Paradox of life...
By ahgong
@ahgong (10064)
Singapore
December 15, 2008 2:55am CST
Supposed to be written by George Carlin.
But there have been dispute about it.
I do not know who the original author is, but it is a darn good piece.
This is the portion I particularly like.
"... paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter
tempers, wider Freeways , but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness.
We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often.
We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things.
We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.
These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.
It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...
Remember, spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever.
Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side..
Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent..
Remember, to say, 'I love you' to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you.
Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again.
Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.
AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:
[b]Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that
take our breath away.[/b].."
Nice, isn't it?
1 person likes this
3 responses
@mentalward (14690)
• United States
15 Dec 08
Very nice, I agree! It's things like this that make us stop and think, or at least it SHOULD make us stop and think!
This is one reason my husband and I moved to the mountains in the country... to get back to basics as much as is possible in this day and age. Growing our own food, hopefully bartering with our neighbor, our fruit and vegetables for his meat and eggs, time to sit and think without interruptions, quiet to listen to.
I try my best to spread the message that I'm attempting to convey with my avatar here. I think, if we each do one thing every day that will bring a smile to at least one person, it will help to make our world a better place to live. Attitudes are contagious and I want to spread a good one!

@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
16 Dec 08
ha ha ha ha... I like the way you put it. "Attitudes are contagious" indeed!
I may quote you on that in my blog some day!
Wow, you actually moved to the mountains to get back to basics?
How long ago did you make this decision?
What prompted you do want to go back to the mountains to live a life away from the city?
Wow, you actually moved to the mountains to get back to basics?
How long ago did you make this decision?
What prompted you do want to go back to the mountains to live a life away from the city?@mentalward (14690)
• United States
16 Dec 08
Hahahaha! Quote away! Spread the word along with the attitude!
We decided to do this about 2 years ago. I've always wanted to live a simple life but never seemed to have the means to get started on it. (That ALONE seems to be a paradox, doesn't it?) Once my husband decided he had had enough with the traffic, the pollution and the bad attitudes, we started looking for our home away from it all. We found this home and I believe it was the lake that sold him on it. For me, it was the three acres of land AND the lake (fully stocked with fish, I might add
).
We have neighbors, but we can't see them from our house. The scenery is absolutely gorgeous when driving to and from the grocery store (a great 'visual aid' for a good attitude!), which is 7 miles away. Traffic is almost non-existent. Everyone we meet has a smile on their face. It's wonderful and I'm soooo glad we decided to sell our old house before the housing market took a dive!
I would have been perfectly fine with just the country, but my husband has always loved the mountains, so we compromised and got both.
It was mainly the attitudes of most people we met that prompted us to finally do it. People, in general, seem so... miserable, for lack of a better word. Everyone seems to have something major to worry about or be angry about so we just wanted to put as much distance as we could between us and them.
My husband has his own business designing printed circuit boards for computerized equipment and I've just started my own business which promises to be very lucrative as well. We both work from home. I've been slowly adding one solar panel after another to our house and will one day be entirely independent of the electric company.
I'll tell you one thing, I wouldn't go back to my old life, even if I was offered a billion dollars to do so!
).
We have neighbors, but we can't see them from our house. The scenery is absolutely gorgeous when driving to and from the grocery store (a great 'visual aid' for a good attitude!), which is 7 miles away. Traffic is almost non-existent. Everyone we meet has a smile on their face. It's wonderful and I'm soooo glad we decided to sell our old house before the housing market took a dive!
I would have been perfectly fine with just the country, but my husband has always loved the mountains, so we compromised and got both.
It was mainly the attitudes of most people we met that prompted us to finally do it. People, in general, seem so... miserable, for lack of a better word. Everyone seems to have something major to worry about or be angry about so we just wanted to put as much distance as we could between us and them.
My husband has his own business designing printed circuit boards for computerized equipment and I've just started my own business which promises to be very lucrative as well. We both work from home. I've been slowly adding one solar panel after another to our house and will one day be entirely independent of the electric company.
I'll tell you one thing, I wouldn't go back to my old life, even if I was offered a billion dollars to do so!1 person likes this
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
22 Dec 08
That sounded so good that I too feel like making such a change.
But me, living on a small island, there is no such luxury.
The only way to go in your foot steps is to migrate to another country.
In the picture, is that taken from the front of the house?
It looks really good. So, does the lake freeze during winter?

@kun2349 (23381)
• Singapore
15 Dec 08
Wow.. That was such a long one, and so 'chim'.. lol =D But it's very true and nice.. I totally agree with everything is able mentioned in it.. It truly reflects human life, especially the part, 'we add yrs to life, but not life to yrs' and 'we learnt how to make a living but not a life'..
It's very true.. Life is meant to be explore with more alternatives and also leanr how to appreciate all the beautiful things around us.. So what if one can earn alot, but dunno anything much about life?? We are supposed to be in control of our life, not life control us..
With just less than a decade of life in us, it's actually very little when one really sit down to think about the things to do, except for work.. So, all the more, we should stop working as hard, take time to appreciate things, as they might not be around always ^_^
Where did u find this?? It's really nice.. hehe
@ahgong (10064)
• Singapore
16 Dec 08
Heh heh... got it from an email that was forwarded to me.
And it rings so many bells when I read it.
I especially like the part that went more experts, yet more problems,!
Looking at the current financial turmoil, this could not be any more true!
A decade of life left? You mean a century, rite?
I guess with everyone running the rat race, we sort of lost track of life. And in that lost, we also lost sight of the true meaning of life.
Life is about people. But it is also people that makes the life we live easy or difficult.
So many paradoxes in life. So little time to right them all.
Looking at the current financial turmoil, this could not be any more true!
A decade of life left? You mean a century, rite?
I guess with everyone running the rat race, we sort of lost track of life. And in that lost, we also lost sight of the true meaning of life.
Life is about people. But it is also people that makes the life we live easy or difficult.
So many paradoxes in life. So little time to right them all.1 person likes this

@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
22 Dec 08
I love this. I have a copy of it printed anf glued to the door of my desk beside my monitor. But the one you posted here is a bit more complete than the one I have, so I'm keeping it :)





