A while ago, I was wondering if I had lost the ability to enjoy life’s simple pleasures. I was analyzing my situation in an objective manner, and I did not find anything wrong with it, especially when I compared it to other moments. However, I had the feeling that something was lacking. Then I remembered a story that I read a while ago:
A rich industrialist came across a simple fisherman and was quite perturbed to see him sitting back with his feet up next to his boat on a sunny afternoon.
“Why aren’t you out there fishing?” he demanded.
“Because I’ve caught enough fish for the day,” replied the fisherman.
“Why don’t you catch more fish?” asked the rich man.
“What would I do with them?”
“You could earn more money,” said the rich man who was becoming more impatient, “and buy a better boat so you could go deeper and catch more fish. You could purchase nylon nets, catch even more fish and make more money. Then you could buy more boats and could hire others to help you fish. Soon you’d have a fleet of boats and would be rich like me!”
“Then what would I do?”
“You could sit down and enjoy life,” said the industrialist.
“What do you think I’m doing now?” replied the fisherman as he gazed out toward the sea.
**************
A slight decrease in obligations was the solution.
It brought me the ability to enjoy the beauty of a very simple moment today. The beauty of sitting on my porch for the sole purpose of enjoying the relatively great temperature, even though it was a little frisky, but at least, winter colds are gone for the moment. A car blaring dance music could not even disturb my quietness while I was observing the rising of the present day: the darkness of the night paled while birds slowly awoke and made a full blown concert out of their singing.
It brought me amazing outbursts of creativity. The two art workshops that I took for this summer seem insufficient: with the new techniques that I am learning, I could paint many nights away. I therefore found another creative outlet: my website. Is a brand new one really necessary? Given the many positive comments on it that I have received since it went online last August, absolutely not. However, I thought that it would be nice to have a template without length limitations that allows more information to be put on one single page, so that means that I will be able to develop a French version. I also plan on getting pictures in various different settings. I think that I should not divulge too many details or it will tame the surprise effect. Whether necessary or not, a change will feel good.
And now, the moment has drastically changed: I’m off to the gym!
perhaps you would like the following story from the Daoist philosopher Zhuangzi. perhaps you have already heard of it. i myself have found it flawed, after years of reflection. but you seem less flawed than i, so it might work for you:
“A mechanic, Shih, going to Qi, came to Chui-Yuan, and saw an oak tree which was used as the altar for the spirits of the earth. It was so large that its shadow could cover a thousand oxen. Its trunk had a circumference of a hundred spans. It rose up ten chei on the hill before it threw out any branches, after which there were ten or so, from each of which a boat could be hollowed out. People came to see it in crowds as in a market place, but the mechanic Shih did not look around at it, but held on his way without stopping. His student however looked long and admiring at it, and then came to his master, saying: ‘Since I’ve picked up my axe and bill to follow you, I have never seen such beautiful timber as this. But master, you didn’t look round at it, but went on without stopping; why?’ Master said: ‘Stop. Don’t speak about it. It’s useless timber. A boat made from it would sink; a coffin or shell made from it would soon rot. Objects made from it would soon disintegrate. A door made from it would exude sap. A pillar made from it would be riddled with insects. It is un-utilizable wood. The tree cannot be used for anything, hence it could have attained such great age as it has.’ When mechanic Shih returned, the altar-oak appeared in his dream, saying: ‘To what tree will you compare me? Will you compare me to one of your ornamental trees? Take these hawthorns, pear-trees, orange-trees, pummelo-trees, all these fruit-bearing plants. When their fruits are ripe, they are knocked down from them, then thrown among the dirt. The large branches are broken, and the smaller torn away. This is how their productive ability (usefulness) makes bitter their life. Hence they do not complete the natural term of their life, but come to a premature end in the middle of their time, bringing onto themselves destruction by those worldly and profane. All things are like this. Thus so have I sought after the art of being useful for nothing. I have almost died once, but now acquired this art, and it has been of the greatest use to me. Suppose that I were useful, should I have acquired such great size as this I am? Moreover, you and I are both things, why is it that you judge and evaluate other things? And you useless man, near-death yourself, what do you know about the useless tree?’ Mechanic Shih awoke and was determining the meaning of the dream. The student said: ‘Being so taken with its uselessness, why is it then that it yet acts as the altar for the spirits of the land?’ The mechanic said: ‘Quiet. You say not. The altar came simply residing there [without the tree's asking for it]… Even if it were not used as an altar, would it be still in danger of being cut down, it being so useless already ? Moreover, the reason of its preservation is different from that of things generally; but you try to analogically understand it with conventional reasons, isn’t it far off the mark?’”
“The mountain trees bring about their own demises [by being useful], burning oil exhausts itself in fire [when people use it in oil lamp]. The fruits of the cinnamon tree can be eaten, hence the trees are cut down; the varnish tree is useful, hence incisions are made in it. Everyone knows the usefulness of being useful, but no one knows the usefulness of being useless.”