Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Reflections (updated)

What would you see if you look in the mirror? What would you see if you look into the clear stream? If you could take just a few seconds to look into your soul, do you truly see yourself? More often than not, it is most difficult to know thyself. Lying to yourself is not only detrimental to you but also adversely affect the people around you. Examine everything that has been done and solemnly reflect if you have done all you could. Did you enjoy doing it? That would be the first step to doing something well. If not, you may be better off doing something else.
Light bends as it travels through different mediums. At a particular angle, light would refuse to pass through at all. This is similar to life. There is only so much we can take before we breakdown. While the only constant in this universe is probably the Northern Star, perspectives are hard to change. Once the mind is set on something, it is unwilling to deviate from the path. It is difficult to change perspective, yet it is not impossible. Adidas probably got it right to some extent by using the slogan “Impossible is Nothing”. If we are not enjoying what we do, we can try to change our perspective and think positively. Although changing to a positive perspective is a good thing, we must be careful not to force the issue as this would lead to more hurt in the future.

“Reflection” was a popular song sung by Christina Aguilera for the Disney movie “Mulan”. The story was about a girl who willingly took the place of her father to serve the army by dressing as a man. It was a heart-warming story about filial piety. However, in the end, it was impossible to continue as her secret was exposed. You could imagine her anguish of needing to dress as a man in order to serve the country and the song properly portrays it with heart-rending lyrics. Not all stories will have a happy ending like “Mulan” and this serves to reinforce the fact that we are not able to fool our hearts.

We all yearn for a kind of freedom. Just like a bird in a cage. It could be physical, emotional or even mental freedom. As we begin to look for our reflection in the mirror, do we see a bird in a cage or an eagle soaring in the clear blue sky? Are we bound by chains which bring us closer to the abyss or are we sprouting wings and taking flight? The world is a place which is bounded by rules and we are obliged to live by them. However, if we are able to attain happiness even in this kind of environment, we should strive towards it and make it our goal to achieve it. After all, what you want to see in the mirror is really just yourself.

Monday, July 12, 2010

The end of the 4-year wait

After the dust has settled, there can only be one winner. World Cup, in some matter of respect mirrors life sometimes. Sometimes, there can only be one winner. Even when the Golden Boot has so many winners, the one with the most assist wins. Spain, with their tiki tika football has triumphed over the Oranje. Not much surprise in that department. Xavi, the master passer. Villa, the deadly assassin. Saint Iker in goal has one of the safest pair of hands. Iniesta with his telepathic understanding with Xavi. Marshalled superbly by Basquets and Alonso. A dream midfield and forward line if any. The defence with their imposing towers, Puyol and Pique followed by the evergreen Capdevillea and dynamic Ramos, the curse of the European Champion not winning the World Cup was always in danger to be broken. And so it did. Can't say I'm not happy about it! :)