Procrastination

我們人類大多患有拖延症。

We humans procrastinate. 

當我們面對一件事情時,通常都會有複數的可能方法去處理它。在我們決定選擇一個方法並將其付諸行動前,所有的可能性都仍然是可行的;一旦我們將決定付諸行動後,所有其他的可能性自然而然的不復存在。換句話說,我們的行動殺死了這些可能性。

When confronted by one matter, there are always multiple possible ways to approach it. Before we make a decision and put it into action, all the possibilities are valid; once we put the decision into action, there are naturally no longer other possibilities. In another word, our action kills off the possibilities. 

諷刺的是,如果沒有這個殘忍的「可能性殺戮行動」,我們將無法前進並超越我們一開始面對的事情。

The irony is, without this savage “killing of possibilities”, we can not move forward beyond the matter that confronted us in the first place. 

我們拖延,只是因為我們害怕。

We procrastinate, just because we are afraid. 

Muscle reflex

「我是怎麼到達這裡的?」是一個當我發現自己週六清晨趴在衝浪板上時,常會問自己的問題。這是一個直白的問題,尤其當這個清晨是一個又冷又風大的寒冬清晨。

“How did I get here?” is a question I sometimes ask myself, when I find myself on a surfboard early on a Saturday morning. It is a literal question, especially when the morning is a cold windy one in the midst of winter. 

one amazingly dreamy foggy sunrise

one amazingly dreamy foggy sunrise

問題的答案一樣直白。我會在這48小時前開始觀察浪潮資訊,選好海灘,按照潮汐設定了名為「衝浪」的鬧鐘,起床,擦上防曬油穿上潛水服(雖然穿著它開車真的很不舒服我還是寧願先穿),吃了簡單的早餐,把衝浪板放到車子裡面或車頂上,開車到海灘,現場觀察一下浪潮,在沙灘上拉筋,趴在板上划水出去⋯然後發現我又在想「我是怎麼到達這裡的?」。在起床前的所有步驟都是一種期盼,那之後的所有步驟就幾乎是肌肉反射動作了。從我的床到穿上潛水服的衛生間,這之間的5步距離,就是這個肌肉反射動作的觸發點。

The answer is also just as literal. I would have been monitoring the tide information from 48 hours prior, chosen the beach, set my alarm according to tidal movement naming it “surfing”, waken up, put on the sunscreen and wetsuit (as uncomfortable as it is to drive in I still prefer to), eaten a light breakfast, loaded the board in or on top of the car, driven to the beach, observed the tide, stretched on the sand, paddled out... then found myself thinking “how did I get here?”. All steps before waking up are anticipation; from that point onwards it is almost muscle reflex. The 5-step distance between my bed and the bathroom where I put on the wetsuit, is the trigger to kick start the muscle reflex. 

在我們的人生中,如果想要到達任何一個地方 - 不管是好的,壞的,還是只是一個中繼站 - 都需要經過一連串的步驟與行動。有的時候這些繁複的步驟與行動似乎很嚇人,甚至會讓人裹足不前,不知道從何開始。但是如果我們能夠慢慢建立起一系列正面的「肌肉記憶」,或許有這麼一天,我們可以像肌肉反射動作般,自然的 跨出第一步。

It always take a series of steps and actions to get to any place - good, bad, or just inbetween - in our lives. Those steps and actions can be daunting or even paralyzing, that we don’t know where to start. But if we are able to build a positive sequence of “muscle memory”, maybe one day, taking the first step can become a natural muscle reflex. 

致,前進。

To moving forward. 

It’s not that bad

我昨天騎著新買的自行車騎了27公里來回去赴一個約。由於我騎自行車一向有點莽撞,所以就算是腳踏板輔助式的電動自行車,對我來說仍然是一個很有野心的挑戰。出發前我看好了路線,試著避開車速高的路段,結果卻是迷路了幾次後發現誤打誤撞的到了想避開的高車速路段。在那時我才看到了旁邊與高車速路段平行的一條小路,於是我沒有遲疑的轉向雖然陡斜卻低車速約小路,繞了一些路,然後準時的赴了約。

很多時候有一些人事物,不管我們付出了多少努力都避免不了。而當不可避免的事發生時,有時候其實並沒有我們想像的那麼糟糕,或者其實有別的出口 - 只是要到我們已經足夠接近了才能夠看得見。

深深呼吸,保持冷靜。

其實真的沒有那麼糟。


Yesterday I rode 27km on my new bicycle to an appointment and back. Being a weak cyclist, even though the bicycle is pedal-assisted it was still an ambitious challenge. I mapped out my route, tried to avoid fast roads with fast cars, only found myself lost several times along the way and ended up at the fast road I tried to avoid. Only then I noticed a small side street running parallel to the fast road, without hesitation I took the steep but slower side street, went around a slightly longer route and made it to my appointment on time.
A lot of the times there are things we simply can not avoid regardless of how much effort we put in. And when the unavoidable really happens, sometimes it’s not as bad as we thought, or there is a way to get out of it - which we can only see when we are that close.

