-[The General]- A Journey of Self-Discovery
I don't think I have ever been on such a long trip on my own and definitely not in a foreign country but sometimes you've got to take a chance to potentially find something special. However, I did not realize how special of a thing I would find - a greater purpose. After watching Simon Anholt's TED episode, it made me realize, my purpose would to try to be good.
In his TED episode, Anholt discusses how countries work in ways to ensure that they gain something when they are working in this globalized society. For a while, I've taught about this, how countries, much like people, companies, etc. work in their own self-interest as it is something naturally embedded in our society. He measured science & technology, culture, international peace & security, world order, planet & climate, prosperity & equality and health & wellbeing to determine where countries fall. While I could talk for hours about his talk, he brought up a good point. This was not to measure how happy or successful each of these countries were, but how good they were and that we need to focus on becoming good in order to make this world a better place. The difference? Happiness and success is often derived from our own self-satisfaction, while being good is accomplished by benefiting others, often bringing happiness and success to a person. It really made me think. Working backwards on my trip, there were a number of self-discoveries that I encountered on this trip, with the last, relating to Anholt's talk.
I first found the amazingness of Thailand with its beautiful temples, amazing and hospitable people, delicious food and beautiful scenery. I saw the most amazing of places in Wat Chiwattanaram, part of the ancient capital of Thailand in Ayutthaya, the accomplishment of building the largest Sitting Buddha at Wat Muang, the beauty of the Grand Palace, the beautiful scenery of the Phi Phi Islands, and just a mix of old and new, developed and developing, and things I couldn't even have imagined before I left. I was surprised by all the prices of the food and items around the city (except for maybe in the hotels) and also seeing how I survived the craziness of the streets of Thailand, especially in Phuket where trucks with truck beds full of people, motorcycles/motorbikes, and cars worked in harmony with each other to create a scary, yet somewhat cooperative environment on the streets. A mix of crazy and aggressive drivers, who also yielded when necessary. I also was blessed with the hospitable Thai people who rarely raised their voices, always welcoming, and always dealt with my non-Thai speaking self. To a country I knew little about, I am thankful to you for welcoming me.
I also learned a lot about myself. Traveling alone for most of the trip with an occasional encounter here and there, I've had a lot of time to think and reflect. Being so busy before I left, my vision had been so cloudy. However, having time to explore and be amazed, to get lost and discover something wonderful, to meet others and see their points of views, to understand what more I need to do to become good, and to realize what I take for granted and what I need to treasure more of when I get back, allowed me to come back with a clearer mind. This trip was a deep breath of fresh air that has cleared much of the past that has weighed heavy on me to blow away the smoke to give me that clear vision of what's ahead. While there will be many times when I become lost again, I've learned a lot more about myself and realized what more I can do to have a happy and successful life moving forward by being good, which brings me to my last point.
Through my travels, I also saw how little some people had and how we need to move more towards being good. I am lucky to be surrounded by so many good people who are selfless and give so much to others and I know that I can do even more to becoming even more good. I'm not talking about the right and wrong that we do, which is important as well, but what we do to help benefit others, much like what many parents do for their children. I always think about the stories of mothers who take the last morsel of food, which can often be the worst, to ensure that their children get what they need. Similarly, in nature, it's much like mother Eagle who hunts to feed her eaglets and the concept of paying it forward, helping others who need it without them having to ask just for the purpose of doing it.
When going to visit my sponsor child and her family, I saw the similarities of what I am talking about with the mother doing all she could to ensure that safety of her five children while their father was working, the sacrifice of their father who worked in a different city and only had enough money to come back once a year to support the family, and the Compassion workers who showed how deeply they cared for these children and sacrificing so much to help these people who had so little. It made me realize that while I am doing some to help others and reach out to others through sponsorship, through coaching, through teaching, and through mentorship, I can still do so much more to help enrich the lives of others and head down the path of being good, not to become good but to know that what I do, is going to make this world a better place. In the Thai culture, my tour guide was talking about how they believed that you should give and that when you do, you will become wealthier. Similarly, my "fortune" that I drew at the River Kwai said, "
Your meritorious deeds from the previous life will enhance you a happy and joyful life. You'll be equiped with luxurious resident, honor, attendants, and treasures forever like a lion king protected by bodyguards around him. You'll live a peaceful life forever." I truly agree with that, as while we head down the road of being good, we will not only be enriched by the experience of doing so, but also draw more people of a similar time who will become your bodyguards, as they will influence you to continue to do good, not for yourself, but to ensure the well-being of others which ultimately can bring you more happiness and success than you could have ever imagined.
The look of excitement on the face of my sponsor child when I arrived and just being able to meet her and see all aspects of her life changed me more than almost anything I have encountered in my lifetime. To see how they treasured everything, made me even more appreciative of the things I have and that the most valuable of things in life cannot be purchased. This experience was priceless, this trip was priceless, and I hope that on my path to becoming good, I do more to treasure these priceless moments that no money can buy. Of course, I know that staying on this path will be easy, because on this journey of self-discovery, I also realized how many good people I am surrounded by. For that, I am thankful and will forever be in depth.
While my journey here in Thailand is ending, now I know that my journey is just beginning. We each have our own journeys and I hope that regardless of where we are headed, we are headed in the direction of being good. As much like the light that I have seen on this journey, I know that God tried to tell me this all along as I studied the scriptures, as when he first saw the light, he used the term "good" as well and in that goodness, hopefully, we can all see the light.
