THE
METAMORPHOSIS
By
ERNIE D.
DELFIN
MAN’S
SEARCH FOR MEANNG: HIS HEROIC
JOURNEY
Every
person who has some knowledge of the Bible would know the bitter-sweet story of
the prodigal son (Luke l5:11-32) Each
human being, including this columnist,
most likely will have his own
“heroic journey” , like the
prodigal son, who “left home” for whatever personal reasons that compelled
him to do so, then lived in another “country”
where he experienced many things, both
good and bad, that eventually “changed” him as a person. Then, for another set of reasons, he came to his
senses and decided to “return home” and coming home a completely a “changed
man!” In some journalistic
parlance, each one of us, human beings,
may also have experienced or undergone such a “heroic journey.” I think I have also undergone such “mid-life crises” phenomenon that I still do
not fully understand but has accepted it as a part and parcel of life on earth.
This cycle of human life from infancy
to adulthood (biblically, from conception
to resurrection or from dust to dust) is
as certain as the sunrise in the east
and sunset in the west. Man’s journey is
his alone to traverse, to enjoy or to suffer. His life’s journey can be bad or
good, depending on how he does with it. It
can be beautiful despite all the
obstacles and thorns that may come his way, as long as he discovers his own “treasure” and finds the meaning of his life along the way
to his final destination.
In his
classic book, Man’s Search for Meaning,
Dr. Victor Frankl, a Holocaust
survivor wrote: “ The WILL
TO MEANING is the basic striving of man to find and fulfill meaning and purpose
in life. Man is reaching out for the
world - a world, which is replete with other beings to encounter and meanings
to fulfill…. The purpose is to give
meaning to life...the individual...wants to create values...the human being has
a primary or native orientation in the directions of creating and of values.”
A man therefore must take minute
vacations to ponder and evaluate his own life, to always re-define what a “good
life” means to him. Socrates once
wrote: “An unexamined life is not worth
living for.” When I was one and
twenty, I never understood that short
admonition from this great philosopher.
Four decades later, now that I am a grandpa,
I have a clearer understanding of
Socrates’ advice, that has helped me
chart what my “good life” should be.
Such evaluation or definition of a good life is
quite personal and unique.
Society’s definition is quite different from philosophers’
definition simply because society often measures a good
life or success with a different yard stick that is normally associated with the
pursuit of happiness by the acquisition of earthly power and fame. Many people of my generation have now passed the high noon mark in the clock of their earthly life. Some are now gazing at the sunset of their lives in the horizon. An honest reflection of one’s life evokes an inexplicable emotion that creates a mixed
feeling of morbid thoughts and a
feeling of an orgasmic release that could also bring some degree of tranquility and peace deep within.
I
have read and now believe that there is a real “heaven on earth” when a person is at peace
within himself and is aligned to that Almighty Power Who created all things, Who found all of His
Creations, including you and me, very good.
There seems to be an invisible magnet available for all of us to
follow that path towards Heaven
or “Enlightenment” as some philosophers call it.
Whatever and wherever that path
to our (heroic) journey lies, you have
to find it, and then own it. Each man
must seek answers to his own questions as no one else can answer that for him.
My
life’s values and priorities will not be identical to any one, like my
finger prints are quite different even
to my own brothers’ and sisters’
although we came from the same parents.
So, are my spouse and my two adult children. Surrendering that I will never fully understand all these human drama unfolding
before me, from the time of my birth to the last day of my life is empowering as it blows away the toxins of anxiety
. It also serves as the oxygen
tank that allows me to breathe deeply and freely. It’s a
life mystery that I’ve learned to
accept.
This act of humility of accepting my own
limitations, vulnerability and mortality has helped me re-define what is the true meaning and purpose of my own
life. What is a “good life” (or heaven) for me?
What the heart yearns, what the
soul aspires and what the mind’s predominant thoughts are,
will serve as the true north compass that guides man’s direction. The Good Book says: “for where your
treasure is, there also will your heart be” . The focus of the mind, heart and spirit then
becomes the shuttle of one’s desires and ultimately defines what his “good life” is. As it is inherently personalized, no one can
fathom its own meaning but the man himself.
The common thread, however, is that very decade or so, the answer changes with age and maturity.
When we were young, to finish college was the most important goal. After college, to have a good job and excellent salary or
have a good business to provide our material needs was paramount. Then, to start a family and live happily ever
after. What a myth!
Once you have a family, another set of
challenges arrives: the young kids’ health
and welfare, then schooling, then coping up with the concomitant problems
or challenges of teenage children. Then,
their own expensive college years that parents normally support. And the cycle of life continues and is repeated
in every generation.
When you are lucky to pass the mid-century
mark or reach a fully ripe age of 80’s or longer, like many healthy seniors now, life can be good if you have gradually
fine-tuned your life’s priorities and values in alignment to a higher calling
beyond just existing, eating and watching TV,
like sharing your life with the
least of your brethren and rendering true service above self without counting
the costs.
A retired
friend of mine describes it beautifully:
“When I was young, what I have accomplished and accumulated served as my trophy which defined me. Now, that I can no longer drive any of my cars, I have given them away which was a great relief
by letting go. Sharing a part of what I have, my experience
and my time with others was quite liberating and makes my life worth living
for. When I wake up in the morning and can still smell the aroma of freshly brewed
coffee and my eyes can still read the
morning papers, and walking in the garden and picking up some fruits or simply feeding the birds in the backyard are simple joys that I used to take for granted.
In my youth, working in he field was like working in prison, now working
in my garden is like walking in paradise.”
AMEN to that, my dear friend! Indeed,
our life is a mystery to be lived, and not a problem to be solved. Life’s purpose is to live, to learn, to love
and to leave a legacy!
-----30----
The
Metamorphosis’ Food for Thought this month:
“ A man is born, goes to school, finishes college, has a good job, marries, buys a house, have
children, then, retires with good
retirement income and eventually dies! Is
this all there is to our
life?”
An entry in my diary
“Your life is God’s gift to you, what you do
with your life is your gift to God!”
Anonymous
“ Stay Hungry. Stay Foolish. And I have always wished that for myself. And
now, as you graduate to begin anew, I wish that for you!”
Steve Jobs
in his commencement speech in 2005
at Stanford University
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