Personal Limits

by Thomas Sim, 22 Feb, 2001

Recent movie about Vertical Limits has echoed some thoughts in me. Notably, limit is the extent of make or break, a condition that is so individualized that sometimes and many times in fact, we think we are limitless.

This is especially so if we don't understand ourselves well enough. Although it is good to have high expectation of oneself, there is danger too to go overboard. A depressed soul is not an easy thing to handle. Limitation to any task is frequently an obstacle in search of career, love and spiritual fulfillment.

I once know of a guy who is handsome and playful. We always hear him saying how many girlfriends he once had. Truth aside, he is tall, dark and handsome. He is big size and speaks very well. This is a household name in the mind of most single (or even married) women, I suppose. However, he never sticks with any. He breaks many women's hearts. He is a plain 'playboy'.

So, get to the point! Limitation to any task is usually external, however what we are interested in here is personal limitation. Just to clarify, external limitations are like technical limitation, financial limitation and human resource limitation. These are limitations that will take time to resolve, but they are possibly overcome by effective resource allocation over a time period.

On the other hand, if you have limitation of yourself as a 'playboy', it is a different thing. May be it is your physical look. Again, this to some people can still be changed, i.e. by plastic surgery. It could be your emotion and your guilt towards your action. May be you can't tolerate cheated affection because you have a danger of really falling in love! It could possibly be your time and career that require you to portray an image of ignorance or innocence. All these are limitations.

Like my earlier articles on Unequal-equation, there are ways to make easy money and fast money, but the question is can you do it? Your limitation is always there, and you action will translate into your expectation of how you are evaluated. So, can you live with this perception of another you? Remember that there is still word like 'integrity' around these days. There are still many people who go to mosques, churches and temples nowadays. Can you bear the damage you create onto yourself?