What is more important in life? --A thread for everyone..

[Kristoffer]

What are your goals in life?
martial arts, work, family, future, health, money


Is the most important thing in life to get a 'good' job, raise a family and die rich? Or have you choosen/are you thinking of choosing a job that won't make you wealthy, but that you enjoy doing?

I'm in a period where I don't know what to do. I don't know what will bring me the most happiness in life and my future. Should I strive for a work that can bring me alot of money or try to find a work that I infact like doing? I'm curious on what people around here do, on your thoughts. I know many here work, have a family and have lived alot longer than me. When you look back on your life, are you happy the way things turned out? Did you reach your goals?

[shaolin kungfu]

For me, the most important thing in life is being your own person, and doing what makes you happy. I could never work at a job I didnt like, simply because I'd feel like much of my life would be spent hating where I was.

just my opinion

[Young Gotti]

Do what you got to do at this point of life. You have not lived a long time, so live like a person your age. Live like yourself.

What is more important, a good life, or money?

This might be answered with this: Can money buy happiness?

You just need time to think, a thing we have all went through. You are not alone.

-YG

"All are lunatics, but he who can analyze his delusion is called a philosopher."
-Ambrose Bierce

[David Jamieson]

It is said by some that the quickest way to happiness is to remove ambition.

If you "want" something, but cannot attain it in a timeline you create, it is this wanting that will make you unhappy. If you let things come and fall into place, you will be happy.

I am more of a let things happen sort of person and i want for very little. the less I want the happier I am. :)

cheers

[Kristoffer]

Thank's for replying guys!

Getting a job that I like is probebly more important than getting rich. I guess it's the way society portraits the rich as being more important that puts alot of preasure on the young ones.


What is more important, a good life, or money?

In my case I'd have to say a good life is more important. :) I know people who are poor and could really need a better income . Those people might choose money insted of happiness.


It is said by some that the quickest way to happiness is to remove ambition.

If you "want" something, but cannot attain it in a timeline you create, it is this wanting that will make you unhappy. If you let things come and fall into place, you will be happy.

Good way of thinking. But if I don't have any ambition I might wake up one day and realize I havn't accomplished anything of substance.

.....or maybe the other way around. Who knows. haha It's good that I can vent here though. It's nice to know I'm not the only one thinking like this.
On the subject, there's a book by Dalai Lama called the Way to Happiness (or something similar). I might pick it up

[chen zhen]

Dalai Lama is a faker. I can point some way better books out of that kind, just holler

[cerebus]

"Life is a journey, not a destination. Enjoy the ride."
That said, I don't think things have to be an either/ or decision. If you find something you love to do and you're good at it, then you will do it better than anything else you COULD do. From there it shouldn't be too difficult to figure out how to make a comfortable, prosperous living at it. I spent most of my adult life...wait, no, I actually spent ALL of my adult life doing jobs I didn't like. I had the mind set "You don't have to like it, you just have to do it." I was raised to believe that it didn't matter if I liked what I did for a living. Finally (I guess I'm kinda slow sometimes :D ) I looked around & said "Hey! There are all these people I see on TV & in magazines, etc. doing things they enjoy AND making a good living at it!" It occured to me that loving what you do will get you to work harder at it and do it better than anyone who's doing the same thing just to make a buck. Around the same time I got laid- off from a job I hated and so I asked myself "What would I really love to do for a living?" Well, I had always wanted to learn and teach Chinese Internal MA (specifically Hsing-I) so I packed my stuff up, put it into storage and moved out here to the West Coast, found some top-notch instructors and am currently training to become an instructor. I pay my bills by working a low-paying (but easy) security guard job. Right now, I love what I'm doing because I'm moving toward a worthwhile goal. When that goal is achieved, I'll continue with other goals (opening a school, training students to be the best they can be, training further in the arts, etc). And that (to me) is what it's all about. Do what you love. Do it well. Make a good living at it, and help others in the process by teaching them something worthwhile. Peace.:D

[T'ai Ji Monkey]

The msot important thing for me is my Family, everything else comes later.

Having a good paying job and such is nice, but they are there to help me and my family enjoy life.

Your goals and values in life will change as you grow older, gain experience and your living circumstances change.

[Azrael]

I would have to say actually living your life. Really appreciating every one of its many gifts. Approach everything as if it was your first and last time.

[SifuAbel]

Conan!, What is most important in life?

To Crush your enemies,

See then driven before you,

and hear the lamentation of the women........

and be the govenator of CaLI-four-nya.......

