As my contemporaries are starting to retire and having difficulties with health, and, above all, the totality of life is beginning to emerge, a reflection on life at this stage of my life looks enticing and interesting. I have seen and read many different lives with great appreciation. In the end, it is an attempt to make sense of my life, and to find a coherent theme with meanings. My own meanings, of course, because all of us have one's own unique meanings. At the bottom of this reflection is my gratefulness that I am lucky enough to have a chance to reflect on life.
We live our life without really thinking about life itself. Maybe there is no need for it. Life is meant to be just lived, and not necessarily to be reflected upon. After all, thinking about life is, hopefully, to live a better life. What a better life means is my decision based upon the person that I am.
When you understand and find peace, put differently, when you are truly confident, you can be quiet,and cool. That can, in turn, give us the wisdom to let people be as they are. This'll give us the ability to work with people. Work with their strength, and stay guarded with their weakness. There are much we can do with our lives, things to learn, discover, create, build, help, and enjoy. One life time may not be enough to do all the things life can offer. We don't need to be nihilistic, barbaric, or destructive. Life on earth is too precious for that. The only thing is that it is the constant struggle/quest to find that understanding and peace. It is because the next question/challenge should never stop.
Achieving that understanding of life in its totality and finding peace are not easy. It takes struggle and effort, and a lot of luck. Very importantly, The luck has to be provided by the society, meaning that the society has to provide just, fair, and equal opportunity for all. In other words, the society has to create the milieu where people feel the necessary struggle and effort are worth pursuing. People can't fail society but, also, society can't fail people. The society has to provide the infrastructure which can reasonably ensure hope for its citizens and restrain extreme greediness bringing destruction. It is going to be a balancing act by knowledgeable and wise leaders and its citizens. Understanding I/myself is important but, as important is understanding of community/society/country/world/universe.
Pursuit of one's own desire/happiness/pleasure/whatever is good enough by itself. Pursuit itself is a beautiful thing. But it is much more interesting and exciting when we temper that pursuit with 사회관, 역사관, 세계관, 우주관. How I do the tempering is my decision and my life. It is my creation. I feel very fortunate that I have the chance to do the tempering.
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