From ancient byways to modern highways, glimpses of faith are everywhere...

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

If wishes were horses and life were fair

(Worldly Treasure, Arghhh...)
The problem with most people is that they harbor a secret fantasy that life is fair.

The following clichés reflect this wishful thinking:  Work hard and you’ll succeed.  It’s how you play the game that counts. Good manners are always in style.

Not so,” says Oliver Emberton of Business Insider.  No matter how hard you’ve worked on your song, no matter how artistic it may be...  If the public doesn’t snap it up, then you’re still just a poor struggling lyricist (no matter how nice a person you might be).

As for competition?  Yes Virginia, there really are potentially hundreds (millions?) of others who would love to avail themselves of your home, car, job, spouse, etc.  

Emberton emphasizes that believing “you’re only in competition with yourself, so just do your own personal best” can make it all the easier to lose whatever it is you think you own.

No matter how brilliant your ideas might be, if they don’t translate into worldly achievements, then you’re also dead in the primordial soup.  Emberton concludes:  An internal sense of honour and love and duty count for squat.  What exactly can you and have you done for the world?

Emberton might very well be right about worldly success.  But what if the treasure you seek is not of this world?

Resources
http://www.businessinsider.com/the-problem-isnt-that-life-is-unfair-2014-12

Copyright December 3, 2014 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved


No comments:

Post a Comment