A Metaphor For Life

In my last blog I discussed one meaning of the word, "life" in this blog, I want to ruminate around another meaning, that which we live day-to-day.   A possible model of living a life came to me after having been exposed to a number of programs on the cooking channel on TV.   I, as a rule, don't watch TV, but when I'm working, I really have no choice but to watch what my clients chose to watch.  So far, the cooking channel is my preference.

One day, the channel replayed a series of past shows, which, I believe, is called, "Chopping."   The plot is that there are four chefs, who have access to a kitchen full of supplies with which to prepare meals.  One of the twists to this program is that each competing chef is given a basket of four surprise items which must be incorporated in some way in at least one of the three courses they must present after each of three half-hour preparation times allotted.  At the end of the program the four are rated; three being, "chopped."  It is quite an interesting program, if you are at all interested in cooking.

As a metaphor for life, each of us has within the equivalent of a kitchen full of everything we could ever want to work with: a marvelous body, a brain, undeveloped skills, talents and abilities.  Additionally, we come into a world that has, almost, unbelievable resources at our disposal.  And, for added interest, it seems, in each life we are given a basket of surprise factors which we must work with as we develop from infants through adulthood, and, not infrequently, factors which are likely to be with us until we leave our physical existence. 

Due to the nature of this world, we will arrive as either male or female, of a particular race/culture/society, in a particular part of the world.  Some of the surprise factors may be physical handicaps, extreme poverty or wealth, abusive or dysfunctional families, etc., etc.  I have said that my favorite aspect of humans is their perversity, but this perversity is a double-edged sword.  In our human perversity, most of us spend our lives focused on these last few aspects, and the items in our surprise basket, ignoring our vast store of supplies with which we could work.

Of course, we are all Programmed from our earliest years to do this by our Social and cultural surroundings, as I have written about often.  We are programmed to focus on our problems and limitations.  It is the relatively rare, perverse, individual who refuses to be entrapped by these powerful influences--I am the way I am, because of thus and so.  Part of this entrapment is the resultant anger, fear, resentment, desire for, "payback," etc., etc.   

If we are fortunate, at some point in our lives, something, in effect, bonks us on the head; it may be a book we happen to read, a friend/mentor we meet, an interest we discover that shifts our attention away from our usual point of focus, or an, unavoidable, life-changing event, which is beyond our control.  While many may dream of something changing in their lives, what is missing is the understanding that such a change can be brought about by an act of Will.  An Act of Will, what a weird thought!  When was the last time you ever heard anyone mention that something was achieved through an, "Act of Will"?

Unfortunately, for many, in the West, such a hoped-for change, appears to be winning a lottery, or having a big win at the casino, believing that that will change their lives.  

One aspect of the vast storehouse at the disposal of many of us these days is the Internet.  During this last six-months, or so, I have discovered YouTube videos.  Some of what I have discovered has been appalling, but that is, perhaps, a subject for another time.  Much of what has not been appalling, has been to discover to what degree some people, many of them younger people, have discovered, to a degree, what is possible for humans to achieve.  And, in the process, making a record of the fact that, what was previously believed  impossible, is, indeed, possible to accomplish.

Richard Bach wrote in one of his books, "Argue for your limitations, and, sure enough, their yours,..."  Most of us have spent a good part of our lives, arguing for our limitations. 

I'm reminded of a wonderful children's book about a Train, which, "thought he could"; repeating, "I think I can, I think I can,..."  Ending up with, "I thought I could, I thought I could,..."  Perhaps some of the younger people demonstrating that they are able to do what has been considered, "impossible" were raised with this as one of their favorite books.

No matter what age we are, we still have tremendous resources at our disposal.  The necessary first step is to believe in them.  Those who talk about seeing a glass as either half-full or half-empty, may be made fun of by the majority, but those who believe that one's life is only half-empty, no matter what their age, have the most fun.

With that, I end this blog on a metaphor for life.

Shirley Gallup