Do you ever get sick of yourself?
I mean really weary and fed up.
When, if it were anyone else you’d just walk way?
But that’s it, isn’t it.
When it is yourself, there is no escape!
In ancient Greece a young girl committed suicide and
suddenly there was an epidemic of copycat suicides among girls her age in the
city. It reached such a pitch that the
senate needed to act. So one elderly
senator introduced a law, which stopped the loss of life immediately.
What was the law?
They introduced a law that if a young woman committed
suicide her naked body would be carried through the market place for all to
see. This stopped the dreadful
avalanche of death. Evidently, fear of
shame was a fate worse than death.
So, for dire situations we need effective strategies. When life takes a deep plunge into despair I
have my own technique. You can tell I
am a pessimist from the constant cheery refrain I am prone to reassure myself
with, at such times
“However awful life appears, it can always get worse!”
In other words, whatever calamity we face usually there is
another one possible that makes the present one seem like a picnic. For some reason, that calms and soothes my
spirit. Things seem suddenly not so bad
at all.
Another positive take is however awful I may be, whatever
dreadful deed I may have done/omitted I have a few minutes, hours, months to
alter and to make amends. Making things
right is not achieved by silent contemplation of my navel. No, my worth is probably measured on what my
contribution to this world has been, in real terms.
So, being heartily sick of oneself can be a really good
thing. It is the diagnosis of a skilled
physician who sees the problem and then seeks the remedy. Too often we get hung up on the first
step. That honest introspection needs
to be followed by action and deeds.
The world is weary of words
We want to see our life mean something
That change we seek within ourselves
Will always be linked with the change
Our lives bring to others.
Perhaps that is why we are still here!
