Changes and Challenges
“I have nothing to offer but blood, tears and sweat!” The British statesman Sir Winston L. Churchill (1874-1965) said this already in 1940 - certainly in a sad interrelation durching World War II. Not everybody might like this remark.
I like it more then Lord George Gordon Noel Byron’s (1788-1824) quotation: “I awoke one morning and found myself famous”. So far so good, but I guess this might happened only once in a million or s. Nothing comes from anything. But Bryon’s sentimental desire for freedom and whining world-weariness influenced the whole world literature during that time.
Blood, tears and sweat because of changes and challenges in our daily life… . Millions Filipinos struggle through life. We, as aliens experienced at first a terrible culture-shock. Yes, living in the Philippines can be a change but it’s also a challenge. Many times our life does challenge us to a duel. I don’t mean the provoking, provocative or defiant people around us, who just try to block our eventually changes in life. These people just make “much ado about nothing” (thank you William Shakespeare!). These people carry their curt and not-binding keep smiling, but since long time, these people didn’t try even a single step in direction of changes and challenges. They enjo their splendid isolation while mourning about their terrible struggle for life.
Since 1999, when I moved to the Philippines I did meet a lot of people. I was blessed to meet always the right people at the right time. My changes became challenges but with success. Changes in life are important and necessary. Let’s alter or make a difference, let’s put one thing for another; let’s shift, let’s quite one state for another, let’s take fresh clothing. Let’s change from the old to the new, from negative to positive, from ignorance to knowledge, from doubts and worries to understanding and awarness, from fear to faith, from disease to health, from sadness to happiness, from “I cannot” to “I can”!
Yes I can live in the Philippines! Because I burned The “Lock Fact” away. Remember, nothing comes from anything!
Hi Klaus,
I like the message in this article. Yes, change is about the only constant in life. We either adapt to changes or we perish in our own misery if we are inflexible.
Hence personally I’ve long ago adopted a mindset of “being open to everything and attached to nothing.” Works very well for me. Even if I go thru painful changes, I only grieve long enough to healthily acknowledge the pain — since I don’t want to suppress it either.
But then I quickly move on.
As always Klaus, your literary thoughts encourage all of us to search our own inner self, and provide us with much to think about as we ponder our own existence in this life, thank you.
we are but leaves on the tree of life, and like the smoke from a distant fire , we will be carried upon the winds of time, ever changing always growing,adapting to each new challange that life brings us.
Hi Klaus-Your blog reminds me of a saying that was common when I lived in Nigeria, it was (No condition is permanent). I think this sums up your message. It’s been my observation in life that those who have willingly embraced change are the eventual winners and people who constantly challenge change are eternally unhappy.
Personally I don’t have any problems I only have challenges some have been big but not insurmountable.
Is the glass half empty or is it half full, always be positive and you will be happy for it is my motto.
Ditto, Jim, on post #4. As we all know, companies now pay more attention to high EQ than a high IQ. No matter how high the IQ if one is not able to adapt to rapid changes, s/he is less effective/productive. Those who are able to go with the flow ends up being the person in the arena — doing things, making things happen, etc. The less adaptable stay on the sidelines, wondering how to cope.
Which reminds me of Theodore Roosevelt’s famous quote from his speech…
“Citizenship in a Republic,”
Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910
“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.”
Hi Angie- Like you quoted “The man who never makes a mistake never makes anything”.
Re. #6. So right you are, Jim. That is the succint form of Teddy Roosevelt’s quote. He was just verbose. Probably he never went to Toastmasters.
However I really love that quote ever since I read his speech. His words were so eloquent; and probably so right for his time.
Just like the prayer of serenity…
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.
In order to be successful in anything, anybody should not be resistant to change. As Angie said, it’s the only constant in life (and taxes! :)). However, we as human beings, sometimes have a problem in having the “wisdom” to know the difference.
And Angie, re: TR’s speech being verbose, hey! he’s in Paris.
Hi Lea,
Like you, I love that prayer (of serenity) as I also love the Prayer of St. Francis. These are simple reminders that I try to abide by daily. Thanks for the reminder.
Hi to all of you and once again for your inspiring thoughts you shared with us. Please let me add this: “Do live for something, where you live”. Besides important informations I love to share some philosophical ideas from time to time, because sometimes we have to recall the meaning of life while staying at different places with different people.