OWN GOALS

a word of warning, dear readers
we are on the subject of the meaning of life today
(ed: but isn't that your subject every day?
fireseed: oh shut up, ed!)
so let us start with some fundamental questions:
what is it that makes you get out of bed of a morning?
what makes you tick?
what are your goals in life?
what drives you?
think for a moment
is it money?
saving up to buy a new car
a new kitchen
a weekend break in spain
the children's school fees
'financial security'?
paying off the bricks and mortar
building up the pension
making provision for a comfortable dotage
looking after the family's welfare?
making sure the kids are fedwasheddressednreadyforschool
that hubby's shirt is ironed and his lunchbox packed
'success'?
the approval of others
getting a promotion
maximising sales and profits for the firm
boosting your commissions or bonuses
getting a rise
(oops! we seem to have strayed onto money again)
status
prestige
praise
acknowledgement
recognition
a pat on the back
a sense of importance
adulation
fame
glory
or perhaps the allure of romance?
the search for mr or mrs right
love at first sight
the trophy wife
a soulmate
the moon in june
(ed: what?! in december?
fireseed: i thought i told you to shut up, ed!)
or perhaps something more basic?
great sex
a 10 out of 10 body
the 'ultimate screw'
a beautiful mind?
maybe the footy or the cricket?
if only we can stay in the premiership
if we win our next match, we'll move up to 12th place
shopping?
a little bit of retail therapy
if i buy meself that new pair of shoes, then i'll be happy
christmas is coming!
hatred or revenge?
getting your own back on your vindictive boss
putting one over on that smarmy git in marketing
showing the playground bully a thing or two...
now for the sages of the east
all of these goals are somewhat problematic
representing as they do red herrings
wild goose chases
cul-de-sacs
dead ends
blind alleys
'sins' as opposed to 'virtues'
not in the sense of wickedness, you understand
but of mistaken thinking
in football parlance, own goals
because those goalposts keep moving
no sooner is the goal attained
than a new one takes its place
the thrill of the new shoes
or the car
or the 10 out of 10
quickly dies away
leaving a feeling of emptiness
repeated over and over again
this leads to a perpetual cycle of unhappiness and frustration
unsated and insatiable desire
i speak from experience
dissatisfaction of this kind is the story of my life
are there any echoes in yours?...
so what goals do the great sages suggest
in place of our futile deluded concerns?
what signposts do the world's great belief systems have to offer?
first and foremost
cultivate humility and compassion
by consciously developing the urge to relieve the suffering of others
we thereby relieve our own
cultivate both calmness and alertness of mind
these can be achieved through regular meditation
seek religious truth and right moral conduct
treading carefully among the landmines of atheism and theism
do not worship an all-powerful god
but keep your eyes pealed for signposts
in your search for a deeper understanding
of your own place in the universe
seek not the approval of others
for only you can divine your own truth
express yourself in art
paint
dance
make music
in short, follow your bliss
as joseph campbell said
according to the sages
buddha
lao-tse
jesus
muhammad
gandhi
these are worthy goals
which shall lead the willing seeker
through the dark forest of confusion and doubt
and out into the bright clearing
illuminated by the warm rays of happiness and fulfilment