Sunday, November 14, 2004
One Can at a Time
We all have different wants, but do we know what we want? If we do, how do we get there? How does it bring us the joy of accomplishment?
My father retired 17 years ago. He knew that he wanted to visit his birthplace, TaiShan Village in China. As children, we all support him totally in spirit and in finance, but after a while he wanted to do more for himself. He started to collect recycling cans, soda cans and beer cans which worth 5 cents each in NYC. As he walks every morning, he would sharpen his eyes to spot cans and collect over 150 cans each day, one can at a time. Every three months or so, sometimes less time, he would joyfully announce that he has made it for another plane ticket to China.
My father is now eighty-two years old, still enjoying his vacations to China, twice a year, still collecting cans when he is in USA. Because my father knows what he wants and willingly takes small steps, one can at a time, to achieve his big goal; he finds the joy of accomplishment. The children's money may buy him many plane tickets to China, but won't buy him that joy of accomplishment.
If we search deep inside us to see what we really want and willingly take small steps toward our goal, we too can experience and gain the joy of accomplishment and do much more.
We all have different wants, but do we know what we want? If we do, how do we get there? How does it bring us the joy of accomplishment?
My father retired 17 years ago. He knew that he wanted to visit his birthplace, TaiShan Village in China. As children, we all support him totally in spirit and in finance, but after a while he wanted to do more for himself. He started to collect recycling cans, soda cans and beer cans which worth 5 cents each in NYC. As he walks every morning, he would sharpen his eyes to spot cans and collect over 150 cans each day, one can at a time. Every three months or so, sometimes less time, he would joyfully announce that he has made it for another plane ticket to China.
My father is now eighty-two years old, still enjoying his vacations to China, twice a year, still collecting cans when he is in USA. Because my father knows what he wants and willingly takes small steps, one can at a time, to achieve his big goal; he finds the joy of accomplishment. The children's money may buy him many plane tickets to China, but won't buy him that joy of accomplishment.
If we search deep inside us to see what we really want and willingly take small steps toward our goal, we too can experience and gain the joy of accomplishment and do much more.
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