Random Musings. . .by Kui Gathua

  “ Our whole life is set up in the path of least resistance. We don’t want to suffer. We don’t want to feel discomfort. So the whole time, we’re living our lives in a very comfortable area. There’s no growth in that. ” ~ David Goggins “ Growth is uncomfortable; you have to embrace the discomfort if you want to expand. ” ~ Jonathan Majors In a world that often celebrates comfort and convenience, seeking discomfort might seem counterintuitive. Yet, deliberate discomfort has emerged as a powerful tool for personal growth and development. It involves willingly subjecting oneself to challenging situations, whether physical, emotional, or mental, to foster resilience, learning, and self-improvement. At its core, deliberate discomfort pushes individuals out of their comfort zones, where growth stagnates, and into the realm of uncertainty and adversity. This discomfort can take various forms, from physical challenges like waking up at 5 am, intense workouts, or cold showers to ment...

  “ When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight. ” ~ Kahlil Gibran Once upon a time, a disciple asked his Guru, “Master, please tell me how to get rid of sorrow.” This was a big question, asked in a few words. How to live in a world of sorrows but get rid of it! The Guru responded, “I will answer you, but first, bring me the shoes worn by a happy person.” The disciple went away to look for shoes. He approached the first ‘happy-looking’ man he saw and explained why he needed to borrow a pair of shoes worn by a happy man, just for the day. The man looked at him surprised and told him all about his financial troubles that were keeping him anxious all day. “I am not happy, go find someone else’s shoes. He kept walking and on the next street, he saw a lady sweeping while whistling. He again made his request to borrow her shoes for the day. After listening to him, she told him all about...

  “ Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed. ” ~ Mahatma Gandhi Once upon a time, a King sitting in his court asked his subjects – “Which is such a well from which a man cannot get out after falling in?” There was a rush to provide an answer and many people came forward but none could satisfy the King. In the end, the King ordered the royal priest to give him an answer in seven days or else he would be banished from the kingdom, empty-handed. For six days, the priest racked his brain non-stop but could not find an answer. On the last day, dejected and resigned, he decided to walk in the forest. There he met a shepherd who recognized him. Excited, the shepherd asked him, “Are you not the royal priest? What are you doing here and why is your face so sad? Initially, the priest ignored the shepherd but the shepherd was persistent, asking the priest to please tell him the cause of his sadness because he might have a solution for him. On co...

  “ You are never too old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream. ” ~ C.S. Lewis Happy New Month people, welcome to February 2024, week 5 of the year is ending so happy weekend folks. I was listening to several lectures by Rabbi Moshe Bryski this week and I landed on one he had titled What's On Your Bucket List . Did you watch the 2007 movie Bucket List starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman? That’s the kind of bucket list I’m talking about. It is defined as a list of the things that a person would like to do or achieve before they die. Some of the popular bucket list items I’ve seen include getting a tattoo, riding a hot air balloon, and jumping off a cliff. Two of the odd ones I saw were milking a cow and sleeping in an igloo. Well, to each their own. So the Rabbi started his talk by asking, “If you had only one year to live, what would you want to do before your time was up?” The follow-up question to that was, “Why are you not doing it now?” But I will only ta...