Ian Weinberg

6 years ago · 2 min. reading time · ~100 ·

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Sorry to pop your bubble but there’s no justice in the world. Never has been and never will be. You see, the most important determinants that went into making who you are and what you do were made without consulting you – your nature-nurture heritage. And before you could shout out “it’s not fair” you were let loose as an independent soul into the big bad world.

They told you that the things to strive for were money, influence and fame - that this would ultimately determine your level of happiness. To get there you needed to get smart by studying and then working hard. And so you studied and worked your butt-off in what became the tedium of daily life. But only a few made heaps of money and even less became famous.

And every now and then there was a downturn in the economy or in your industry or you lost interest in what you were doing and blew out. Sometimes you recovered but sometimes you just couldn’t get traction again. You moved on to another place in another space and kick-started the engines but you really just ticked over on two of the four cylinders for a long time ... sometimes for the rest of your life. But sometimes providence smiled upon you and you lived happily ever after, most of the time.

Yes indeed, many good souls died young and poor while many nasty buggers became rich and famous and lived long soulless lives . But there were also some decent folk who became rich and famous and some pretty evil creeps that died young. And many of the rich and famous were not very happy, although many were. And not all the paupers were hopelessly unhappy, although many were.

Then it dawned on you that you couldn’t make successful people out of unsuccessful people, most of the time, nor could you create leaders out of those that just couldn’t lead, irrespective of what the coaches said! You couldn’t change those who couldn’t or wouldn’t change. You also couldn’t make the unhealthy, healthy. And then you learnt how to prolong life for those that wanted to prolong life but also for those who had given up on life. You inflicted life upon their wretchedness and prevented the candle from gently blowing out in the wind.

And so fellow mortals let me share my peace with you. We are who we are and will be so until our end. Seek not afar or too deeply within, for your salvation lies in simple things. Be curious and embrace that which gratifies you. If gratification is only about money and fame or even about killing then you will live by it and die by it and so it is done, for the die was cast a long time ago. My hope for you is that deep within your narrative a subtle light of awareness glows, that gratification is sweeter when we connect with life, support it and nurture it. Then shall the light illuminate your path and the paths of many others.

                                                               Copyright reserved - Ian Weinberg 2017

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#pop #Ian Weinberg #time #money #life
Comments

Franci 🐝Eugenia Hoffman

1 year ago #27

Amazing, how apt this is today!

Lada 🏡 Prkic

5 years ago #26

Ian, I would say that you didn't pop my bubble. I'm not rich and not a pauper, studied, work hard, never become famous, but I can say that I'm satisfied with my life. There is nothing wrong with accepting and being content living an average life. Love is a necessary ingredient. :-) "Seek not afar or too deeply within, for your salvation lies in simple things." My thoughts also.

Zacharias 🐝 Voulgaris

5 years ago #25

"The presence of injustice somewhere is a threat to justice everywhere..." - Martin Luther King Jr.

Phil Friedman

5 years ago #24

#29
The scary thing about getting older, Ian Weinberg, is that my daughters, who used to groan and faux barf when I told my jokes (mostly puns) are starting these days to laugh. Cheers!

Ian Weinberg

5 years ago #23

#28
Thanks Phil. You’re spot-on with that - the avenging bit! But also with my aging - Just reached an important milestone: I seem to be repeating the same jokes to the same guys - and I’m laughing more than they are!

Phil Friedman

5 years ago #22

Ian Weinberg, I find wisdom these days in many of the things you say. Maybe, that means simply you're getting older :-). But then, again, perhaps not. When you say, "... gratification is sweeter when we connect with life, support it and nurture it ...", I see that as a pearl. I might add, don't let the bastards get you down, the sweetest revenge is making it to the next day. Cheers!

Ian Weinberg

5 years ago #21

#26
Absolutely Ken. Where there’s life, there’s hope.

Ken Boddie

5 years ago #20

A year on, Ian, and the conclusions are the same. There may be no happy ever after, but life with hope is a bloody good elixir.

Ian Weinberg

5 years ago #19

#24
Thanks for the kind words Praveen Raj Gullepalli Indeed it is what it is - we are asked merely to contribute a little value to the mix.🙏

🐝 Fatima G. Williams

5 years ago #18

"We are who we are and will be so until our end. Seek not afar or too deeply within, for your salvation lies in simple things!" - Dr. Ian Weinberg This buzz shall be the light that illuminates your path and the paths of many others. A MUST READ

Ian Weinberg

6 years ago #17

#20
Ken, the revised edition oath is overdue. We're running out of empathy band-width!

Ken Boddie

6 years ago #16

Funny, Ian, how a comfortably slowing stress reduced pace, a well fed belly, a stockpile of funds, and a career where many goals have been accomplished, has permitted me to be more keenly aware of the toils of life and to dwell on gratification. As a healer who has the modern day tools of "prolonging" and in some cases "inflicting" life, I do not envy you the ethical dilemma of your hippocratic oath.

