Reality: A Timebomballon

2023.12.19 | #41

Happy Reality Day! Here is your weekly dose of reality to help you live 1% happier↓

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❤ 1 Insight From Me

I often write in a Starbucks.

Two days before, just when I finally started to get into the writing state after staring at the blank slate for two hours, just when my inspiration was pouring and my thoughts were flowing, suddenly I heard a huge “bang” right next to me.

The whole cafe became quiet in one second. The talking, laughing, typing, and snoring were all gone. Even the Christmas songs on the speaker stopped.

More than 20 people in the store all raised their heads at the same time and looked three meters in front of me.

A little boy was standing there with a confused look on his face, staring at the balloon in his hand, or the balloon that was in his hand just now.

It’s the kind of balloon that use several long strips twisted into a puppy shape.

After 2 seconds, everyone resumed their chatting and laughing, and the sound of the speaker also continued.

But I can’t.

Because although the body of the balloon puppy was gone, its head was still there. And the little boy didn’t take the explosion seriously at all, and was still holding the remaining part of the balloon, swinging it around in the air, rubbing it on the ground, and knocking it on his grandma’s head.

Now he is fine but I am screwed.

Because the remaining balloon in his hand will explode at any time. A timebomballon.

I just looked at the balloon he was waving around, thinking about the explosion that would happen at any time, but I didn’t know when it would happen. I sat there 3 meters away in fear.

In fact, this balloon that can explode at any time is not just a balloon. If you think about it carefully, you will find that our entire life is like this balloon.

You don’t know what tasks you will receive when you go to the company tomorrow.

You don’t know where a car will come out when I’m walking on the road.

You don’t know if you can pass the final exam after studying for so long.

Don’t know where your future is

You don’t know when this relationship will have problems.

You don’t know when your parents will get sick.

You don’t know when you will leave this world…

If you think about it carefully, you will find that there are very few certain things in life. The whole life is almost uncertain, and often it is just like this balloon, which will eventually die without letting you know what day it is.

Back to this balloon. How to face this timebomballon?

I told myself: To me, the balloon had already exploded.

After accepting this result, I thought about the sound of its next explosion in my mind, took three deep breaths attentively, and calmed down.

Then he started typing on the keyboard again.

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❤ 1 Insight From Others

“Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart…live in the question.”

― Rainer Maria Rilke

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❤ 1 Small Step To Take

“Balloon Test”

Some people have to go to the bank to run a small errand the next day, and are too nervous to sleep the night before.

Some people are going to be beheaded the next day, but they sleep like pigs the night before.

I came up with a test of how much you worry about the unknown things in your life: the “balloon test.”

Just think about this balloon in a child’s hand that can explode at any time. To what extent can you ignore it and focus on what you are doing?

PS: What does “mentally strong” mean?

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Until next week,

Ted Wild

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