This morning I felt like having uni (sea
urchin roe) for breakfast and I did. We
bought a tray, how they are usually sold, from Troy over the weekend and it was
sitting in the fridge. It’s not a
typical breakfast option and certainly a luxury in Asia where the same tray
would sell for at least 2.5 times what I paid.
 |
| We call it "roe" but I've also read that these are actually the sea urchin's gonards, or that which produces the roe, or sexual organs. |
Where I am going with this post is the
thought of how I can do what I please, and the responsibility that comes with
that freedom. Actually, I came to this
realization in my teens. My parents
weren’t particularly involved in my life and I didn’t have a strong religious
grounding. This realization didn’t cause
me to go wild; my greatest regret was probably lack of discipline.
What that realization created was a fear;
that if I didn’t set my own “operating framework” and principles (原则 was a very hot topic during my secondary
school years), I would grow up to be one of those people I didn’t like at that
time – inconsiderate, no integrity, questionable values. My head was screwed on right and I think peer
influence had the most to do with that…and I’m eternally grateful.
I haven’t move on much from there, and maybe it’s a good thing. I continue to battle
to become better at how I react to people, withhold judgment and get along. I continue to dig deep for the discipline to
drive my work…and take care of my body.
And that’s the fine point - that you, and
only you, are accountable for your actions because you are free to choose what
to do or how to respond. (I know some will argue that there are
situations where you have ‘no choice’ when you really mean that the options are not ideal either. Tell
me about such a situation when you feel you truly had no options and I’m pretty confident I can point out some choices you had that you didn’t
take…which speaks to the importance of having people you can reach out to with
whom you can discuss your dilemmas.)
Do I eat Cheetos today? Do I really need that piece of
chocolate? Do I ignore that call for
donations or can I do something? Should
I add another activity to my week, such as volunteer work, or should I watch
TV? Do I need an MBA or should I invest
my time in reading many other stuff instead?
Should I be upset that my contributions weren’t recognized or celebrate the
team’s win instead? Should I expose
someone’s plagiarism or walk away? Should
I let the comment that I’m the teacher’s pet bother me and not be as
conscientious? Should I reach out to
that colleague, or not?
I dont' always make the best decisions, but most of the time, I will pause to consider the consequences. I had uni for breakfast, and I know that nutritionally, it has low calories and high omega-3 fat content. How bad can that be? :oP
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