Never give up in life

Post 52 The bull must be taken by the horns

In Spain and South America, bullfighters parade before the crowds in the bullring with courage. They know that they may be badly or fatally gored if they miscalculate their steps. However, the risk of being hurt does not deter them from indulging in the traditional spectator sport, in which bulls are baited and usually killed in arena.

For one to dare hold a bull by its horns needs courage and perseverance. This phrase shows that one should face failures or difficulties in life with full confidence without trying to shun them. For example, a person who started a new business after his previous venture failed had taken the bull by the horns. He had taken the calculated risks again. However, with determination, right strategy and experience, his business would ultimately succeed.

Failure is the mother of success and every failure is a precious lesson learnt. What matters is that one should not give up easily. A person might not have realised how close to success he was when he gave up. Thomas Edison could have failed after 10,000 experiments; but he took the bull by the horns and finally succeeded in developing the electric light bulb.

29 June 2010

Leading an easy life

Post 51 Be waited on hand and foot

When one is waited on hand and foot, one has only to open one’s mouth to be fed and hold out one’s hands to be dressed. One then is able to lead an easy life, with everything provided for. However, there is always a tendency for a person to be a spendthrift when he is waited on hand and foot. To avoid being a wastrel, he must therefore learn to appreciate the value of everything that he has.

In reality almost all parents have high expectation of their off springs. As such they try their best to create an environment of being waited on hand and foot for their children. They would rather their children only concentrate on their studies, without having to do any house work. This has deprived their children the opportunity to learn everyday practical life.

On another aspect, there is also the likelihood that people who suddenly become rich or important would throw money about like dirt. They begin to lead an easy life and may forget their roots. The windfall helps to expose their strengths or weaknesses in character. This also applies to richly endowed nations which rush to deplete their natural resources and wealth as if tomorrow never comes. They live luxuriously on overdraft from their future generations.

22 June 2010

Speak with grace

Post 50 To speak kindly does not hurt the tongue

This proverb tells us much about how one’s conversation with others should be. Any conversation that is seasoned with salt will have an edifying and lasting effect. It is also said that kind words are worth much and they cost little. As what we say comes out from our heart, our speech reflects what kind of a person we are.

There is a Chinese proverb which says that a word once spoken cannot be overtaken even by a team of four horses. What is said therefore cannot be unsaid. Hence, one must weigh one’s words before uttering them lest they may be hurting to others. Silence is golden can be applied when one’s tactlessness in speech may cause offence.

When one speaks with grace, one cannot be the party in an argument. It takes two to make a quarrel. A gracious person will also not be an aggressive person who likes to pick a quarrel. Hence, in a society where there is harmony between man and man, all are at peace with one another.

The Butterfly Effect starts from individuals whose attitude in speaking kindly can be emulated by others.


15 June 2010

The buffalo of Wu pants at the sight of the moon

Post 49 An extreme fear of something

There was a Minister who served under Emperor Wu of the Jin Dynasty. He was scared of exposing himself to wind and felt very uncomfortable to have wind blown against him. Once he had an audience with the emperor who told him to sit by a window. There were a few transparent screens shielding the seat from the wind.

Apparently as the screens were transparent, it gave an impression that the wind was blowing in from the window. The minister who had a phobia about wind hesitated to take his seat offered by the emperor. His facial expression showed that he had an extreme fear of something which the emperor was not aware of.

Emperor Wu then smiling asked his minister what it was all about. The minister then answered, “I am like a buffalo from Wu that mistook the moon for the sun and panted as if the heat was there.”

This idiom is used to describe someone who is extremely scared of something.

8 June 2010

Backbone

Post 48 Strength of character

A person who works hard to earn an honest living has backbone; whereas a person who expects handouts from others is in want of it. It is even more pitiful when a person tries to profit by other people’s toil.

In order to manifest our strength of character, we must have the attitude of wanting to excel in whatever we do. The culture of self-reliance and self-respect must be present. Success has much to do with our perspective in life. We can choose to muddle along and be mediocre and incompetent, or commit ourselves to working diligently with enthusiasm. We can choose to walk tall or blame others for our failures.

Respect is earned not demanded. It is the attributes like kindness, integrity, determination, diligence and forbearance which earn a person respect from others. We need people with such qualities to make this world a better place to live in.

Take a positive attitude, be inspired, and be committed in our endeavours. Life will then become meaningful.


1 June 2010