Create The Noise. Change Your World.

This is a continuation in a blog conversation with Albert Foong from Urbanmonk.net.

 It finally happened to me. I’ve heard stories about them, but never been confronted by one. Maybe I look too innocent. Actually, they probably know that I’m going to burn.

I was jogging by the lake as I always do in the evenings. Sweat was pouring down my face (I must’ve gone at least a quarter mile) and I noticed a guy in front of me. He was leaning against his bike and talking with someone who seemed annoyed. She was sweating. He wasn’t.  It just so happened that when I began to jog by him, he was ready to start a conversation with me. He handed me a pamphlet from the 70’s with two men shaking hands and asked me a question.

 Do you see the world as an opportunity to succeed or as an opportunity to build?

[photo by: Muddy Funkster]

Albert Foong from Urbanmonk.net and I have started emailing each other and discussing different topics in personal growth. We actually started it from the beginning with the intention of placing it on our blogs. We decided to keep the topic simple for the first rounds of conversation and first tackle the relationship between selfishness and sacrifice.

Albert Foong - The Urban Monk

Albert is the creative voice on Urbanmonk.net. He writes deep articles on personal growth. Going beyond the typical “If you follow my advice then you will feel happy”, and diving into the psychological, philosophical and spiritual realities behind issues such as compassion and aloneness.

I have read Atheistwager’s reflection and am quite amazed at the many similarities between ours. We both struggled through a circumstance and stayed persistent throughout it. His story of self-will inspires and resonates within me. It is extremely difficult and lonely to continue to a goal when everyone doesn’t care or believes that you should give up. I applaud him tremendously for his strength.

I have to be honest that I don’t really know how to respond to his post from a faith perspective. Mostly, I agree with his opinion that bad luck comes upon everyone. I recently wrote about this in my post Shit Happens. It really isn’t about the actions from a bad experience that is important but our reactions that we chose from it. The only thing I disagree on is that knowing God exists through tough times.