This first post of my first blog finds me in a very pensive mood, which, I think, can be attributed to the sheer volume of work that has descended on us, work that is meant to be completed in an impossibly short span of time. The next two weeks will test our mettle, not to mention our very sanity, and, like our Eco Professor said, "Separate the men from the boys and the women from the girls".
At moments like this, which confront all of us sooner or later, we are faced with two choices- Do the work or do the work well.
Renee Descartes said" I think, therefore, I am". This, I believe, is the very essence of what it means to be human, the quality that separates us from the rest of the animal and reptilan kingdoms, the ability to think beyond the satisfaction of our basic survival needs, the quality that makes as our HBO Professor said,an artist, starving and poor, strive to create his magnum opus.
True as this may be, in today's world, how many of us think, really think, in the true and glorious sense of the word? We live our lives from one day to the next, performing myriad tasks on auto-pilot, doing what we do simply because we have to, not because we want to.
This tendency is further compounded by day time television, by music dictated by MTV, by the videogames and mediocre movies that we watch, all the activities that consume any time left over from our busy schedules. Our minds are dulled by media that seeks to entertain us at the most superficial level. How many of us take time out to actively think, think about where we've been and where we're headed?
As a result of this, the work that we do is done because it has to be done, another result of our autopilot selves, work without the depth and quality it would have had had it been a product of our absolute thought, concentration and passion.
So, my friends and my peers, let us strive to think, think and work truly well for the next two weeks, and that will make the difference as to whether we sink or swim.
