A friend came to wait on our table – at a café in San Diego, California.
I had met Cláudia in Brazil four years previously, and tell my friends about her life in the USA: she only sleeps for three hours, since she works in this café till late, and is a babysitter throughout the day.
"I don’t know how she can stand it," one of them says.
"There’s a Buddhist story about a turtle," replies an Argentinian woman at our table.
"The turtle was crossing a swamp, covered in mud, when it passed a temple. There it saw the shell of another turtle – all adorned with gold and precious stones.
"I don’t envy you, ancient friend," thought the turtle. "You’re covered in jewels, but I’m doing what I want."
{ 53 comments… read them below or add one }
• Thank you God for putting some of the people in their dream job…. at least they never feel neither bored nor tired…..))
Just we should remember that whatever we are doing now will not ashamed us in future, only then we would be able to do justice and make peace with ourselves.
We all have purpose to live and to walk tirelessly on the destined path. Without understanding the truthiness about the phases we will not able to make any difference in our own life. We all learn from different experience and styles of walking. Everything learns in this life as important as oxygen to our body. The actual game which we learn is the simplicity of life lies in today….
The turtle is right and the lady working endlessly is also right. They are right where they want and desire to be for the reason they want to be. What looks like a hellish life for me may be a paradise for someone else. Everything is perception.
completely agree with you.!!
Lo siento, he tocado una tecla que no debía.
Como iba diciendo, a pesar de no tener nada soy envidiado y calumnniado por los que no hacen más que comprar cosas para llenar el vacío que les deja su falta de autoestima. La gente que más tiene a veces suele ser la más codiciosa, y siempre envidian lo que otros tienen, el problema viene cuando lo querido no se compra con dinero, en ese momento lo único que pueden hacer es envidiar y calumniar para de alguna forma quedar por encima del calumniado ante el resto.
Quisiera tener otras condiciones materiales de vida, pero tengo algo mucho más importante: hago lo que quiero, esto me ha supuesto muchas veces la presión del entorno que quería que fuese como ellos, pero rompí las cadenas y decidí ser libre. Desearía tener más cosas en mi vida y más estabilidad sin duda, pero he salido adelante como he podido, y no cambio mi vida por tener un coche grande y de marca para demostrar al mundo que soy más… o al menos parecerlo, absurdo, absurdo y estúpido.
Un saludo. Hay gente que se mete en muchos líos por querer parecer más, y más, y más; no se dan cuenta de que un coche lo puede tener cualquiera y cuando se hagan viejos solo les quedará el recuerdo de lo vivido, no quiero arrepentirme por demostrar al entorno que tengo más dinero, o al menos parecerlo.
Hasta pronto, hasta ayer me lamentaba de mi mala suerte, hoy soy otro y dentro de poco las cosas irán mejor, eso sí, siempre sin perder de vista lo verdaderamente importante, las cosas pesan, a veces mucho., y en la vida hay cosas mucho más bonitas que sentir que somos más, y más, y más, lo dicho, que cada cual elija su tesoro.
Gracias Empié por tus palabras, hoy por “casualidad” he abierto este blog; y me he reconocido en cada una de tus palabras.. Siempre la gente me ha dicho que tengo falta de ambición, lo que pasa es que solo he hecho lo que he querido y he disfrutado lo que hago.
Mi tesoro es mi libertad de escoger lo que quiero vivir.
Un abrazo desde Valencia, Venezuela ;-)
Y a pesar de no tener nada el envidiado es el que no envidia, absurdo; hay gente
Vincent M. Ferrari owns a blog called “insignificant thoughts”. He resides in the Bronx in New York. The man is a known sex offender.
Things aren’t always what they seem i believe. You might live in a mansion and be sad, and you may live at one room yet be happier than everyone around you.
Word !
me too ,,Do what my heart says to me ,,
Comparing an adult woman sleeping three hours a day to make a living to a fictitous turtle. I get fables for sure; but please, a reality check on what is choice .
The myth of the humble and happy and pauper is a little banal .
If you are comparing this to the woman who sleeps 3 hours a day, it would be unfair. The mud turtle said ‘I’m doing what I want’ and for the woman we one can’t say it. She is doing because she HAS to do it. It doesn’t seem to a matter of free will.
obrigado…gosto do exemplo de vida que aqui deixou… talvez por me ver na pele de ambas… A claudia uma lutadora e a tartaruga sem inveja… pois ambas fazem o que gostam…
Beijinhos
Anabela Pinho
Estar siempre en el corazón.. de aquellos que amamos..aunque sea en un rinconcito … muaskkkkkkkkk felicidades respetado ,MÁGICO, amado y querido, bendecido escritor!!
Love
Pilar:)
why you need to become a slave with your own self…live simple…dont indulge yourself of superficial things…remember HEALTH IS WEALTH
Without knowing it, we just envy the suffering of others…
A dream to live another’s life is an enjoyment to us…
And a hidden suffering of others creates that sensation in ourselves…
When things become to be known, they sure are not true anylonger.
