I’ve never considered myself a troublemaker. Yet, throughout my life I’ve found myself in trouble. The words I’ve said, or not said, the actions I’ve made, or not made, all have presented troublesome times in life for myself and others. Age has helped me learn to be a better student in life and see when I can be the troublemaker.
Life is always offering us situations where decisions we need to be make could cause trouble. I use the following scenario as a simple example. Lets say that while shooting some photographs of a dew covered spider web in wetlands we make the decision to step to the right for a different perspective. We are in trouble as soon the water and mud flow over the tops of our boots. We probably should not have done that. The fault was not the water, the mud, the dew covered spiderweb, the spider who made the web or the boot. That experience offers a lesson that hopefully will not be repeated. 🙂
Unfortunately, there is a tendency to look at others or life events as troublemakers but seldom ourselves. An honest look at broken relationships will show us the words or actions we are responsible for that became troublemakers. When such an approach is made healing can be made in that relationship. Working to make ourselves as peacemakers rather than troublemakers would slowly change much of the world around us and eventually all of the world.
I personally feel if we all looked at the choices we make from life’s experiences we will become more aware of who really caused the trouble. If not, then I promise you, we will step in the muddy water, again.
“The real troublemaker is within us. Our true enemies are our destructive tendencies.” Dali Lama
6 Comments
E.Brooks
Trouble is an interesting concepts in that what we see in the short term as trouble may in the long run be a blessing or a positive life saving event. Life is full of ups and downs, light and darkness and yes, good decision and bad decisions. I agree we should try and understand our actions but trying to fix that which may not be broken could be among the “destructive tendencies” Dali Lama was talking about — IMHO.
Monte Stevens
Good insight, Brooks. I agree we have an intent to fix things that may not be broken. My thoughts were focused on the self destructive tendencies we have that cause us trouble; smoking, drinking, over eating, gossip, resentments, selfishness, etc.
Mark
haha. I would bet one tends to learn the fastest from mud-filled boots throughout life.
Monte Stevens
Always take an extra pair of boots and socks. 🙂
Cedric Canard
That quote doesn’t sound like something a Buddhist would say but perhaps I am simply not understanding it. Or maybe it needs context.
I see trouble as a judgement call, a subjective truth at best. Even if some words or action were indeed troublemaking in some particular situation, given enough time or a wider perspective they may be transformed into something good. In other words… what Brooks said.
By the way, I would consider getting that spider web shot totally worth the “trouble” of getting my boots muddy 🙂
Anyway, I’m off to research that quote now. It’s troubling me 😉 Ha, see what I did there? 🙂
Monte Stevens
I have found myself in trouble, even for a short period of time. And, as you say, “given enough time or a wider perspective they may be transformed into something good.” Sometimes we have to get our pants dirty or boots muddy shooting and image. They each offer us a story to tell about the image.
I enjoy what feedback I get from people when I throw these quotes up here. Hopefully, it’s all a learning experience for us. Others perspectives are what I need.