One Project of Life

Once we were. Now we are. Soon we might never be. I used to define myself a good kid then as a rebel. Then I changed to see myself as a lover. Then as a musician. Then as a triathlete. Then as a student. Then as a bank employee. Now as a civil servant. Then what ? I find it so hard to move on and let go of the roles we used to play in the past. I was appreciated for me being that person. I was recognized for the qualities, achievements, good grades, good running time, musical skills I used to demonstrate but now stopped. If you let go of all that, what remains ? Would you still love yourself even when you do not earn the recognition from others you think you deserve ? I don't think I can. I find it difficult to acknowledge my worth when others do not value what I have to offer. However this is the only way forward (for me at least). School and university were the easy parts. The criteria for success and appraisal were clear and measurable. But now where is the line ? I have to

We are our memories. Aren't we ? Certainly, we don't remember much of what we experienced in the past or at least not our life in its entirety. What we tend to remember is the beginning, the end of an experience as well as its peak and low point. This is particularly interesting when you make a decision (for instance choose where to go on vacation). Daniel Kahneman explains it very well in his TED talk . However I want to discuss a specific domain of our memories: personal knowledge. I do not only mean the classes which we (are supposed to) remember from our school time. I also want to talk about the learning process which we undergo every day and makes us who we are. Every book we read, every encounter we have, every thought we create can become a life lesson and thus progressively influence our life for the best or for the worst. As Matthieu Ricard says, the quality of a teaching can be found in the degree by which this latter becomes part of your life. In my case, somet