Norm Writes
  • Home
  • Who in the World
  • Blog
  • Postcards
  • Why I write

8 Things I Learned About Life From Using Chopsticks.

5/9/2014

2 Comments

 
Picture
After living in Southeast Asia for a year, I’ve learned to use chopsticks with fluency.  It wasn’t always easy – there were plenty of embarrassing snafus, fumbled attempts that sent restaurant patrons diving for cover, and more than a little noodle on the floor.  But I learned a lot along the way, not only about Eastern dining etiquette, but also about life.  Here are 8 life lessons I learned from using chopsticks:  

Patience.
Our inclination is to rush these days, creating a false sense of urgency and speeding through life as if it was a race.  It isn’t.  Using chopsticks helped me realize life is a slow dance, and we’ll only ruin the tempo if we rush.   

Good things are earned.
You’ll probably have to work hard to achieve anything with true value in your life, just like eating with chopsticks makes you earn (and therefore appreciate) the process of sustenance.

Only pick up one thing at a time.
We often try to do too much at once, especially in Western society where multitasking like a manic robot with 4 arms is considered a good thing.  However, by eating with chopsticks I’ve learned the importance of undertaking only one task at a time and the power of full focus.

Don’t hold on too tight.
If our desire is attached to an object, outcome, or even a person, we squeeze too tight out of fear of loss.  Instead, we should be most delicate and gentle with the things we want to hold on to. 

Don’t worry about the outcome.
The grace is in the process, the art in the journey.  That is where you’ll find what you’re looking for, not just by achieving the desired outcome.

There’s beauty in small acts.
A task as menial as bringing food to mouth can be sublime.  The small acts in our daily lives - taking deep breaths, sweeping a floor, or greeting a neighbor – are mirrors that reflect the beauty we feel back on us.   

Nourishment is sacred.
Eating is a celebration of life, of health, family, and the blessing of vitality.  Besides breathing, it is the most important daily human function and the ritual of using chopsticks pays homage to that. 

No matter how careful you are, sometimes you’ll spill on your shirt.
Life is not to be taken seriously.  No matter how planned or cautious we are, there will be accidents, mishaps, and challenges.  You’ll drop food on your shirt and make a big mess.  Laugh at yourself, laugh some more, and then keep going.


-Norm  :-)

   


2 Comments
Nick
5/10/2014 12:24:45 am

Nice life lessons from something so simple.

Reply
zidane link
9/22/2022 07:18:24 pm

thank you for the information

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    RSS Feed


      Receive a digital postcard from Norm every month:

    Yes, I want a postcard!

    Don't miss Norm's new book,
    The Queens of Dragon Town!

    See More

    Norm Schriever

    Norm Schriever is a best-selling author, expat, cultural mad scientist, and enemy of the comfort zone. He travels the globe, telling the stories of the people he finds, and hopes to make the world a little bit better place with his words.   

    Norm is a professional blogger, digital marketer for smart brands around the world,  and writes for the Huffington Post, Hotels.com, and others.

    Check out South of Normal his Amazon.com best-selling book about life as an expat in Tamarindo, Costa Rica.

    Cambodia's School of Hope explores education and empowerment in impoverished Cambodia, with 100% of sales going to that school.

    The Book Marketing Bible provides 99 essential strategies for authors and marketers.

    Pushups in the Prayer Room, is a wild, irreverent memoir about a year backpacking around the world.  

    Follow Norm on Twitter @NormSchriever or email any time to say hi!

    Categories

    All
    Advice For Writers
    Amazon
    American Exceptionalism
    Anthropology
    Asia
    Backpack
    Basketball
    Best Seller Lists
    Blogging
    Book-marketing
    Book Review
    Book Reviews
    Cambodia
    Charity
    Child-poverty
    Cloud 9
    Communications
    Costa Rica
    Crazy-asia
    Culture
    Dumaguete
    Education
    Environment
    Ethics In Writing
    Expatriate
    Favorite Song
    Festivals
    Fraternity
    Funny
    Future
    Geography
    Give A Photo
    Giveaway
    Giving Back
    Health
    Heroes
    History
    Hugo Chavez
    Human Rights
    Humor
    India
    Islands
    Itunes
    Laugh
    Maps
    Marijuana
    Martial Arts
    Memoir
    Music
    Nature
    Nicaragua
    Non Violence
    Non-violence
    Ocean
    One Love
    One-love
    Our World
    Philanthropy
    Philippines
    Population
    Positive
    Positivity
    Postcard
    Poverty
    Pura Vida
    Pushups In The Prayer Room
    Race
    Reviews
    Safety
    San Juan Del Sur
    Science
    Screenplay
    Self Publish
    Siargao
    Social Media
    Southeast-asia
    South Of Normal
    Speech
    Sri Lanka
    Story
    Surf
    Surfing
    Tamarindo
    Thailand
    The Philippines
    The-queens-of-dragon-town
    Tourism
    Travel
    United Nations
    Venezuela
    Work From The Beach
    World Health
    Writers Forum
    Writing
    Writing Forum
    Writing Your First Book

    Archives

    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    November 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013

Norm Schriever

Email:     [email protected]