Designing Life
While walking earlier,
it occurred to me
that everyone seems very good at giving advice
on how others should live. [pause]
Especially their own children’s lives.
My parents still tell me what I should or shouldn’t do —
even though I never asked. [pause]
And I, too,
often find myself giving instructions
to Yue-Jen and Rueyshiu.
They are still young —
and guiding them is indeed a parent’s duty.
But what I fear most
is that when they grow up,
I might still fail to notice
that I’ve crossed the line. [pause]
So, following the principle that
“Reversal is the movement of the Dao,”
I’ve decided
to start giving advice to myself instead. [pause, gentle smile in voice]
Life is built
from the ordinary rhythm of days.
So I began
to design my days, one by one. [pause]
My goal now
is to make my body healthier,
my energy steadier,
and my awareness sharper —
to know what I’m doing,
and what I truly want —
and to let the two walk on the same path. [pause]
Today, while discussing my snoring problem with ChatGPT,
I realized something:
If my daily routine is healthy,
then with every new day I live,
I become healthier than I was yesterday. [pause]
When a person begins to guide their own life,
they awaken from a passive existence.
They no longer let others define
their health, their time, or their worth. [slow, calm tone]
I’ve already printed this schedule
and placed it by the door. [pause]
I’ll record my progress for four weeks
before reviewing the results.
I’ve never smoked.
I quit alcohol, coffee, tea, cola, and chocolate
more than a year ago.
Now, I also avoid spicy or irritating foods. [pause]
I no longer let my days drag me along —
I let each day breathe as it should. [soft tone]
Recording these four weeks
is my way to see that
health and awareness can, in fact, be designed. [pause]
If the sovereignty of life
is not held by oneself,
it will be carried away
by the anxieties of others.
Many people say
they have no time,
no energy —
that beyond work,
all their time goes into managing
their children’s schedules. [pause]
But I think this is a mistake:
**If we are dissatisfied with our own lives,
how can we educate the next generation
with our failed experience?** [slow, reflective tone]