The Law of Nature states that only the fittest survive, the idle and weak perish. The fast shall escape while the slow shall be caught in the predators’ claws. The mighty shall conquer while the powerless shall bow before the former. This is how life works for humans and other living creatures alike. A boyhood friend of mine recently became a victim of the Law of Nature in terms of relationship. He shared his heart-breaking tale with me when his girlfriend went after someone much more superior, much more good looking, much more intelligent, much more athletic, much more affluent, much more of everything than what he has. All I could give was a word of consolation so that he would move on; after all, he only has himself to depend on. You cannot always rely on other party for assurance that they will stick by you especially when something better arises. This is what human nature is all about.
When I reflected on this again, I realized that perhaps greed is the driving force of our very existence. We always wanted the best in everything. We want better crops to harvest the highest yield; we want to be more affluent to satisfy what our heart desires. Human is never content with others, his surroundings and most importantly, himself. And this is how life works for you and for me. Nobody can defy this fact because we are built in such a mechanism to desire more and more. Many whom I have spoken to relate greed as a necessary evil that indeed has saved us from extinction eons ago. And today, we are still driven by it to accomplish our goals, our dreams and our passion.
Sigh, enough talk about all these negativities, it just sounds so demoralizing. But always keep in mind that all these are true and cannot be totally ignored. We just need to adjust ourselves, leaning towards contentment in some other ways, in order to escape from this dark side of ours.
The coming weeks look promising with the primary 5 camp back at Temasek Secondary, the world cup, Chelsea’s signing of world class footballers, Singapore Idol 2 showcase, CCA and not forgetting the term examinations when school reopens. Time really flies, I wonder if the working world moves at a faster speed than now. If that is so, then it is worrying because we have to keep running so that we won’t fall behind. And the only way out is when after all we have done to catch up; age begins to slow us down. Then comes the unpredictable future, throwing all sorts of challenges, barriers we have to overcome, pleasant or unpleasant surprises and at times, miracles or dreams we long for.
As I reflect again, I felt I have been too much involved in this ‘mission’. One which I would call Operation Handover. There are thousands of uncertainties I have to face alone like “will I be able to lead this squadron to victory?”, “will this mission ends up with casualties?”, “can my brother-in-arms work together?” or “at the end of the day, will what I have executed be worthwhile to not only my squadron but also my other comrades?” Being the captain of a band of soldiers is never an easy road. A wrong decision might unintentionally kill the comrade next to him and the whole mission will be in jeopardy. Regrets are the worst form of feeling a leader can think of. I just hope this Operation and the following events bound to come leave no scars of regret etched in my comrades’ memories and mine as well.
Inspired by “If You’re Gone” by Matchbox 20.
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