[Volcano Admim]

peace
love
and good happiness stuff


...

we may be humans
but we're still
animals

[Liokault]

In the long run nothing is important!....in the short term I would say beer.

[BentMonk]

Health and your family should be the most important. Without these things all else will suffer. For me faith is important. If we're the most intelligent beings in the Universe...we're fugged big time.

[ZhouJiaQuan]

i am also at this point in life of choosing...

i picked bo obs :p

[fa_jing]

Good choice!

I was rather hoping for a link to one of those internet surveys when I saw this thread title. Decisions are too difficult for humans to make properly--we should leave the task to machines.

[cerebus]

Okay, so I gotta agree...Bewbies are good too :D . T.

[Chang Style Novice]

The three most important things in life are oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon.

[cerebus]

Ya' forgot number 4: Bewbies! :D

[rogue]

For me it's family, career, martial arts.
If you "want" something, but cannot attain it in a timeline you create, it is this wanting that will make you unhappy. If you let things come and fall into place, you will be happy. Yup, I've given up worrying about making rank and now just try to get things right. That's more than enough.

[Buddy]

I'm 46. Martial arts isn't even on the list. It's something I do not who I am. My wife and daughter are number one and there is no number two. If there was I'd go for the money. I've had a lot of jobs that I really liked. Few of them did more than pay the rent.

[Scythefall]

My job pays the bills and lets me live comfortably enough. Back in my Tae Kwon Do days I would never have made Martial Arts a priority on any list, but since I've started the Shaolin path, I'd have a different answer.

Kung fu is a lifestyle. I'm older now and fitness is a very big concern that I intend to stay on top of. I've learned all manner of mental focus, from intensive forms to meditation, which can keep all of lifes woes at the wayside. My family, recently as a matter of fact, hit hard times when we discovered that my lady was an alcoholic. We were going this way and that with doctors, having her diagnosed as depressed and bipolar, when she was hiding a rather big problem. I nearly walked out. The house was full of anger and frustration that was physically debillitating. I went to my Sifu instead of walking out and he helped me. I learned my first Buddhist chant and he taught me some exercises to clean myself of negativity. It made a difference. I shed the anger and now she's recovering and we're enjoying a good life.

So, I'm glad to have a job that lets me support my family and have kung fu in my life so that I can continue to be the best that I can be for my family.

Now, do I like my job? It's not bad. I always keep my eyes open for other opportunities, but for now, this is a great path for me.

[chen zhen]

I would actually say gettin p*ssy, but I guess thats not a problem for K
;)

[Merryprankster]

Wow, I'm seeing a lot of things I just utterly disagree with here, especially the idea of just letting go of the idea of wanting something. Sure, it's one way to be "happy" if you can call giving up happy. I'd rather bust my butt and never make it and look back on a life of fighting for what I want than give up.

Kristofer, I tend to come across entirely as a **** when I talk about this sort of thing, but it's not directed as an insult.

What you have to do is make a decision, then act. It's that simple. Decide what it is you want to do, believe you can achieve it, then take the positive steps necessary to ensure you achieve your aim.

The truth is that most people are unwilling to make the commitments necessary to actually accomplish their goals. Don't believe me? 96% of people in the United States retire basically broke. I'm not suggesting money is all important, but I am suggesting that if more people made positive decisions, created a positive mindset for themselves, then went out and DID the things they need to do, then that figure would drop.

[Young Gotti]

MerryPrankster is right. Commitment and first of all motivation is needed to move on. Find something to motivate you.
And remember: idleness is a sin.

Chen Zhen is also partly right.

[Kristoffer]

Wow many replys. Thank's everyone. This helps alot, my head feels a bit clearer :)

Have to sit back and reflect now on all the things said.
piz

[Xebsball]

Volcano has the best reply, i stand by his words

[chen zhen]

nah, gotti is coolest:cool:

he gave me props:)









;);)

[Young Gotti]

Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing. This is the ultimate.
-Chuang-tzu

Always listen to the words of great men.

[Volcano Admim]

"I just came for the beer."
-Volcano Admim

[chen zhen]

i think K feels much better after that quote:p

[Chang Style Novice]

MP - the Taoist ideal if I understand it correctly is to seek excellence but not worldly wealth (live simply) or fame (be humble.) Does this sound like it might be an acceptable compromise to you?

[Meat Shake]

Rich and famous is the way to go.
Happiness is of course, the most important aspect of life, because if you arent happy, whats the point?
I thought happiness was the eternal goal in life?
Oh well.
No time to pour all of my thoughts out on this one. Ill have to get back to it.

