Question
Since adolescence I have always had “my ass between two chairs.” The chairs are: should I respond to insults (often verbal) so as not to look like a coward to others (even if the truth is not far off), at the risk of feeding my pride? Should I “work more to earn more,” knowing it feeds endless greed? At work I cannot accept the behavior of people who slack off, but if I give my best, my coworkers see me as a “bootlicker” and management takes advantage at the expense of my family and private life, with nothing in return (could some of my coworkers be right?). And if I adopt the idea of doing only what I am paid for (or less), I do not feel clean; I feel asleep and jaded. In addition, I constantly need recognition (from coworkers and superiors, which is hard to reconcile). Finally, can I choose a simple life, refusing all unnecessary temptations, knowing that my wife shares this outlook but my children (five years old and one on the way) might be excluded by their peers because they no longer fit the same fashion system…? I have lost my way. Can you help me?
Anonymous
Answer from Master Kosen
You cannot base your life on what others think.
You simply have to be in agreement with yourself.
Kosen