Robert Cormack

6 years ago #15

I've sat through two many dinner parties where the topic of conversation has been acquisition (these days it's medicine, shows our age). A return to creativity and individualism would be nice but highly unlikely. As I noticed at Walmart yesterday, buying stuff has replaced any need for self awareness.#16

Ian Weinberg

6 years ago #14

#15
A very important and pivotal question Robert. My belief is that this consumer driven age, facilitated by the media, has given rise to a collective which for the most part has lost its connection to its humanness. And while we’ve gained in all the wonders of a high tech environment, the price has been a general reduction of individual creativity in the collective to a programmed homogenate. The status quo is perpetuated by the powerful conglomerates who are the major beneficiaries of this consumeristic environment. Life for the most part has become a consumeristic chase which has crowded out a great deal of curiosity, genuine engagement and creativity. And then there’s the fear of being seen to be different. I guess my own saving grace was that from a very early age I began to question the validity of things. The result has been that I’ve bucked the trend in everything – in my personal life, my professional life, in the sciences and beyond. Several hundred years ago I would have been burnt at the stake as a heretic! My hope is that there will be a reaction to this consumeristic mediocrity and that a new renaissance will emerge of curious and creative folk with renewed connections to their humanness.

Robert Cormack

6 years ago #13

I've always felt that happiness is tied to how we amaze ourselves (not other people). I wrote about this at one time, thinking people would respond, saying, "I know what you mean!" Instead, I had one woman write: ""You get married, you have kids, you feed them, educate them, job done." I never realized before how this is an "end goal" for so many people. I also wrote that I went back through my family history, learning about ancestors saving the tomes from Cromwell, crowning Queen Victoria, overseeing the writing of the Bishop's Bible, writing Latin encyclopedias—bringing trades to the New World. I felt tiny by comparison, and somewhat embarrassed. Have we really become so "settled" in the "end goal" of just getting by, having families, saying "Job Done!"? Have we lost that need to amaze ourselves? Do we no longer want to make a contribution to this world outside of "getting by" and having children? I honestly don't know the answer to this, Ian. You've obviously done so much in your life. I'd really like to know your opinion on this.

Jerry Fletcher

6 years ago #12

Ian, There are times I see it like Brian does. But generally I'm upbeat but well short of Pollyanna. I agree, "salvation lies in simple things."

Ian Weinberg

6 years ago #11

#10
Thanks very much for your inspiring feedback

🐝 Fatima G. Williams

6 years ago #10

This buzz is one such light that illuminates my path. It's like those sign boards you read on a journey giving you tips. One thing I've seen is, "I couldn’t change those who couldn’t or wouldn’t change". I agree and know gratification is sweeter when we connect with life, support it and nurture it, something I try to do everyday. Thank you for this lovely genuine out pour and oh yes you did the pop the balloon when you said a few things. We live in the realm of who we want to be and forget what we are . The minute I started valuing what am I, I become who I want to be. IMO The heart knows what it wants and together with the mind leads us to achieving what we enjoy doing. We just need to step away from all the clutter that misdirects and leads us astray. Thank you Ian once again for this great buzz "We are who we are and will be so until our end. Seek not afar or too deeply within, for your salvation lies in simple things!" - Amen

Ian Weinberg

6 years ago #9

#4
Thanks for that Paul Walters .as a writer you would appreciate it - the last paragraph just danced on to the page!

Ian Weinberg

6 years ago #8

#7
Thanks for the kind words

David B. Grinberg

6 years ago #7

Thanks for such a profound blogging buzz filled with important insights and astute analysis to ponder. We'll it's true that I've yet to become famous. However, "infamous"...well, that's another story! (LOL).

Ian Weinberg

6 years ago #6

#5
Thanks very much for positive feedback.

David Navarro López

6 years ago #5

I completely agree with your words "your salvation lies in simple things. Be curious and embrace that which gratifies you... that gratification is sweeter when we connect with life, support it and nurture it" I can say that not always I have succeeded on what my purpose was. The result of my actions is not always depending on me. Except for the things I have done to "connect with life, support it and nurture it". In that cases, independently from the result, there has been always, at least a great benefit, that is, the inner satisfaction that it was done what it had to be done. It is always my delight and privilege to read your lines. Thank you for the "POPst"

Paul Walters

6 years ago #4

Ian Weinberg What a wonderful 'lyrical' way to start the day. The day is warm, the trade winds are up and so to are the kites, its not too hot and in general nothing to whinge about. If thats success, then I embrace it . Thanks

Pascal Derrien

6 years ago #3

Poppy seed and food for thought I like your recipe :-)

Ian Weinberg

6 years ago #2

#1
Popping bubbles just doesn't come easy to me Harvey, but someone had to do it!

Harvey Lloyd

6 years ago #1

Dag Gone It Ian Weinberg there you go bursting my bubble. Mom, Dad and my therapist all told me that my bubble was perfect. Still trying to figure out why mom always put a pork chop in my pocket when i went to play though. Not many friends but all the neighbors dogs liked me. Enjoyed the read.

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