Everyone values autonomy.
People like to control what they can control. To minimize distractions and interruptions. To improve peace of mind. To create an environment where they can survive and thrive and live their life to the fullest. Where they surround themselves with the best people in their respective journeys forward.
For me, I’m no different. I like being responsive and proactive. I don’t enjoy being interrupted and reactive, where oftentimes I’m running around like a chicken with its head cut off. We all want to improve in order to grow and learn and get better and move society forward as a whole.
But just realize that perfection is impossible. There will always be interruptions or annoyances that will get in the way, no matter how pristine or clean our environment happens to be. Maybe someone will cut you off in traffic. Maybe a stranger gives you an uncomfortable stare that you object to. Maybe a friend or a loved one gives you hard-nosed advice that is not easy to digest at first glance.
You won’t feel “good” about it. You won’t feel on top of the world. At times, you will feel agitated and anxious and unfocused. That, alas, is just a part of this life. There’s no way around it.
I’m thinking about the current situation in the Middle East right now between Israel and Palestine, and everyone’s got their opinions on it. At the same time, I feel like most people are a bit hesitant to express their thoughts as well, simply because it is such a sensitive topic with that region having such a rich and complicated history.
I’m obviously no expert in the Middle East and I wish that the current situation was to be different somehow. How do you stop the bloodshed and the tears and the poverty? How do you figure out a way to come up with a solution that is satisfactory for both sides?
There will never be a perfect outcome. Often, we try our best to sterilize our surroundings. To sterilize our environment. To make sure that everyone is protected and supported and loved and satisfied. We try our best to give and provide the best advice and resources to allow societies to thrive. We try our best to make sure that the pain and anguish is minimized or exterminated to the fullest.
But again, no matter how hard we try to find the perfect solution, there will never be one. There will always be some form of pushback or response or dissatisfaction amongst some form of group. There will always be some form of agitation and melancholy. We can do our best to provide safety net upon safety net for our fellow man so that they do not fall and never get up. We will try our best yet still people will fall through the cracks.
Unfortunately, we can’t save them all. Unfortunately, there will always be dissatisfaction and disharmony and anger and outrage at something in some form of fashion somewhere across the world. This is an imperfect world that we are living in, and we need to just come to accept that.
However, this does not mean that we don’t try our best. This does not mean that we don’t try to come up with a solution. This does not mean that we don’t continue to improve our hearts, our minds, and our communities, using our limited bandwidth and capabilities. Because where there is a will, there is a way.
It’s just that imperfection will always be there. Problems will always exist. No matter how large or small they seem to be.
For me, there’s always some form of dissatisfaction that I need to resolve. Some form of problem that needs to be fixed. No matter how bad or good I have it. There will always be something in the back of my mind that I feel needs to be completed. I’m not sure if that’s how it is for everyone.
Again, it’s a beautiful life that we live. And we should be grateful to be living with the freedom to choose and do whatever we want, especially for the ones that are not living in war-torn areas around the world. This doesn’t mean that we turn a blind eye to the wounded and the weary. This doesn’t mean that we abandon our posts and hide from the struggle.
We should of course still try our best, but I’d say oftentimes than not our best is not enough for many people. Nevertheless, continue striving and continue improving. Continue to work both smart and hard to resolve problems around the world. And be okay when new problems inevitably rise up because they always will.
Nevertheless, keep at it and keep pushing your communities forward. Learn to weather the inevitable storms on the horizon and accept that nothing will ever be as clean and pristine as you hope it to be.