Thank You Strangers

So, what’s the last inspiring thing you remember?

A song that you listened to? A book you read? A picture? Or simply a quality conversation with someone?

As for me, it was a show on a local you tube channel. I won’t be discussing the details of the show, but for me, the seemingly weird - if not ridiculous - contents for some people have actually touched me in a way that I fell into a contemplation. There was a message there. I was led to the channel with a key word that has nothing to do with the message that I finally got from it. Only after watching 2 or three shows did I finally realize that the channel owner indeed had an intention of conveying his particular message.

It was about a belief. I am a believer, and it’s obvious that the channel owner is also a believer. Though we don’t share the same religion, I agree with one of his beliefs that gives breath to the shows on his channel. Now this makes me think. Despite our differences, there is one principle that we both agree upon. I wonder if there are other similarities of mind that we share. So is it also like that with the others? That we don’t have to be similar in many things to have a common belief…

In my life, I’ve met many people who longed for self fulfillment. They were like thirsty people looking for water to drink. They sought tirelessly for something that could bring contentment and peace to their soul. Few could eventually find it. The others were still wandering. It seems that the mind of a human is far bigger than the body containing it. It travels to places outside the body, and outside the physical realm. I imagine the mind is like some kind of an electromagnetic wave, constantly traveling through radio frequencies, searching for signals from certain radio stations. So they jumped from one frequency to another. The output would be various. One time it’s a country song, one time it’s a talk show, one other time it’s just an instrumental sound. And the radio owner would surely stop at the most preferable sound. Maybe I would stop at Maroon 5’s new single which amuses my ears, thus giving my soul a fresh feeling, like there is no reason to be gloomy or to carry any burdens, at all. Or on any other occasion when I feel like listening to something ethereal, I would stop at a Gregorian Chant which escorts me to a prayer. Where would you stop?

If the music from the radio stations are ideas and inspirations that come to our minds, what would be your music for the day?

I believe everyone is a meaning hunter, though different in levels. We ultimately seek for meanings and won’t surrender to emptiness. The world may be filled with disagreeable people, but they are present for a reason you are not entitled to judge. If you don’t like the country song, just move on to the other station who plays your song. You don’t argue with them for playing the songs you don’t prefer.

In the end, be thankful if one fine day, you get to encounter something through someone who delivers a good message for you that helps you discover a meaning, that gives your soul an affirmation about your purpose in life.

So, thank you Mr. Youtuber, thank you Mrs. Author, thank you office colleagues, and thank you strangers wherever you are, who have helped me to meet myself from a different perspective, who have taught me some valuable lessons, even in the simplest form.