3 great lessons: One, when we find our passion, time becomes non-existent. Two, we should give solitude a chance; we don’t have anything to lose and plenty to learn and gain from it! Three, if it is too good to be true... it is probably not true! To the fish that were lucky to be caught by a kind Alex, learn from your errors. This time you were off the hook... and always remember: we all deserve a second chance in life!
1 Comment
Sometimes it's hard to get out of bed; at times, I feel a little lost, beaten up, I don’t sense the excitement anymore, and I don't know how to get back on track. I feel that I lost the momentum...
Then is when I bring to mind that it is natural to lose interest in things that used to excite me and it is ok to feel down or depressed... but I must understand that this sorrow is a temporary stage; it is just a stage for healing. By accepting my pain, I heal my mind and soul. After, when my self-esteem is low and need to get motivated to get back on track, to get active again, I just set up the alarm clock, open my eyes and focus on breathing... then, I set a small goal, a tiny action plan to achieve for that day, a small task that I know if I focus I will finish; that I will accomplish it! Then, next day come up with another action plan, achieve it and the third day achieve it again… By acting on my small daily-action plans, I begin to move forward step by step. In time, these actions build a positive momentum; my mind starts to envision successful results and these re-enforce my self-confidence. That fulfillment makes me feel great again; I feel that I'm accomplishing and therefore, begin to enjoy life again. Then is when it becomes exciting again to get out of bed! |
Who I am today as a person is largely due to my failures! Archives
January 2024
|