Success
Another line that my cousin used while guiding me through the hypnosis was something like “you will achieve success…” It made me wonder how different people define success. For some, success is when people accumulate loads of wealth, for others, its when they accumulate loads of knowledge. More people may define it as when they apply that knowledge towards attaining the invention of a revolutionary product or starting of a revolutionary way of thought. However, there is still something missing in the above definition that is one of the foremost criteria of how I define success (as it formed in my mind during my early days of psychosis), and what I believe it should be. That criteria is that one is successful when one performs the best one can under a given circumstance, the circumstance including the ‘state of mind’ (as I put it) of the person and the people he/she is interacting with. It not only includes the person, but also the environment around him, how it reacts to what he/she does. In a sense, it is a holistic view that I incorporate here in my definition of success. Since we can never be separated from our surroundings, and in essence we are more than just the sum of our surroundings (emergent properties as Darwin had put it), it seems to make sense to me. After going through so many episodes of psychosis and phases of alternating depression, where I lost out on my academics, my friends, time, money, and life in whole, ultimately it all comes down to how I made the best of life in those circumstances. Any other major illness, and especially schizophrenia, teaches us how to deal with life in the worst possible cases. We cannot live life as we please, but we can at least do the best we can, and not regret it, for the circumstances were such that it couldn’t have been otherwise. That’s how I find my solace at the end of the day, even when nothing goes my way.
In one way, the best we can do cannot be defined concretely, and so, considering the many options we are presented with in a circumstance, we would only have made the specific choice because our mind-body connection would have allowed only that, and thus the Hindu saying "what has to happen, will happen" basically reflecting fate. I may sometimes sound contradictory as to whether believe in a reductionist approach, which genetics seems to show the way, or believe in a holistic paradigm, of which I am totally amazed with, but this contradiction is still unsolved by me. So carry on reading :)
Posted by puzli at June 19, 2005 05:07 AM
Hi Puzli,
Yes you are very correct when you say that there is something missing in the definition of 'Success'. I mean those people out there in the streets, lacking even the most basic neccesities like shelter and food, and yet they manage to stay alive. Isn't it a success of their tenacity and ability to brave the terrible hardships (may be just in the hope that tommorrow is going to be beautiful).
Success as you say is largely a relational term and well it is very much an invidual perception and frankly I think that those people out there who are survivng some difficult times just to stay alive in hope of better tommorrow, have much more in them to inspire us, than so called some of the more successful people.
Take Care.
Warm Regards
vish
Posted by: vish at June 19, 2005 03:50 PM
Dear Pulzi,
For the first time, I can actually be brief. I suffer from incurable neurological Lyme disease, and I am co-infected by babesiosis(a type of malaria that is tick borne, as is Lyme disease, and mycoplasma fermentas, an opportunistic bacteria that can invade one's system when one's immune capabilities are compromised).
You and I are truly on the same wave length philosophically. I agree completely with what you expressed and I handle my life and my condition in the same way that you do. Fate is fate. The tick that bit me and infected me with the disease it carried, is a blameless, mindless insect. Therefore, I, as you do,go on with my life and hope each day will be a happy one. Feeling sorry for oneself is a straight path to self destruction. I'm glad we agree on that.
Your agreeable pal, Paula
Posted by: Paula Kirkpatrick at June 19, 2005 10:45 PM
And we carry on stronger =)
Posted by: puzli at June 20, 2005 03:54 AM
Success for anyone might jes be a perception or yardstick as the world has made it out to be...
For me its constantly surviving- people, circumstances & more
Shilpa
Posted by: Shilpa at June 20, 2005 09:58 AM
hey bro!
You already are the most successful person I know, as well as the person I most respect and love...don't ever forget that.
HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY :)
Love and hugs always n always,
sis
Posted by: gigs at June 24, 2005 08:49 PM
hey sis! I love you too....and you are the only one I ever trust (when I'm paranoid) Happy B'day to you too! love. puzi
Posted by: puzli at June 25, 2005 09:08 AM
For Paula:
I came across this by accident in a search and saw mycoplasma.
You may want to look more into mycoplasma fermentas futher and ask why the US Army has patent on this particular bacteria (just visit the US Patent site online). Take a look at Garth Nicholson, Phd website or any gulf war web site. Lyme disease is certainly tick-borne as well as other coinfections, however, one has to wonder if it's all the tick's (mycoplasma has been found in ticks too) fault.
