It Is So Hard!
Mama Meipo is not a mother. Yet, she has many "kids". She texts and talks with them periodically. Once in a while, when things are really tough, she would whip up a nice meal so they can talk at the kitchen table for hours. I guess that is what makes Meipo a "Mama".
In a recent conversation with a young person, she said to me, "It's so hard!" It makes my heart ache. Indeed, life can be hard. I remember what it feels like being her age.
Life has never been easy. No matter who you are, what your background is, everybody has his share of challenges. Having said that, if you had the choice, would you rather life be just simple and straightforward? Wouldn't it be boring? Would you still explore it with such enthusiasm if it were like a big flat lawn?
What is frustrating about life is that it doesn't seem to get much easier even as you become more experienced. Is it really true, though? Remember the many things that used to trip you all the time? Looking back, you laugh at why you even fretted about it. You continue to find life difficult because you continue to set your eyes on something higher, something more challenging. It is just a sign that you are a person of aspiration. You have been improving along the way. You have become a stronger, more resourceful person. You just have not noticed yet.
When I was little, I used to look up to my oldest brother who is 10 years older than me. At his 18th birthday, I thought, "Wow! He is such an adult! He knows everything. From now on, I am going to pay attention every day so that, when I turn 18, I know how my brother becomes who he is." At my 19th birthday, I suddenly remembered this vow from 11 years ago. "OMG! What happened? I am 19 already? How did I get here?"
Older folks often lament about how time passes by so fast. Children tend to complain about being bored because, to them, not enough things are happening. A science research suggests that older people and younger people have very different perception of time. People perceive the passage of time in terms of the number of new, unfamiliar events. As older people tend to have settled into familiar routines, they go through most of their days on autopilot. Life has become so familiar that before they have run into anything new, the day is over.
One day when you start complaining about where time has gone, you will probably stop saying "It is so hard!" Cherish it while you can. What you are dealing with is called "Youth".
In a recent conversation with a young person, she said to me, "It's so hard!" It makes my heart ache. Indeed, life can be hard. I remember what it feels like being her age.
Life has never been easy. No matter who you are, what your background is, everybody has his share of challenges. Having said that, if you had the choice, would you rather life be just simple and straightforward? Wouldn't it be boring? Would you still explore it with such enthusiasm if it were like a big flat lawn?
What is frustrating about life is that it doesn't seem to get much easier even as you become more experienced. Is it really true, though? Remember the many things that used to trip you all the time? Looking back, you laugh at why you even fretted about it. You continue to find life difficult because you continue to set your eyes on something higher, something more challenging. It is just a sign that you are a person of aspiration. You have been improving along the way. You have become a stronger, more resourceful person. You just have not noticed yet.
When I was little, I used to look up to my oldest brother who is 10 years older than me. At his 18th birthday, I thought, "Wow! He is such an adult! He knows everything. From now on, I am going to pay attention every day so that, when I turn 18, I know how my brother becomes who he is." At my 19th birthday, I suddenly remembered this vow from 11 years ago. "OMG! What happened? I am 19 already? How did I get here?"
Older folks often lament about how time passes by so fast. Children tend to complain about being bored because, to them, not enough things are happening. A science research suggests that older people and younger people have very different perception of time. People perceive the passage of time in terms of the number of new, unfamiliar events. As older people tend to have settled into familiar routines, they go through most of their days on autopilot. Life has become so familiar that before they have run into anything new, the day is over.
One day when you start complaining about where time has gone, you will probably stop saying "It is so hard!" Cherish it while you can. What you are dealing with is called "Youth".
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