Zen Pencils by Gavin Aung Than for November 28, 2016
November 21, 2016
December 05, 2016
Transcript:
Please welcome Alan Watts - What do you desire? - What makes you itch? - What sort of a situation would you like? I do this often in vocational guidance of students. They come to me and say: Student: Well, um, we’re getting out of college and we haven’t the faintest idea what we want to do. So I always ask the question: Alan: What would you like to do if money were no object? Alan: How would you really enjoy spending your life? It’s so amazing, the result of our educational system, that crowds of students say: Girl #1: Well, we’d like to be painters. Boy #1: We’d like to be poets. Boy #2: We’d like to be writers. Girl #2: I’d like to live an outdoors life and ride horses. But everybody knows you can’t earn any money that way! When we finally get down to something which the individual says they really want to do, I will say to them… Alan: You do that. Alan: And forget the money. Because if you say that getting the money is the most important thing… …you will spend your life completely wasting your time. You’ll be doing things you don’t like doing in order to go on living. CLICK! That is, to go on doing things you don’t like doing. WHICH IS STUPID! Better to have a short life that is full of what you like doing… …than a long life spent in a miserable way. And after all, if you do really like what you’re doing, it doesn’t matter what it is… …you can eventually become a master of it. The only way to become a master of something is to be really ‘with it’. And then you’ll be able to get a good fee for whatever it is. Therefore, it’s so important to consider this question… “What do I desire?” - Alan Watts RIDING SCHOOL
catchup almost 8 years ago
I like this. It ought to be taught to every child, teenager, student and adult.I do know some people who have managed to do just that: they spend their life doing what they want, and okay, they’re not rich materially, but they are happy. They worked at something they enjoyed for a while to save, then went and did the thing they really wanted. And never looked back.
Striped Cat almost 8 years ago
In today’s society you are likely to do something stupid for money but more likely than not the money never really comes.
“Even though, the company has record profits this year, there will be no pay raises or bonuses.” “And we are cutting medical benefits.”
greasy old tam almost 8 years ago
Alan Watts didn’t have student loans….
Rcwhiting almost 8 years ago
I’ve always told my sons that you have to find what you love to do and if you do it, it will return your love. How much you earn is a false desire. It can be a benchmark, one of many, on how well you are doing what you love. But it’s only one benchmark and not really a very important one. Happy to say my sons are working through life pursuing their passions and the money coming along nicely. They’re not on Wall Street but I bet A lot happier.
gammaguy almost 8 years ago
How many individuals believe that there’s only one thing that they’d like to do and be good at? And of those, how many believe it only because they’ve been taught to believe that’s how life should be?
leeisme almost 8 years ago
I haven’t read Alan Watts in years — I think I’ll re-read a couple of his books.
hippogriff almost 8 years ago
Mounting on the right? I hope the horse has been trained that way.
surfstuff55 almost 8 years ago
If someone can tell me how to get paid to read, I’d love to hear it.
Night-Gaunt49[Bozo is Boffo] almost 8 years ago
Some writers do make enough to live on. Few do, but it is possible. writers write even if they do not publish or gain wealth, it just must to be done.
queenkimmie almost 8 years ago
What a wonderful thought. Oh yeah, that’s right BILLS!
nawsa Premium Member almost 8 years ago
Compliments to the artist! It’s been 50 years since I’ve seen Alan Watts and I recognized him on sight. I think he taught A truth, not necessarily THE truth. I knew many who considered themselves followers but were, in fact, living off other people (without permission.).
tigerchik32 almost 8 years ago
It’s a beautiful idea to be sure, but I"m afraid it just doesn’t work in the real world.
I can’t do what I love to do because I love to do lots of things, and none of them will make me content. I hate being materialistic, but I need money. I couldn’t make money in my early adulthood because I had to take care of my mother, and now I have to look after my brother. Therefore I have no experience in the working world, which means nobody wants to hire me.
I would love to do whatever I want and not worry about money, Mr. Watts, unfortunately, unless you want to pay my bills or give me a job, that ain’t happening.
Cronkers McGee Premium Member almost 8 years ago
Powerful words, thoughts, and expressions. Thank you.
jopfef over 7 years ago
I tried this years ago. Breeding, raising, and training Warmblood Dressage horses. It was great — until there was a freak accident, and I was severely injured. I had to give up my horses, I had multiple surgeries, and I had to learn to walk again. Reality hit home like a ton of bricks. I switched to computers, have done that for over 40 years now, and it’s been a decent income for me. I still miss my horses, but life goes on.