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| 10 years on...will the world ever forgive and forget? [Pic] |
Today is the 11th of September 2011, 10 years after the horrific incident which will take the world forever to forget.
On that fateful day, two hijacked planes crashed into the twin towers of the New York World Trade Center. Another crashed into the Pentagon, the headquarters of the US Defense. The forth one crashed in Pennsylvania.
All these four unforgettable tragedies took thousands of lives and they were no accidents nor coincidence. The planned acts were driven by seemingly insurmountable hatred among groups of human beings.
On the same day three years ago, I wrote "I Guess I'll Never Understand" and wondered why human hatred can be so extreme that nothing else seemed to matter. I am not any wiser today.
On the same day three years ago, I wrote "I Guess I'll Never Understand" and wondered why human hatred can be so extreme that nothing else seemed to matter. I am not any wiser today.
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| Human hatred can be so extreme that nothing else seemed to matter. |
Have we become worse?
In the beginning, the cavemen were preoccupied with physical survival. They hunted and they fought with animals. They became territorial and guarded their turfs. Back then, human beings fought and kill each other because they were protecting their families and food.
Over the last few millenia, men added more sophistication in their lives: language, religion, ethnic and culture. Lifestyle became more varied and beliefs became more complex. It is no longer just about food and shelter.
Today, we need more. At least, that is what most people think. In our hectic pursuit of what we think we need, we forget about some simple facts of life. We lose ourselves in materialism and become anemic in spirituality.
On the anniversary of the painfully unforgettable day, let's spend a moment to take stock of ourselves.
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| Are you losing yourselves in materialism and becoming anemic in spirituality? [Pic] |
On the anniversary of the painfully unforgettable day, let's spend a moment to take stock of ourselves.
Gratitude
We complain and we complain a lot. However, if we were to take a step back, we would realize that we have been complaining about things that we can do without and forget to be thankful for the richness that has already been given to us.
We forget that we were born healthy, we received education, we have three meals a day, we have clean water, we have jobs and we have our loved ones with us. The list does not stop here.
See "Sometimes, I Forget..." and learn to complete the sentence "I am thankful for.." everyday, starting from now.
We are constantly being lured by glitzy advertisements and busy 'keeping up with the Joneses'. We want more the moment we have more. The pursuit never ends and increasingly serves less purposes: A more powerful automobile is not going to bring you to office any sooner in the morning; a bigger house is not going to make your family much happier and a more sumptuous meal only means more wastage.
Do ponder over the notion 'The More The Merrier'.
Now
How much of your time is spent embracing 'Now'? Some people live in the past and feel sorry for things they can no longer change. Some people hope for a better tomorrow but do little to make that happen. Some people often forget that 'Now' is not here forever and there are only so many 'tomorrows'.
In 'The Last Lecture' I tried to imagine if we were to know our 'expiry date' right from the start of our lives, would we have lived our lives differently?' Would you?
Learning
We do not stop learning after leaving our last learning institution. No one disagrees with that but few truly understand and practice lifelong learning. We seem to have loads of reasons why we have no time to keep up. Some of which, I must say, are creative. In 'Lifelong Learning - My Way", I said that it is about making it a habit and making it a priority.
Learn everything you can, anytime you can, from anyone you can - there will always come a time when you will be grateful you did.
Nature
We do not own the Earth and yet we behave like we have another one out there. If all the seven billion of us could be gentler to the Earth, this blue marble can certainly be happier. After all, it is the only thing we have in common.
See "The '350' Global Warming Alert", take a little interest on global warming and see "Say NO To Plastic Bags" and start doing something within your means, at least.
Not forgetting our animal friends. If you plan to keep one at home, do remember that "A Pet is for Life". Have some "(Cruel) Food For Thought" when you put what is left of them in your plates. Take a look at "(Cruel) Food For Thought #2" too.
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| We do not own the Earth. Do live harmoniously with nature. [Pic] |
Happiness
Everyone wants to be happy but many go the opposite way and make themselves miserable. How very odd. Is it really so difficult to be happy?
In "Happiness is a Choice", I wrote that we can become happier if we learn to tell apart what we can control and what we can't. It will definitely help if we always examine ourselves first before blaming anyone. In "Happiness Quotient", I reckoned that the secret for being a happy person is not that complex and we should not make it so.
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| Will time ever erase the pain in the past? [Pic] |
So, 10 years on, with Bin Laden dead, has the world become more peaceful? I am not certain. What I am certain is that each of us owe ourselves the duty to make ourselves a better person. Make this your daily reminder: "Be a "Better Me" Everyday".
Finally, let's not forget those who died, those who were never found and those who were left behind on September 11, 2001, just because some individuals had forgotten to "Think "Better, Not "Bitter".
"If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there'd be peace." ~John Lennon~
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