我的興奮我做主

“Life is tiring and tasteless!”, “My job is dry and tedious!“，“I am so bored at school!”. Recently, I heard these comments from my friends and families.

 

It appears we are all in the dire needs of some excitement! There are lack of satisfaction and things are not working out for us. This can be looked at from both sides. One reason could be the object (life, job, school) is not interesting enough; another reason could be the subject (people) are not easy to please. Luckily, there are resolutions from both sides; however, without reflection put into the second reason, a life-changing attempt could be much ado about nothing.

 

Certainly, we can add some thrills into our school, job and daily life. How many types of excitement are possibly out there? The excitement could be a new thing, a new experience, a new pet or a new person! Well, we all have our own preferences. “I have been looking forward to getting the new iPhone”. “The trip to LA is so exciting and I can barely wait for it!““All I need is a new career, or a new house or a new lover!”. There are tons of interests and each type speaks to our certain need. The choices are endless, indeed.

 

With these plentiful excitement, life should be good. However, how long can those excitement last? A new car becomes second handed as soon as it is driven; a new phone will be outdated in a year or less; a new house soon will be fully packed and it appears small again. “OK, things cannot last long. How about our experiences?” A new trip turns into memories once it is over; a new job becomes boring again in couple of years. “Well, it is good that we still have pet and lover?” A new cute puppy grows into a mean dog in a few months; a new lover loses the magic power once the chemistry is exhausted.

 

It seems we may run out of options, so how about the quantity and frequency? It is always believed “the more, the better!” The excitement should come one right after another. Is it true? There was a reality show about lottery winners. The winners had the ability to own everything and anything that they want and desire. They got the power to obtain excitement every day, even every moment. That is great. They can live happily ever after! However, the show revealed that it was not the truth. Generally speaking, six months after an event (winning the lottery), their satisfaction would return to the original state. If someone was an unhappy and discontented person, then he/she would still feel miserable and unsatisfied. Although they may afford buying the entire world, they might have lost the ability to feel the excitement. According to the show, a lottery winner’s life did not become more satisfying, rather in many cases it turned to be worse.

 

Last night, I found my daughter bought a new pen. She owns so many already and they are all made by the same company. She stated “it is a new version and it is so exciting to have one”. Her statement made me wondering whether it is a pen collection or an obsession. There are ceaseless new products in this ever changing world. How much is enough to satisfy us? Without thinking, we always feel something is missing so we ask “More, please!” Would we finally be satisfied or simply become intoxicated? If over dosage still cannot heal, where can we find the cure? As discussed early, there could be another resolution -- the source of satisfaction to be discovered in our inner world.

 

Life is a journey and we are the driver. Our chase for excitement is on-going ever since our birth. Should it be what keeps us toss and turn at night or should it be what keeps us waking up in the morning? It is the driver’s own decision which requires thoughts, experiences, and dedication.