The focus this week was on a book I recently finished. Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse. It described Siddhartha’s life and the many paths he took. At one time a holy man, then a wandering nomad, next a business man, and finally a lowly oarsman. Each path revealed a different aspect of himself. Each was a different but equally true self. That’s what impressed me most.
2010 was a topsy turvy kind of year for me. I rushed into an opportunity to move to Sacramento last April. College ended with one outstanding class. The end of some relationships, a long broken one started building a bridge, and a few new ones too. A new job which requires travel had unexpected challenges. And how could we forget the start of the UBBT.
There are great accomplishments to be very proud of! I’m not proud of how I handled the more difficult challenges. Yet the year showed me more sides of myself than I knew before. Much as Siddhartha came to terms with the changes in his life, his example inspired me to gracefully adapt to disappointments and also celebrate the joys.
It was a very restorative book for the deceptively small size. I would recommend it if you like philosophy, fables, or learning about Asian culture in general.