[Kristoffer]

I think most famous people tend to be pretty miserable.

[Former castleva]

MerryPrankster is right. Commitment and first of all motivation is needed to move on. Find something to motivate you.

Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing. This is the ultimate.

Chen Zhen is also partly right.

Well,he´s been fed "rights"&"truths" now.
Of course,if he (Kirstoffer.Intentional typo´) is not actually going to act on someone else´s gospel,safe he/we are.

What CSN said the first,has at least some kernels of truth to it though.Pretty safe advice.

On one hand (which I have two of),Kristogger (intentional typo´2) is basically hinting at HIS possible "right" answer in his first post.
Am I to do what I want,with all the ups&down´s included?


Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing. This is the ultimate.

Talk about vague predictions/advice.

[ZhouJiaQuan]

ok, alot of good advise, although i think some of it is a little mis-interperted(maybe like kung lek's advice, but i dont feel like getting into that really).

if you are anything like me, then already you know what you want to do. but now are asking questions to try and figure out what other people say. so just go with what you want to do, it took me about 2 years of trying other stuff even though i was sure it wasnt really what i wanted to do, but it was something i could do. so after trying that stuff and figuring out (the harder way) that it sucked(even though i knew it would beforehand), im pretty much now in the direction i originally knew i wanted to be in anyway. so i just pretty much wasted 2 yrs (i could have pretty much graduated or got a double major by now if i hadn't done that) (could i state this in any more of a roundabout way?)

do what you love to do, somewhere, i imagine, you know what this is, dont worry about what others say/do, just do what you want to do.

"Follow your bliss" - J. Campbell




:D

[rogue]

Wow, I'm seeing a lot of things I just utterly disagree with here, especially the idea of just letting go of the idea of wanting something. Sure, it's one way to be "happy" if you can call giving up happy. I'd rather bust my butt and never make it and look back on a life of fighting for what I want than give up.


If you "want" something, but cannot attain it in a timeline you create, it is this wanting that will make you unhappy. If you let things come and fall into place, you will be happy. These two ideas aren't mutually exclusive to me. How long do you bust your butt before you realize that your either your goal isn't going to happen or something truely more important comes along. I spent 12 years busting my butt to make it as a musician
and did well enough. This goal was replaced with providing a happy home for my wife. Still had time to do marital arts (Kali, Muay Thai and BJJ 5 - 6 days a week) but then this was replaced with providing a good home for my first son. My #1 goal is still to provide for my family. Karate is very important to me and I practice as much as I can. Unfortunatly for me some injuries have not gone away and get in the way of me chasing rank and could be a source for frustration. They don't get in the way of me learning and getting better at what I can do and I'll have to be content with that. Maybe because I did chase my dream when I was younger I'm able to be content, but not satisfied, with where I am and where I'm going. :)

[SanSoo Student]

A serious commitment can truely change your goals in life. But until then just keep doing what makes you happy whether it be music, martial arts, hobbies, etc..
IE serious girlfriend or marriage.

[GunnedDownAtrocity]

tomorrow ill go to work, train a little, walk the dog, do some puzzels with my daughter, make dinner, clean up, read to my daughter for bed time, possibly have sex with the woman, play some video games, and go to bed.

[Merryprankster]

Rogue, goals change, and that's fine. But I bet you pursue providing for your family with the same or even more verve than you pursued being a musician.

The question is pretty simple. What are your goals?

Then, do what you've got to do to accomplish them and don't let anything stand in your way.

A vision without follow through is just a dream.

[Black Jack]

Merryprankster has punched the correct in the stomach then taken it home for a night of watersports and chinese basket weaving.

[Merryprankster]

When I take the correct home, she and I do a lot more than watersports and chinese basket weaving.

Uh...

Never mind.

[fa_jing]

Actually there's one other detail: set goals that you are capable of reaching. That's where wisdom comes into play. It isn't that tough though. These are the types of goals we naturally set for ourselves. But you have to be wary nonetheless.

[rogue]

A vision without follow through is just a dream.


But I bet you pursue providing for your family with the same or even more verve than you pursued being a musician. On thinking about it they are differenct. I can't give up on the family or take a break from being a dad. There are certain kinds of goals that we can always walk away from and others once chosen it's for good. Right now my martial arts goals are changing, maybe it's age but now I'm trying to move away from training to just spar. There's a lot to learn out there and I've finally met up with some people willing to teach it. Nothing mystical, just the pieces that I always felt were missing in my training.