The Unfortunate Art of Discernment

With the seeming blink of an eye, I've become an adult. At which point, I have to make a decision: Either I keep quiet or I do my best to inform people what I have learned at the risk of sounding like I know what I am talking about. This prospect does not thrill me, and I have avoided it to this point. Part of the story I have to tell is how to live your life. Or rather a version of “how to live.” I should point to my teachers. My teachers are many. Mostly because whoever teaches me is a teacher.

Another important part of the story is East meets West—specifically, Southern Taiwan and the Pacific Northwest. Here is an example. My life in Taiwan is divided into two distinct stages: before I knew how to live in Taiwan and after I knew how to live in Taiwan. People taught me how to live in Taiwan, mainly my teachers.

One of the most formative was Teacher Li. Teacher Li is still lives in Southern Taiwan today. He taught me how to take care of myself from a holistic Chinese medicine perspective. At that stage of my life, I was like a rubber band. I could go very far in another direction, trying things for several months before deciding if they were good for me or not. I changed my diet according to his suggestions, and this is really touching on how to live here. Knowing how to live is about knowing how to enjoy your life. Diet is so much a part of life’s enjoyment. I have met people who claim not to care about the food they eat. This is a problem. Teacher Li would say, “Give them the leftover dog food.” Ah, but you don't want leftover dog food? So there is some level of discernment. Good - that is the point.

“How to Live” Tip of the Day: Constantly learn about food.