Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Learn From The Kittens...

I was watching the kittens today as they wrestled and fought one another all across the room. They have this little trick that I found interesting to observe. Whenever one is trying to rest and the other wants to play, the routine is simple. The playful one walks up to his brother and begins to wash and clean him very softly and gently, and by doing this the resting brother is slowly lulled into a state just short of sleep.

Just as soon as this happens, the playful one makes his move. He attacks his resting, unsuspecting brother, usually from behind and takes the upper hand. The former resting brother has no choice except to be drawn into the game or fight, disadvantaged and struggling just to catch up. Of course, the playful brother is happy as he can be now that he has his way. In his mind he has won just by the very fact that he has brought another down to his level.

Life is a lot like this game played by the kittens. Most of us go about our daily lives in a restful state, not wanting to get caught up in a war of wills or a game played by someone Else's rules. We blissfully chose to ignore the playful sneaky ones coming up behind us, stroking us and softly lulling us into that state just short of sleep...and then it happens! POW!!

Blindsided and ambushed, we are drawn into the game or war of wills. It doesn't matter if it is office politics, traffic jams, lovers' quarrels , even simple discussions with friends that suddenly become less than friendly. All of the sudden we are playing by someone Else's rules. We have totally lost sight of our original goals and plans as we are involved further and further in a situation controlled by another.

Any time that we give up control of our choices to someone else, we lose. Anytime that we start letting ourselves be forced into playing by an other's rules, we lose. If we don't keep our goals and our plans in sight and in our mind, we lose. If we slip into a trap of complacency and don't watch the sly and seemingly innocent movements of those wanting to be in control, we lose.

Let's chose not to lose. Let's chose instead to strive to be winners. Let's chose to not listen to the nay sayers and controllers that want to be in charge of our lives. Let's not allow others to chose the path we travel, the thoughts we have , or the way we run our lives.

Let's all stay true to ourselves, maintain and control our own destiny, work toward our own goals and visions, and follow our own hearts. If we keep our own counsel, we continue to be the Captains of our own ships!

Now let's go get some fresh coffee...

5 comments:

blondie said...

Aye Aye Captain Jim :)
Good advice!

I like how the kittens got you thinking about that. I see the same here every day myself. Even though my boys are older now and not brothers ...they still play like they used to.

Thanks for the coffee :))
blondie

HermitJim said...

Hey Blondie...glad you could drop by. Ya know, watching these kittens is almost as much fun as watching T.V. except these two don't seem to have a cutoff switch! If I could only find a way to tap into all that energy...wow!

See ya
Jim

js said...

But Jim, you know where that advice leads to? Divorce. Or no marriage. As the other will never understand why you don't change for him or her, why you don't surrender and give her or him what he or she wants.

The ideal relationship is where neither tries to dominate the other or try to change the other. Where both work to understand each other and the ego that drives most of us according to a hidden script.

But those are rare, aren't they? Although there may be such promises made in the beginning. Unfortunately, for most of us, the ego is just too strong to make intimate relationships work out.

js

HermitJim said...

Hey John...that's why I prefer to have my close friends for company instead of getting married again. I spent the first part of my life trying to be what other people wanted me to be...until it dawned on me that to try and change myself to someone elses interpretation of what I should be was a losing battle.

So now...I am just me. What you see is what you get, and my friends understand that and accept it. My partners in matrimony never did.

Thanks for stopping by
Jim

Anonymous said...

Wise words!!