Only secrets are true.
“EL LUGAR QUE DESEAMOS” ES APRECIAR LO QUE SOMOS Y LO QUE HACEMOS, SIN ENVIDIAR A OTROS POR LO QUE PUEDAN HACER Y TENER.,. (ES MEJOR SER CABESA DE RATON QUE COLA DE LEON)
:) this makes me smile cause I’m a mud turtle,and so happy to be.I’m the free turtle but who needs other little turtle to rely upon too because it became too tough seeing little turtle having no one to play with or seeing his uncle turtle once a year..or seeing daddy turtle facing depression..tempted of poison..(3 days in bed trying to clear it,not easy)…so the little turtle I am,took a big decision,she’s leaving when summer comes along and so is leaving behind all those turtles wearing jewels,living next to the country famous to make them :) without any regrets and is going back home where turtle businessman will become turtle fisherman,where little turtle will play with uncle turtles and cousin turtles..and where mud turtle will sit down facing mother sea,writing secret tales that she’ll whisper to her :)
There’s a turtle wearing jewels in my family.She is mean and greedy.Her mother was also one of those.She drove mud turtle far far away…now,I’m gonna make sure she’ll be the last one of her kind.
Thank you
madgi we must reach and live our dreams. :)
i too am a mud turtle – living my dreams.:)
life is a choice. I think the turttle with jewels also happy with his condition and also the mud turttle….
Even the mud of “Freedom” has it weight, and price. :)
I have a friend that each time he feels love for someone-he chooses to abandon them because he fears to loose his freedom-he is now 58 years old and still has his freedom-when he is sick-in his evenings-in his quasi home-and there is no one with him-not animal-not a person.
He is truly free and is paying the price.
Supperb!
There’s always the need to put things in boxes of ‘possible’ and ‘impossible’ for people. It is like entering a comfort zone to be judgemental and tell others what they can or cannot do. We figure out the conditions in what something should or shouldn’t be done, how something would or would not be possible, but in that process we forget that there’s always a possibility to have it done – even in all lost expectations.
Like the bee, that flies.
Yeah, I see I’ve been sleeping, but I’ve woken up again to continue the path I’m on.
I am reminded, that indeed, noone will set my feet walking than my own heart. Noone will make me rest for a while but my own heart. Noone will inspire unless I see inspiration with my own heart.
Thanks for the reminder.
Love,
L.
“You’re covered in jewels, but I’m doing what I want.”
The precious FREEDOM! But do we really want to be in .. mood? And jewels … would not prevent me from feeling free! On the contrary I would feel the safety that money and luxuries offer sometimes, although we ‘know’ that money cannot buy everything and that these are just of this World: the material one!
To search and find the TRUTH is the most important. Balance too.
LOVE,
Thelma xxx
P.s. MUD instead of my mispelled word: mood. Sorry.
T.x
Just like we can’t compare our five fingers and call one better than the other… similarly, we shouldn’t compare two people and call one better than the other… for we are all fingers of the One great hand and each one of us is beyond comparison!!!
:) agreed! This is something I constantly remind myself. Just because I have chosen to live my life one way does not mean that the way other’s choose to live theirs is wrong.
Ah ah ah!
Getting a bit of a suntan, are we?
:)
Não conseguiria passar mais de quatro horas numa cama dormindo. Sou totalmente dinâmica, as vezes me alimento em pé,rsrsr.
Procuro realizar várias tarefas ao mesmo tempo com responsabilidade e presteza. Como adquirir essa habilidade?
Muito simples. Observando meu pai acordar cedo, cuidando de várias coisas antes de sair para trabalhar, e ao retornar para casa ainda procurava mais e mais atividades. Não me entrego a ociosidade, enquanto tiver força de vontade, estarei ativa. Não importa em qual atividade estarei envolvida, pode ser em meio ao dourado ou numa mina de carvão. O importante é seguir meu caminho fazendo bem o que preciso.
I just hope that Claudia is doing it because she loves her current life, not because of survival …
3 hours sleep ….
this is much more a warning than a sign of freedom.
to be free & build up a life in freedom, the body needs more.
there is the danger of becoming a prisoner of a screwed-up brain chemistry while thinking to live a life in freedom.
Be with her if you wish, but never give up on a love that truly fits you and not her. Good luck.
I’m still wondering why they chose a turtle and not something else. It could be anything.
I know someone whose protective shell is adorned with jewels, which to me is pride. Pride is a foreign language to me…so we’ve essentially been speaking different languages. I wish I knew how to get rid of all those visible, beautiful stones.
It made me smile when I read the story. Simple but true, for I feel exactly the same way.
I’m sure the shell of the ancient turtle was very heavy with “stuff” he had collected and obsessed over in the physical life.
