Lessons of life from sources unforseen 2
Today I did what I like to do: reading Japanese comics (again). This time I read XXXHolic, a manga published by Clamp mangaka group about the supernatural. Now, I know, I know, this doesn't look like something a 24-year old, future independent motivational speaker should read. But let me stress; DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER. In fact, Japanese modern visual culture offers more than the best drama swasta available in our country. So if you watch Malay drama swasta, don't bother criticizing people who read and watch Japanese manga and anime.
Back to the topic, I read volume 9 and 10 today, and when I come to chapter 5, Volume 10, I noticed a lesson. You don't learn anything from reading Alam Perwira or Pendekar Laut, or Gempak!, but you'll learn a lot from reading Japanese manga. The lesson I learned is that you can affect a person tremendously, just by saying, "I'm really lucky to meet you", ESPECIALLY when that person is the one that hurts you most. Imagine that. Imagine an officemate who calls you names, backbites you, treats you like a piece of used paper (trash is a bit too strong a word), and every morning you go ahead and tell him, "You know, I'm lucky to have met you" with a smile. He'll either turn into your friend, or just leave you alone.
Now this kind of gesture is in fact in line with what Dr. Martin Luther King once quoted to have said:
Back to the topic, I read volume 9 and 10 today, and when I come to chapter 5, Volume 10, I noticed a lesson. You don't learn anything from reading Alam Perwira or Pendekar Laut, or Gempak!, but you'll learn a lot from reading Japanese manga. The lesson I learned is that you can affect a person tremendously, just by saying, "I'm really lucky to meet you", ESPECIALLY when that person is the one that hurts you most. Imagine that. Imagine an officemate who calls you names, backbites you, treats you like a piece of used paper (trash is a bit too strong a word), and every morning you go ahead and tell him, "You know, I'm lucky to have met you" with a smile. He'll either turn into your friend, or just leave you alone.
Now this kind of gesture is in fact in line with what Dr. Martin Luther King once quoted to have said:
The ultimate weakness of violence is that it is a descending spiral, begetting the very thing it seeks to destroy. Instead of diminishing evil, it multiplies it. Through violence you may murder the liar, but you cannot murder the lie, nor establish the truth. Through violence you murder the hater, but you do not murder hate. In fact, violence merely increases hate.... Returning violence for violence multiples violence, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Taken from Goh's Quotations page
By offering a positive gesture; being thankful, seeking to understand, not to prejudge (especially post-9:11, where everyone seems to be treading extra careful, and if you happened to be born with a look strikingly similar to certain prominent figures, a plastic surgery is in order), a lot of conflicts can be solved. Not only avoided, but SOLVED. Just by being thankful towards your counterpart, seek to understand him/her better, not to prejudge, and not too egoistic to say "I'm sorry", "Please", "Excuse me", and so on.
You know, when I was younger, such thoughts were impossible to me. If somebody were to tell me that, I'd say, "You're naive. This is the reality; dog eat dog, men eat men". All the negativity I could think of about this "reality", I would throw at him. But thankfully, I come to realize that reality is something that we create together. My reality is not the same as your reality. My reality says that you learn more by watching Japanese animation than you would by watching Malay movies. Your reality might be the other way around. My reality is positive, because it's my reality. Now, what is your reality? A positive one? A doubtful one? A prejudging one? A cynical one? I remembered this morning when I was listening to one of Jim Rohn's audio collections, that being cynical stops you from learning and growing. And it's a pity that many of the younger generations nowadays have already a cynical and negative view of life, and so does some of the older people I've met.
Why not we try together to start changing our reality to a positive one, a trusting one. A forgiving one. An understanding one. Live it for a month. You'll feel awkward for a few days or maybe a couple of week. Before you know it, it'll be your reality. The first time I decided to use "saya" (a polite form of "I" in Malaysian Language) instead of "aku" (a rougher form), it was awkward. And my soft voice didn't help much. I was subject to mockery, but I persisted. And now I always speak using "saya" when I'm addressing myself. It has become my reality. And guess what; IF I CAN DO IT, ANYONE CAN DO IT. Start with something simple; greet anyone that you meet, whether you know them or not, and smile. And see the difference.
Why not we try together to start changing our reality to a positive one, a trusting one. A forgiving one. An understanding one. Live it for a month. You'll feel awkward for a few days or maybe a couple of week. Before you know it, it'll be your reality. The first time I decided to use "saya" (a polite form of "I" in Malaysian Language) instead of "aku" (a rougher form), it was awkward. And my soft voice didn't help much. I was subject to mockery, but I persisted. And now I always speak using "saya" when I'm addressing myself. It has become my reality. And guess what; IF I CAN DO IT, ANYONE CAN DO IT. Start with something simple; greet anyone that you meet, whether you know them or not, and smile. And see the difference.
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