Something I heard

I just got back from China and there were 2 things I'd heard there that really stuck with me.

I was in a scripture store where the artist himself worked out of. He was a student of Confucious and he did a painting of a man on top of a rocky mountain, fishing off of the cliff into air. There was no water, no fish, but he sat there with his bamboo rod and string hanging off the side of the cliff. The painting had the chinese characters "Goh Shan Chui Diu" which means 'high mountain fishing'. The meaning of it though was that no matter the outcome, the end, you should always enjoy the journey along the way. The fisherman knew he wasn't going to get fish at the top of the mountain, but he enjoyed the climb and view along the way, so it wasn't a wasted journey regardless of his outcome. If we're able to enjoy the process as much as the outcome (the design and fabrication of fashion as well as the finished beauty of the end product, the cruise in your car along the highway as well as reaching your destination, the run along the seawall as well as the physically fit body), if we can enjoy the journey, then we'll be happy all of the time.

I liked the meaning so much I had the calligrapher write those 4 characters for me on a scroll.

On the plane ride back, I was watching a chinese movie, where they're dressed in armor and fighting with swords on horseback. Crouching Tiger styles. Leon Lai (Lai Ming) was one of the actors in the movie. He was the last remaining warrior of his clan and now lived in solitude in the forest until he ran across a Princess who was being attacked by her enemies. He saved her, though she was shot with a poison arrow. He took her back to his camp and when she awoke he showed her around. He was building a blimp, to carry him high above the forest and so that he could fly. In those days, people coudln't fly yet and he was trying a new idea. She said to him "You're such a dreamer, you're never going to fly" and he said back "Men need to dream, before dreams come true."

Keep dreaming, and one day your dreams will come true. (it takes action too though!!) Enjoy the journey, enjoy life right now, at this exact moment that you are living it, because it doesnt ever get any better than the present moment...and find inspiration anywhere and everywhere, from a little old calligraphy shop to movies that you watch.