I watched an Indian movie called "3 Idiots" the other night. It's a naively touching film, explaining life as something to be simply enjoyed to the fullest. Emphasized are: the power of positive thinking, how to follow one's purest desires, getting over with fear. The film tells you to "Do what you wanna do and enjoy! Life will take care of itself, so all is well!" Well, it's a great advice, but also a quite unrealistic one for many of us.
Because fear remains in our nature. Possibly ever since when Adam and Eve got kicked out of the happy-for-ever garden after committing the original sin, a happy end isn't guaranteed for our race, and thus life for each and every one of us is inevitably insecure. We're constantly aware of the possible disasters that our decisions can lead to, and we fear the disasters. God should have meant it when she kicked out those sinners; we're meant to fear stumbling and falling, it's our fate and our punishment and even why some of us depend on God(s).
Some are born brave. Those fortunately less fearful souls are naturally more able to get away from that fear, to kick away something that promises them the security and to challenge/surprise the world (of fearful people) with their insecure purity. They might face huge failures - in terms of fortune or reputation or whatever else that we the fearful people care - at the end of their lives, but their lives are successful so long as their souls are concerned. Well, but we put aside their souls when remembering them. Although we know that they all lived a beautiful lives, we only remember those who lived such lives AND managed to succeed in OUR terms: reputation, $, etc... (It's also what happens in the movie! The movie was beautiful but it was another story that let me down in the end. Um, sorry for spoiling...)
Meaning that we know that it's all fairy. Whether they succeed at the end of their lives or not, we know they're the lucky ones and many of us aren't born or nurtured that way (and according to my interpretation of the Bible again, we're kinda destined like that).
But not meaning that we should just give up. My argument hasn't refuted the statement that life is meant to be enjoyed. It is meant to be enjoyed. But we're meant to be fearful, too. I've only lived 19 years of life (*blink blink*) but based on what I've read and heard and watched, life is like drinking, probably the oldest indulgence of the human race. Drinking is meant to be enjoyed, but we're meant (or supposed...) to be fearful of the insecurity it gives us. Like in drinking, it's our responsibility to keep the balance, I believe.
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