We take our memories of the times we are “in the moment” with us when we pass to the other side of the veil. See, experience, LIVE “each moment” to its fullest. The moment IS God’s and Goddess’ time and they give us so many of them to cherish and take with us…with them we are lighter than a feather, we can fly to the ends of the Universe and back. Physical “stuff” we obtain here on this world will stay on this world when we move on to our next level in the grand plan. It is best not to collect too much “stuff.” Yes, use “stuff” to help you enjoy the moment here at times, but don’t become too obsessed with it. Pass on your “stuff” to those in need with a loving heart. Trust me, you will be blessed when you do. :-)
((((LOVE)))) and ***warm blue light*** coming your way,
Lainee
” SIENDO UNO MISMO SE ES VERDADERAMENTE FELIZ” :D
what is hell for some , it is paradise for others.. and the reverse…
p.s plz tell Claudia she rocks! but i am sure she knows :o)
thank you for the inspiration
Love and Gratitude
Annie
it is like loving even if somebody you love loves someone, you are still loving that somebody. some said you look like a fool but being fool makes me being with her and being with her makes me happy.
You really know what you want, no matter what others say . That’s amazing, and believe me, God knows you’ve loved truly and will reward you sooner or later.
beautiful !! I agree – but its painful , coz u wish the person you loved , loved you back ….
A bit like some of the characters in the “Winner takes all.”
“You’re covered in jewels but I am doing what I want.”
Bacana. Tudo tem seu tempo. Existe outros momentos. Acho que todos nós temos nossa época de só trabalhar sem parar, pela própria subsistência e quando, geralmente sós, optamos por mais coisas, para tapar o vazio. Mas as mulheres que tem um marido, que tem filhos e casa para administrar, e busca sustento fora, o próprio tempo coloca os limites. Mas tudo é válido.
Beijos,
Mari Raphael.
I have in neigbourhood lovely villa with hunting dog Lily that most of days stays in, when I go to work I speak to her, she is wagging its tail, licks my hands through rail.
When some days her mistress take her for walk she is out of her mind, drunk of happiness !
She is well fed, clean, with lovely home….
Arround hotel where I work there is old dog (he is not so old but looks like), it has no name but I call him White tail, as he is completly black except tail.
During the day it can be seen anywhere within 20 kilometers, he eats when he gets something, where he sleeps I do not know, every now and then he runs after a car barking like fool, sometimes he plays with other dogs and in heat of summer it can be seen sitting in shallow sea on the public beach….
He is picture of uncertainty, friendliness and freedom…
Love
Luce
P.S.
I love both these dogs and probably one day I’ll write story for children about them !
Awww. :D
All the best! :D
Really nice. thanks for sharing it LUCE.
love
I’ve been asking myself all day if I would do a mud bath or not, and think the answer is negative, unless I was in the jungle and had to go through mud to survive.
mud feels so good. I understand this turtle …
at the ocean, using the wet sand and putting it all over the body, then going into the water rinsing it off.
in spas you can get great mud treatments. indeed they are healing, exfoliating, detoxifying.
& “mud in life” can similarly help.
<3
What a great reminder with the story…… I rather have my fingernails covered in dirt… in compost…. and taking care of my garden (oh! the aroma of wet soil, sore back from weeding but the flowers!) rather than a perfect manicure with a bunch of flowers from the store… as for the friend who only sleeps 3 hours…. I do not know whether she does it because she wants to or because she has to but it saddens me to think that she does not or cannot have time to enjoy the beautiful SD weather for a bit, or cross to Tijuana to have some tacos al carbon, or take a nap in Balboa Park on a Sunday afternoon… but then again…. I do not know her situation nor her reasons for her choice… however, I will hold her close to my heart in prayer for I know there are many like her… who perhaps do it out of choice or lack of it…. even God rested on the Sabbath …..
Thank you for the story Mr. Coelho. Much food for thought.
Love …. always and in ALL WAYS.
Yo a veces me siento como un esqueleto cubierto de barro.
Un fuerte abrazo.
I sometimes I feel like a skeleton covered with mud.
A big hug.
I must agree.No money or gold can repay for living a life we not want.I was tempted sometimes to make compromises when I passed tough periods.But after some time of considering how my life would be,if I was living witout economical problems,but also without my freedom to do things I like,I have arrived to the decision that was not worthy.For me freedom is very important,maybe more than for others,so it would be like living in some prison without walls.
Totally agree with you.
A prison without walls. Well said. :) <333 :D
Thank you Paulo Coelho. The story reminds me of myself as a music student having money only to go to ‘stand -places’[ steh- platz my dear Paul from Austria], to the concerts or the opera. At the best places the ladies with the furs and their beautiful dresses and the jewels… Social convention and exhibitionism!
LOVE,
THELMA
some moods are like mud…
like the misspelling <3
boo boo