The way to avoid mistakes is to avoid doing anything. But that ends up being the biggest mistake of all.
Instead of living in fear of making a mistake, live in awe of the magnificent possibilities. Grab the opportunities, run with them, and any mistakes you make along the way will be quickly forgotten in the brilliant light of your achievements.
Don’t specifically seek to make mistakes, or to appear foolish, or to offend innocent people. But don’t cower in fear of those things either.
If you should happen to look silly or to make a few missteps on the way to fulfilling your highest vision, so what? What’s important is not keeping up appearances, but rather staying focused on bringing real value to life. Do your best to get it right, and don’t be stopped by the fear of getting it wrong. Give your full attention and commitment to the task, and you’ll quickly learn how to consistently move forward. If you should happen to stumble along the way, see it as a confirmation that you’re getting somewhere. Keep going, keep learning, keep experiencing the ups and downs, and you’ll keep adding real value to all of life.
I’ve opened my e-mail this morning and this is the message I found. What a great message it its and it could not have come in a better time.
I have left my country, family and friends two months ago and replaced my home and comfort for metal container, with a bed & A/C that I call “My room” and an office in a camp surrounded by barb wire. My life is now at a war zone in Afghanistan. Dusty streets, convoys of armor vehicles, fully armed soldiers, bunkers and fire jet’s taking off every now and then disappearing in the distance.
I keep waiting for this notion to hit me in the head where I get for some sort of panic attack resulting - me screaming: “What the fuck am I doing here!!??”… But no… I am surprisingly calm and very busy.
This is puzzling me. Really, it does. I have no life beside: Wake up, get dressed, work, go to lunch (with my new wacky friends), work, have coffee/cigarette break, do the laundry, work some more, then shower and go to bed.
It resembles a lot that movie “Ground Hogg’s day”, you know the one with Billy Murray, where he wakes up every morning and it is the same day every day. The funny part of that movie is that he manages to do everything once he accepts his fate. I guess that is why I am calm, I am accepting my fate.
“Acceptance” – what a powerful word.
I have accepted my way of living and the lifestyle but knowing my personality I am willing to spice things up by making some changes. Yes. I might have left family, friends, parties and alcohol but I cannot, for the life of me give up on my need to express myself.
Oooh-Ohhh….what am I up to now? - You must be thinking.
Well, after a month of contemplating what to do after I’m done with work, I came up with a brilliant idea… paint.
I had this feeling that just did not want to subside. It was born from the basic need to cut my every day routine, so what better way to do it than to have some distraction while doing something unusually creative. Drawing on paper did not appeal to me right now, so I had to find something else…something that is totally Afghan, current and yet applicable to our immediate environment. Then one day it hit me…I was looking at it almost every day…
Bunkers!
Oh yes, you have read it correctly. I want to paint the inside of the bunker! It is a square concrete block that can fit up to 20-30 people sitting on both sides. Sometimes they are covered by sand bags for additional protection so the inside would be perfect to do something different.
Since I would be painting on the companies’ property, I had to ask for the permeation.
…And what do you know, I got one!
I have cornered the Chief of Staff one morning and explained my project and now he wants to be a part of it. (Hehehe) It always fascinates me how people like to follow the wacky ideas.
( Eg. “Gangam Style”, no need to explain any further).
The weal’s are in motion soon as I got the "green light". I will keep it simple due to my very limited selection of paint but if it turns out to be successful, who knows maybe I will get funds to continue with my artcy-fartcy project for the remaining ones. All I need right now is few extra souls who are willing to join me with their contribution, oh and slightly warmer weather.
So yeah, for all of you out there who are wondering how am I doing. I’m doing just fine! I have goals! Small, but fun little adventures that takes me places. Yes, I am getting somewhere, I am doing things. It might be success it might fail but I am happy for trying and doing SOMETHING for a change.
In the end...I am leaving you with this folowing note...
So, what are you going to do today??!