Take a look at the marhsall protocol, i have my on that, started 2 months ago. The shot ABX treatment has not worked for her. She's on MP for cfs/fm (another dead end diagnosis) lyme and mycoplasma.
Posted by: Mark at August 11, 2005 05:08 PM
For Paula:
I came across this by accident in a search and saw mycoplasma.
You may want to look more into mycoplasma fermentas futher and ask why the US Army has patent on this particular bacteria (just visit the US Patent site online). Take a look at Garth Nicholson, Phd website or any gulf war web site. Lyme disease is certainly tick-borne as well as other coinfections, however, one has to wonder if it's all the tick's (mycoplasma has been found in ticks too) fault.
Take a look at the marhsall protocol, i have my on that, started 2 months ago. The shot ABX treatment has not worked for her. She's on MP for cfs/fm (another dead end diagnosis) lyme and mycoplasma
Posted by: Mark at August 11, 2005 05:10 PM
Hi Puzli,
Yes you are very correct when you say that there is something missing in the definition of 'Success'. I mean those people out there in the streets, lacking even the most basic neccesities like shelter and food, and yet they manage to stay alive. Isn't it a success of their tenacity and ability to brave the terrible hardships (may be just in the hope that tommorrow is going to be beautiful).
Success as you say is largely a relational term and well it is very much an invidual perception and frankly I think that those people out there who are survivng some difficult times just to stay alive in hope of better tommorrow, have much more in them to inspire us, than so called some of the more successful people.
Take Care.
Warm Regards
vish
Posted by: vish at June 19, 2005 03:50 PM
Dear Pulzi,
For the first time, I can actually be brief. I suffer from incurable neurological Lyme disease, and I am co-infected by babesiosis(a type of malaria that is tick borne, as is Lyme disease, and mycoplasma fermentas, an opportunistic bacteria that can invade one's system when one's immune capabilities are compromised).
You and I are truly on the same wave length philosophically. I agree completely with what you expressed and I handle my life and my condition in the same way that you do. Fate is fate. The tick that bit me and infected me with the disease it carried, is a blameless, mindless insect. Therefore, I, as you do,go on with my life and hope each day will be a happy one. Feeling sorry for oneself is a straight path to self destruction. I'm glad we agree on that.
Your agreeable pal, Paula
Posted by: Paula Kirkpatrick at June 19, 2005 10:45 PM
And we carry on stronger =)
Posted by: puzli at June 20, 2005 03:54 AM
Success for anyone might jes be a perception or yardstick as the world has made it out to be...
For me its constantly surviving- people, circumstances & more
Shilpa
Posted by: Shilpa at June 20, 2005 09:58 AM
hey bro!
You already are the most successful person I know, as well as the person I most respect and love...don't ever forget that.
HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY :)
Love and hugs always n always,
sis
Posted by: gigs at June 24, 2005 08:49 PM
hey sis! I love you too....and you are the only one I ever trust (when I'm paranoid) Happy B'day to you too! love. puzi
Posted by: puzli at June 25, 2005 09:08 AM
For Paula:
I came across this by accident in a search and saw mycoplasma.
You may want to look more into mycoplasma fermentas futher and ask why the US Army has patent on this particular bacteria (just visit the US Patent site online). Take a look at Garth Nicholson, Phd website or any gulf war web site. Lyme disease is certainly tick-borne as well as other coinfections, however, one has to wonder if it's all the tick's (mycoplasma has been found in ticks too) fault.
Take a look at the marhsall protocol, i have my on that, started 2 months ago. The shot ABX treatment has not worked for her. She's on MP for cfs/fm (another dead end diagnosis) lyme and mycoplasma.
Posted by: Mark at August 11, 2005 05:08 PM
For Paula:
I came across this by accident in a search and saw mycoplasma.
You may want to look more into mycoplasma fermentas futher and ask why the US Army has patent on this particular bacteria (just visit the US Patent site online). Take a look at Garth Nicholson, Phd website or any gulf war web site. Lyme disease is certainly tick-borne as well as other coinfections, however, one has to wonder if it's all the tick's (mycoplasma has been found in ticks too) fault.
Take a look at the marhsall protocol, i have my on that, started 2 months ago. The shot ABX treatment has not worked for her. She's on MP for cfs/fm (another dead end diagnosis) lyme and mycoplasma
Posted by: Mark at August 11, 2005 05:10 PM