Life, as it Is

The photo taken above is of a statue I came across at a national education college within the city I live. The statue was called “Dad’s Life.” When I looked at it, I realized how drastically sad the statue looked - further worn and exhausted looking by the elements and weather. While a statue like this could almost look to be an ironic statement of a father’s life as interpreted by culture, it seemed shockingly close to an accurate and literal interpretation of life as it is for many Korean fathers.

Drinking and smoking has been outrageously commonplace in Korea for quite a long time. Daily stress, long hours, exhaustion, drinking and a continuous repetition of this cycle for five, six or even seven days a week, can lead one to questions why even bother to live like this?

When the Dalai Lama was asked what confusion or perplexed him most by humanity, he had said:

“Man surprised me most about humanity. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”

In relation, Gandhi had said, “There’s more to life than increasing its speed.”

We would benefit to take a step back and look at the big picture. Korean culture isn’t the only culture that has imbalances. Every culture has its own flaws and mindsets in which it uniquely functions. While making money isn’t a bad thing, we can’t allow ourselves to be consumed by it. While people may rationalize that sacrificing time with family and a reduced state of health is a “necessary evil,” I don’t believe it’s as common of a necessity as once believed.

Life requires balance, and of course, being productive requires our time and attention. No one can objectively tell you how much time spent with your family is enough. There is no set standard of being “healthy enough,” as well. However, if you feel a bit lost on direction, and you’re missing out on important events in life, would your family rather have some extra money in their pockets or have some time with their husband, father, mother, wife, etc?

If we don’t have a belief system in place, then we subconsciously just make up our direction as we go - everyone is drawn towards something. While we may have had good intentions in the first place, we may find ourselves having a hard time knowing when enough is enough of anything we seek. The temptation to have more is more alluring when we don’t know exactly what it is we’re looking for in the first place. Filling up an unknown hole in ourselves with the physical aspects of this world will leave us overworked and confused.

The mind, body, and spirit all need to be respected and acknowledged. If one of these goes ignored, everything then gets out of balance. Feeling unbalanced can be a scary feeling but it’s also very helpful for beginning a much needed paradigm shift in thinking. While it may be painful to strip away previous beliefs and re-establish yourself, the rewards are invaluable.

It’s never to late to change and try something new. The ego likes us to believe otherwise, however, I’d rather look inexperienced and scared when trying something new, which I believe to be right, than to continue in the wrong direction because it’s more familiar.

For further related reading, please check out: The Hand You’re Given.