Working Towards Something Unknowingly

This writer has made eleven journeys to Cambodia over

the last year.

The experience of this has been something that he has

found to be tremendously invigorating and needed for

him at this time in his life.

Through these journeys, he has found new ways to use

his energies, experiences and skills in constructive

ways that assist others and help him grow more

himself.

To see the Cambodian people deal with their lives,

their past, and their needs and desires in the present

has been something to respect and learn from.

And most of them seem to, considering their tragic

past and the lack of economic and social opportunities

in the present, do it in a pretty good humor also.

Of course, how they are to a westerner and how they

are to each other may differ greatly, as anyone who

has lived in Asia or any other country will tell you

that is something that may be a part of how the native

people are.

Recently I received an E-mail from a young man who

lives in Cambodia, an English teacher who I have been

advising about ways that he can improve both his

English and his teaching.

He, like other English teachers that I have met there, expressed his frustration at not having enough money to

 do those things that he wanted to do and continue with his studies.

The Cambodian people are tremendously interested in

education, as are all Asian people and cultures.

In the E-mail that I sent him as a reply, I told him

that I understood his situation, needs and how he felt

and at the same time to remember and look at those characteristics and skills that he had and had developed

 already, and was able to get something from, be it money through teaching English, or joy and satisfaction

 form being able to support himself and learn and improve his English on his own.

One thing that life, Yoga, Buddhism and traveling

have shown me is that the way we are as people is that

we evolve and unknowingly work to things.

Some of the things that we are working to can be very

bad and destructive.

We may be unknowingly cultivating a drug habit or an

addiction to alcohol.

We may be unknowingly becoming more impatient, angry, judgmental and critical to others.

We may be unknowingly using our leisure time in ways

that make our mental and physical energy more stagnant

or unbalanced.

At the same time, we may be unknowingly learning

something about others and ourselves that will be an

attribute for them and us in the future.

We may be unknowingly experiencing things that will

help us be better people in the future.

We may be unknowingly cultivating a state of wisdom

and insight that will help those that we teach,

parent, raise, or nurture in some way.

We may be unknowingly working towards a new skill or

place in life that will be a true fulfillment of who

and how we are.

Certainly none of us were meant to or can say that our

true nature in life is to be a person who is addicted, obsessive, self – indulgent or angry and judgmental all the

 time.

What kind of joy is there in any of those things?

Of course, we need to have a degree of mindfulness and

balance in order to learn about and see how we are.

It is hard to find that in the intoxicated or excited

passions of the moment, or to really learn anything

from them.

If we make a commitment to something, be it in

Cambodia or The United States, we can grow from that

commitment and the effort needed in fulfilling it.

Interestingly, this does not have to be a commitment

to another person, our work or career or in the

pursuit of an education and a degree.

It can be in the commitment that we make to practicing

Yoga postures each day or the daily effort that goes

into practicing sitting meditation.

If we are doing these things, we will find that they

lead us to something fruitful each day of our lives

and assist us in becoming more knowing of what

attributes we have, how we can use them in the most constructive way for others as well as ourselves and

 where we are going and can go with them.

©2004 John C. Kimbrough

(John lives and teaches in Bangkok, Thailand. He can

be reached at johnckimbrough@yahoo.com)