Taking time for a little reflection on one's life......

I'm sure that many of us have been in the position where they have made a list of goals at certain points through one's life & over time the goal posts have moved.

I have made such a list at certain times, with some goals being total pie in the sky stuff & others being everyday achievable.

I have excelled at some, failed miserably at most & yet every day the alarm clock still goes off with the only significance being that I have another grey hair on my head & a day less to live.

Even after completing a goal that is important to me, I sometimes sit back & with the benefit of hindsight, think to myself - why was that so important in the scheme of things & how is my life going to be so greatly different from this day forward.

Things that I couldn't give a rat's about twenty years ago, are suddenly the most enjoyable moments in my existence.

So - what should one do with one's life?.....

Toe the line & do what soceity tells you that your position deserves?

Be happy with what you have?

Become an outlaw and rob the Orient express?

Who knows?

All I know is that whatever I achieve it is not enough & I'm very rarely happy with the result past the initial euphoria of the moment.

Should one settle for less or reach out and grab for more?

This is probably mid-life crisis material - however for those who would like to offer some commentary & advice it would be much appreciated.

Thanx for listening,

Your neighbourhood sound dude.

Life is what it is.. never regret, but always aspire !

totster

Actually, I thought that was pretty profound, so I made it my sig.

Totster

I have been able to largely rid myself of attachment to outcomes. In that way I gain my enjoyment from the journey rather than the destination. Never euphoric, but generally contented and choose to find most things satisfactory

I'm sure that many of us have been in the position where they have made a list of goals at certain points through one's life & over time the goal posts have moved.

My "Tick the box" thread was asking the very same question.

I have excelled at some, failed miserably at most & yet every day the alarm clock still goes off with the only significance being that I have another grey hair on my head & a day less to live.

Tell us more.

Well - where to start???? Somehow I think that baring the sole & pulling all the rusty skeletons out will take another case of beer.

Here is an analogy.

You are dealt a hand of cards at birth & it is up to one's self how they are played.

however

no matter what one aspire's too - the ace of spades rarely appears at the right time.

so - where does that leave us?

Capatalise on what one has - or - play for the best hand you can get - whatever the cost....

FIIK

No regrets in my life - only un-realised goals that fade into oblivion with the rapid pace of changing times.

As an eighteen year old I always wanted a 928 Porche. Never bought one & now who would want a POS like that?

Bought a Jaguar in mmy early twenties though - big mistake!

I believe that if your not getting dealt an Ace, you should change the game you're playing.

But what about the poor guy who gets a pair of two's stapled to his birthcard?

But what about the poor guy who gets a pair of two's stapled to his birthcard?

No regrets in my life - only un-realised goals that fade into oblivion with the rapid pace of changing times.

Thats pretty much what I said... almost..

Totster

Apart from making exceedingly good cakes, I think Mr Kipling said it best......

IF you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or being hated, don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;

If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

' Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,

if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

The lines that make me twitch are

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;

If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat those two impostors just the same;

I used to score zero on those.... now I get about a five.

What a depressing thread (only a few rays of sunshine breaking through the clouds). 'Life. Don't talk to me about life.'

I exceeded my mothers expectations. She wanted me out of the house by 18, i left at 16. She still cried though

I've not often lived up to expectations, but I've lived the un-expected on the way.

As lannarebirth said, I've gained my pleasures from the (sometimes) tumultuous journey, rather than focussing on destinations.

I've not often lived up to expectations, but I've lived the un-expected on the way.

As lannarebirth said, I've gained my pleasures from the (sometimes) tumultuous journey, rather than focussing on destinations.

Well, that's my view since my "rebirth". Before, in the West I did set goals and achieved them. It's very easy there, as most criteria is objective. You can go to any school, get any job, buy practically anything if you know what hoops you need to jump through to do it. Here, I've shed all that, because most of the things that may have seemed important at that time, just aren't anymore. That may be a luxury afforded me by hitting my prior goals however. I'll have to think about that.

I find this thread deep and profound.

Yes - disturbing, isn't it...

Sorry, too much depressing feeling came through on the OP. Alcohol induced thoughts.

Anyway - the new word is "aspiration" - just to compliment BJ's life achievemnet thread.

I'm aspiring to being a motivated enough person & a better leader to look after the ever increasing roles of responsibility that come with a young family & a business where the staff rely on you to bring in enough bacon to put food on the table week in, week out & have some left over to play with.

Cheers.

I'm aspiring to being a motivated enough person & a better leader to look after the ever increasing roles of responsibility that come with a young family & a business where the staff rely on you to bring in enough bacon to put food on the table week in, week out & have some left over to play with.

Sounds more like a companies mission statement than a personal aspiration

Put more ooomph into it man

Life is the journey, goals are the milestones (not millstones) on the journey, while it is nice to achieve them they are the not the meaning of life.

As you go through life you achieve your goals or re-evaluate them in the context of your circumstances. The goal to be be the youngest olympic athlete is fine as a kid, just being one is more achievable later, and later still just doing some exercise becomes the goal, all can motivate you but some of the young ones get a little harder as we mature.

Enjoy the journey or become a miserable old coot.

Enjoy the journey or become a miserable old coot.

I'm miserable when i have to get the bus up to Chaiyaphum. Fortunately that journey is only 5-6 hours, i then turn back into being a happy bunny.

I'm aspiring to being a motivated enough person & a better leader to look after the ever increasing roles of responsibility that come with a young family & a business where the staff rely on you to bring in enough bacon to put food on the table week in, week out & have some left over to play with.

Sounds more like a companies mission statement than a personal aspiration

Put more ooomph into it man

Well I am a "poster boy" for how not to run a company in Thailand correctly! Thank goodness I have the wife to supply just a little organisation to my life.

Just keeping up with all the BS you have to invent to run a 20+mil Baht per year business "out of your wallet" on daily basis is enough to drive anybody nuts.

By the by...

Thank goodness for viagra CP - I'll never become an old crochety niggling fart.

whoops, ooomph.......

Ummm errrrr

Let's get into it boys - we have speakers to build. Deadline is next week. Hurry up - get a move on. A night in Pattaya and free beer & go-farts if we make it. If I catch anyone having a pull in the toilet or slacking off - no Pattaya pretties & dunny cleaning for a month. Let's go! Hustle, Hustle, Hustle.

Carrot & stick - works for all nationalities.

I'm doing a lot better than expected.

I doing better than some ever expected, but they haven't seen anything yet!