Anyone who knows me to some degree of detail will tell you that I don’t do things by half but this past week, I’ve been spread so thinly I haven’t been able to give anything 100%. This grates on my nerves not only because it is against my nature to do things slowly, badly or incompletely but also because this month, being Ramadan, should be the one which brings the most focus and calm; elements that simply have not transpired over the past week.
Perhaps it’s the lack of sugar that’s leaving me feeling low. Not to mention the lack of water that not only leaves me headachy towards the end of the day but has caused a continuous production of spots on my face. Yes, this should be least of my worries and usually I wouldn’t really give it too much thought but y’know, I’m getting married five days after Ramadan ends and no bride wants icky skin on her wedding day. Oh well, ho hum.
Other than generally feeling close to zero, I’ve been reading books and grinding my teeth over the season 2 finale of Lost. I have also (after almost ten years) discovered Outlandish who are sort of a weird combo of European hip-hop/Asian fusion/rap group based in Denmark and no, it’s really not as bad as it sounds. The three members hail from Morocco, Pakistan and Honduras respectively and write lyrics that are important and insightful and they are actually quite good.
Speaking of “good” leads me onto something else I have been considering this week. I am so glad that I started writing because whilst I’m not a Pulitzer prize winner or anything, it’s something that I really enjoy and something (I like to think) I’m relatively good at. And finding that one thing you love, enjoy and are good at is a rare gift. It makes me wonder how people who are truly great at something must feel. I am in awe of those people who are at the top of their game and who forge ahead with unwavering self-belief and commitment. From Mohammed Ali to Michael Schumacher, these men have done things that no-one else could achieve and that is both enviable and inspiring.
I went through the fog that was Computer Science and whilst I still work full time in IT, I found my one thing. Everyone out there must be good at one thing. They must have one talent, one field that they love and are good at. I don’t want to go all John Keating on you but so many of us waste our lives on the 9 to 5 without ever discovering this one thing so I urge you to think about what you want to do and take it up. I’m not saying you should leave your job or spend your life savings but think about the one thing you might be good at and try it. Whether it’s something as simple as enrolling in an evening class to learn a language or taking piano lessons, do it. Attack life my friends because when all is said and done, it’s going to kill you anyway.