Sad To See The Fighting For Power And Glory…

One evening, I had a heart-wrenching meal with an old friend who was also my customer.

It was heart-wrenching because we were trading stories about the ugliness that we have seen in the marketplace.

Between both of us, we have worked for more than 70 years in the corporate world.

We have worked in a wide range of industries and organisations, including charity bodies and civic societies.

The discussion actually brought tears to my more soft-hearted friend on a few occasions.

Much later, I had to double-checked my heart to see if it had not become hard, cold, or skeptical after going through these heart-breaking experiences.

We started talking about how we have seen families fight for inheritance. How they put up all kinds of drama to serve their self-centered interests.

Then, we reminisce about the political in-fightings in the professional body that we were once involved in. Many of the schemes and scams in the process would make for a captivating script for a movie.

We talked about how executives would step over each other and even kick their way to the top. We had an almost non-stop pouring of woes and wariness that left us emotionally drained.

I can tell you a sad story about one of my ex-bosses. If you don’t know him, you might even think he’s Santa Claus in secret identity.

He backstabbed another manager to protect his job but only to lose it at the end of the day.

Strangely, even while serving in the charity circle, we have seen more than our fair share of conflicts, controversies and challenges.

We have painfully observed how people fight for power and position, fame and glory, and all for what? Search me.

It’s sad that in the process of making a living, many are not mindful about living life.

Some may not even know how to live and live well anymore.

The modern world has compelled them to run on a meaningless treadmill.

The running occupies their mind but they are not going anywhere with their soul.

There is not much room for developing a meaningful and purposeful life and serving a worthwhile cause.

Along the way, they are subjected to the pervasive influence of a materialistic world.

The alluring and ever-improving commercials and advertisements made them believe in pursuing the so-called “finer things in life.”

They became a latter-day emperor without clothes, believing that they would soon “arrive” and would be living a make-believe life or lie.

At some points, they lose themselves and lived lives that were not their own.

They lived a lie and never quite realised it.

I told my friends, “I would love to bring these people around and see the poorest of the poor, and those who suffer intensely through life.”

Perhaps, they might realize that many of their blind ambitions would ultimately lead to nothing.

All the energy used could have been channeled for a worthwhile cause.

In the end, as a prophet would wisely said, “If you chase after the wind, you will reap a whirlwind” (Hosea 8:7).

I hope that on your journey in life, your motives, means and missions will always be clear. Your actions will be conducted in good faith and for the greater good.

May you constantly seek to put others before yourself and seek a you-should-win-first-before-I- can-win outcome. That is what I call a won-win relationship.

It’s sad that humankind can rise to the highest level of love and compassion. Yet, we can also stoop to the lowest level of hate and cruelty.

We have the capacity to create. We also have the capability to destroy.

We are surrounded by material comforts. Yet, we are also saturated with emotional conflicts.

We judge life by what we have rather than what we gave.

We pursue quantity of possessions but not quality of contributions.

We have a wealth of knowledge, but we still lack the wisdom to eradicate poverty.

We have advanced technology to communicate but we don’t know how to collaborate effectively to bring forth global peace.

We rape and pillage planet earth and we wonder why she does not cow in silence.

Our planet has manifested her hurts and scars through global warming, tidal waves, and earthquakes.

Yet, we sleep through the signs and signals.

We continue our march down the slippery slope to destruction.

Today, humankind stands – literally one bomb away – from the brink of decimation.

We need an awakening call like never before.

Our collective conscience must rise up – for the sake of humanity – to fight abuse, evil and violence.

Tomorrow, when the sun rises, I pray we will wake up to a new day. A new day of love, hope and optimism.

We must stretch out our hands – not for more power or possession – but in compassion and cooperation to make our world a better home.

Together, as one human race, we need to reignite the love within ourselves so as to fulfill our destiny for greatness.

Go4It!

I hope this message will find a place in your heart.

By the way, I have also recorded other reflections.

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Please read my reflections and continue to teach me.

Life is FUNtastic!