麻豆约拍

According to Oprah Winfrey, 鈥淭here is only one question in life that you really owe it to yourself to answer. It鈥檚 this. What am I here for?鈥�

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Well, I was thirty. I鈥檇 asked myself that question, and had a clear 鈥� though no doubt slightly naive 鈥� answer. That was my problem! I had this sense of purpose about what my life was for and things I wanted to achieve. But trying to get anybody to take me seriously; was making life just SO frustrating.

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I decided to unload all this on a friend. He was older than me and seemed to have life sorted. I expected some warm, pick-me-up words. But instead, his advice proved short and harsh. 鈥淚f you don鈥檛 like the heat, get out the kitchen.鈥� I鈥檝e never forgotten that encounter.

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鈥淲ithout a vision, the people perish鈥�, I鈥檇 always been taught. It鈥檚 a statement straight from the pages of the Bible. But, my problem was that I had a vision 鈥� and it felt like it was killing me!

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Decades later, as you can see, I鈥檝e just about survived 鈥� though the truth is I鈥檓 still as frustrated about the battles I鈥檓 fighting at the moment; at the forefront of which right now, is doing my bit to help set up housing for refugee families arriving from Afghanistan.听

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So, what advice would I now give to my younger impulsive self. Well, I think I鈥檇 start by telling them about Oprah鈥檚 wonderful question, the 鈥渨hat are you here for?鈥� one. And, then I鈥檇 remind them of my friend鈥檚 harsh advice. Because, of course, as difficult as it was, I now realise it was just what I needed to hear.

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But above all, I鈥檇 explain I鈥檝e finally worked out that vision and frustration are just two different ways of referring to exactly the same set of emotions; two sides of the very same coin. What is vision? It鈥檚 a longing, a yearning, a hungering, an aching for what is not yet. What is frustration? It鈥檚 a longing, a yearning, a hungering, an aching for what is not yet.

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I鈥檇 tell my younger self that when you have a vision, frustration is also your constant companion. But, don鈥檛 despise it, I鈥檇 say. In my experience, it won鈥檛 kill you, instead it鈥檚 the fuel that will keep you moving forward.