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Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Comfort or Growth?

A recent conversation with a beloved friend has caused me to ponder upon an intriguing question: As individuals, if we have a choice, would we choose comfort over growth or vice versa?

In this recent conversation I had with my friend, she was complaining about our university's condition and facilities, stating how run-down and unlively and inconvenient the facilities and environment in our university is. In certain other universities, they have the advantage of having more active student bodies and environment and state-of-the-art facilities.

While this may be true, I thought that since there isn't anything we can do about it, we might as well just make the most out of what we have. Because constantly comparing and yearning for things that we'll never have will just cause us to grow bitter and resentful towards everything around us. Besides, having this "lack of convenience" causes us to work harder to achieve our goals in ways that will help us to learn and grow.


Then, I started thinking... how this applies in our daily lives.


You see, for centuries long, humans have always worked towards making the lives of others better - to provide others with comfort and convenience. But with this comfort, comes a price... of complacence. A feeling of satisfaction with all that we have, and thus, there is no need for much improvement. A feeling of enjoying the moment, and to savor what you have (Which isn't a bad thing, depending on how you see it)


And while my argument of "making the most out of what you have, if you can't change it" may be true, what about situations where it isn't so clear cut? What if there is a door, or a window or even a slit of opportunity for improvement, which requires a certain level of commitment and hard work? Would any of us rise up to the occasion to work hard, learn, grow and make a difference, or would we just sit back, relax and let someone else do the job, because it's easier that way?..