How Not to Let Life's Trivialities Cloud Your Judgment and Turn Your Blessings into Burdens ~ Week 6
Pierre Stanley Baptiste
Curious Generalist on a mission to integrate 1M Haitians into the digital economy. I build digital assets, democratize tech skills, craft experience, and design educational programs. - Author Underdog Revolution
The fact is that in the day-to-day trenches of adult existence, banal platitudes can have a life or death importance. ~ This is Water by David Foster Wallace - 2005
No one is immune to the pettiness and boredom of life. We all deal with insignificant disputes, as well as the stupidity and greed of humanity and our own.?
The holy grail is to face them without losing ourselves in them, to the point of losing our ability to Think (capital T). A fulfilled life resides in our ability to deal with the pettiness of life without becoming petty. Most importantly, without being so sure of our perception, that it distorts our reality.?
A few years ago in Pétion-Ville, two guys fought, then shot the other over a side of spicy cabbage “pikliz ”. If you had asked the perpetrator if he would have killed over a pikliz, he would have said no. In the heat of the moment, his perception convinced him that was all that mattered.?
Maybe he felt disrespected or was sure the other guy wanted to bother him. This certainty of perception drove his behavior. Forgetting it was all about a f* spicy cabbage.?
I cannot count the share of disagreements and disputes, I have had due to banal platitudes; overpowering all other significant gifts in my life.?
Now I am asking you, my friend:?
Will you let the pettiness of life dominate your life, or will you fight day in and day out to choose your reaction??
Some days we will be too tired to choose. At least, we will be aware of a lost fight instead of ignoring the whole battle.?
“When you wake up in the morning, tell yourself: The people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous, and surly. They are like this because they can’t tell good from evil. Not to feel exasperated, defeated, or despondent because your days aren’t packed with wise and moral actions. But to get back up when you fail, to celebrate behaving like a human–however imperfectly–and fully embrace the pursuit that you’ve embarked on.“ Brilliantly said Mark Aurelius.?
I ask: what will you do?
This is a part of my upcoming book, "Commencement," which features a series of 52 reflections inspired by the most inspirational speeches I've read over the years. These reflections will help you commence each new week with intention.