Deep breath, stay calm.
It’s really not that bad.

My new found freedom

My new found freedom

Just be

吹牛遊戲的唯一必勝法則,就是停止吹牛。

The only way to win at Bluff, is to stop bluffing.

Don’t wait


豪爾赫·路易斯·波赫士:「栽種你的花園並修飾你的心靈,而不是等待別人為你送來花朵。」

不要等待;自給自足吧。

Jorge Luis Borges: “Plant your own gardens and decorate your own soul, instead of waiting for someone to bring you flowers.”

Don’t wait; be self- sufficient.

Beginner’s surfology 2

所以在我終於可以穩定的乘到白浪(浪打下來後白色的泡沫)後,我現在嘗試著乘上綠浪(還沒打下來的玻璃色的海浪) 。這個嘗試帶給我3個寶貴的課程:

So after I am able to steadily ride the whitewash (foamy water after waves have broken), now I try to catch the green waves (clean unbroken waves). This brings me 3 valuable lessons:

1. 選擇我要試著乘上的海浪

1.Choose the wave to go for

逆著海浪划水到浪後排隊(衝浪人會在大約浪要形成的位置一字排開等浪,叫做line-up)是一件非常累人的事情。如果我為了乘上浪往岸邊划去,我就會失去我排隊的位置。如果我沒有乘上浪,我就會需要重新划水回到line-up⋯如此這般週而復始。我基本上還沒乘上綠浪就被這個過程耗盡了體力。這時我必須審視我應該選擇嘗試乘什麼樣的浪。與其嘗試乘上每一個浪,我需要學習「讀」浪的狀態才能夠選出適合我的浪,然後全心全力的嘗試乘上它。

Paddling up to the line-up at the back against the wave is a very exhausting exercise. If I paddle for a wave back towards the shore, I lose my position in the line-up. If I didn’t catch the wave I would need to paddle out to the line-up again… so on, so forth. I simply was worn out by the process before I caught any green wave. It comes down to what wave I choose to go for. Rather than going for every wave, I need to become better at “reading” the waves in order to identify the wave that’s suitable for me, then full-heartedly go for it.

正如我們日常生活中的各個無法避免的挑戰-小如某人的一句無心的話,大如照顧生病的家人。我們是要無關大小的與每一個挑戰硬碰硬呢,還是放下一些瑣碎的事而專心面對一些重要的,能夠左右我們或某人的人生的挑戰呢?

我決定要挑選我會出場的戰役。

Like every challenge in our lives.. there are always something challenging us on daily basis- little ones like someone said something wrong without the intention, big ones like taking care of lllness in family. Are we going to take every challenge head-on, or do we let go of some of them to focus on the challenge that matters, that would result in fundamental changes in some aspect of our or someone’s lives?

I choose to be selective with my battles.

2. 當決定了時,用盡全力划水

2. When decided, paddle as hard as you can

我曾經數次不能決定是否該乘這個浪而猶豫不決的划水嘗試。這保證了這個浪會從我的衝浪板下滑過,而非將我推進讓我成功乘上。

如果我沒有全力投入,或沒有準備充足,去捉住機會,機會是不會拉著我的手帶我前進的;機會只會從我身邊滑過。機會只有對準備好了全力以赴的人才是機會,對其他人都只是日常的事件罷了。

There have been times when I was undecided about the wave and paddled half- heartedly. It is guaranteed that the wave would pass me by.

If I was not committed, or ready, to catching the opportunity, it wouldn’t pick me up and take me with it; opportunity would only pass me by. Opportunity is only opportunity to the ones ready to commit, otherwise it is just another happening.

3. 會有下一個浪的

3. There will always be a next wave

但是如果我奮力嘗試卻仍然沒有成功乘上浪,只要靜心等待,下一個浪就會來了⋯ 只要我做好要全力以赴的準備。

But if I have tried and failed to catch the wave, just wait for the next swell, the next wave…. as long as I’m ready to commit the effort of catching it.

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Control vs decision

瑪雅.安傑盧: “你或不能控制所有發生在你身上的事情,但你可以做出 不被它們貶低自我價值 的決定”

Maya Angelou: “You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.”

  

on blind courage

“すべてに応じて, 動きとらないのが一番損です。”

今日、いいこと言ったなーっと自分思ちゃいました。

“在所有的情況之下, 不採取行動是最大的損失“

對自己的行動小心沒什麼不對。

但是我們有時候會太小心了,反而阻止了前進的腳步。

如果我當初知道自己開業會遭遇甚麼困難,或許當初就不會開始了。

在我們的人生中,盲目的勇氣的確有著絕對的地位。

”Under all circumstances, not taking action is the biggest loss of all.”

There is nothing wrong about being careful with what we do.

But we can be too careful and stifle our steps.

If I knew I was going to be confronted with what I need to face in order to work for myself, I wouldn’t have started in the first place.

Blind courage certainly has its place in our lives.