The Difficult Question

I was once involved in network marketing business. To recruit more people, I ran a small advertisement in the newspaper that said: “Call me – Maybe I can help you.” Below it I gave my name and phone number and my preferred time for taking calls.

Many called. I allotted three minutes for each caller to tell me his troubles. Then I would say, “Okay, what is it that you want to happen now?” At such question, the caller would suddenly fall silent.

People often ignore the fact that they have power over their circumstances. They would rather whine than decide. Deciding requires some sense of daring and responsibility. Whining is much easier to do. 

For years I complained about the small house I was renting. There were cracks in the concrete floor; the ceiling was too low that the heat inside the room during afternoons was almost intolerable. And the place was so close to the street such that there was absolutely no escape from the dust and fumes of passing motor vehicles. 

I had to keep the door and the tiny windows closed at all times. And so the heat inside got worse all the more. Accordingly, my electricity bill soared, since the air-conditioner was running for long hours every day.

But it was quite a secure place. And so I stayed put there despite my many discomforts. Besides, it was not easy finding an affordable house to rent.

One night, I read a book about the earthly life and human side of Jesus. One of his many exemplary personal traits cited was his boldness to ask questions and listen to whatever the answers. For instance, he asked both his supporters and adversaries, “Who do you think I am?”

Perhaps Jesus asked the question not as much to assess his public image as to know what was in people’s hearts about him. He was eager to know the truth. In fact, he taught, “Seek the truth, and the truth shall set you free.”

My reading struck a chord in me. It brought to my mind my long standing gripes about the house. I began to seriously figure out what was really holding me back from moving to a better place.

Was I afraid of a possibly higher rent? No. The electricity cost of running the air conditioner almost the whole afternoon until night would probably offset any increase in rent rate. I might not need to run the air-conditioner as much in a place with better ventilation.

So what was holding me back? It occurred to me that I dread the trouble of having to move my things. The transfer alone would already take several days, since I’d have to carefully decide which things to move first and which next and so on. I’d have to do it slowly, to make sure that everything is accounted for and properly handled.

Once everything is transferred to a new place, the arranging would be the next tedious thing. I’d have to know where to put everything so I could easily find anything when I need it. This part would certainly take several days, too.

Then, I’d have to get myself familiar with the new environment. I should be able to quickly locate the light switch if I need to go to the bathroom at midnight, half awake. I’d need to memorize the names of my new neighbors and know which one is the electrician and which one is the plumber. That would go for another several days.

True enough, it took me a full two weeks to complete my transfer to another house. The place was still no five-star affair, but it was more spacious. And the air was abundant there; there’s no need for an electric fan the whole morning.

I asked myself the difficult question and embraced the answer. I found the truth. And the truth set me free.