Sing: “I realized then that good guys never win. I want to be bad.”
Like Sing, almost all of us cling to at least one or more negative thoughts that limit our ability to do more. Sing too was not shy of admitting that being bad was the better option. Just one experience can lead you to change your mind about even the most obvious.
For instance, if you had a bad experience while swimming in the pool when you were five years old, you may cling to the fear of it for several years. If you’ve always felt deprived of eating particularly delicious foods due to an allergy, it will compel you to desire them even more.
Sing had experienced a similar situation during his childhood when he stood up to a bunch of bullies. In his effort to try and help a helpless girl, he got beat up. Ever since he developed the idea that being bad is better than being good. Sing started to associate good people with weakness and bad people with being powerful. In the epic action-comedy film, Kungfu Hustle, Sing is the main character who before reaching his true potential is seen with the ambition to join a notorious gang called the Axe Gang, which in doing so can make him feel powerful.
The Landlord: (commenting on Sing’s martial arts techniques) “If he studies hard, he could be a doctor or a lawyer.”
The Landlady: “A stuntman, more likely.”
Through the course of the movie, Sing’s journey sees him evolving into a finer being with skills that he didn’t even know existed. During a scene when he is beaten to a pulp by the villain called the beast, there was no chance of surviving. However, two characters playing the Landlord and Landlady miraculously save him. However, they also realized that recovery was not possible unless Sing could self-heal.
During this time, Sing recovers, and just like a caterpillar leaving its cocoon, Sing transcends his old self and is renewed.
The Landlord: “Who knew the beast could clear the chi flow, and thus unleash the boy’s true potential.”
The Landlady: “We should have guessed. He’s the one!”
Sing had transcended to his higher self, his true potential as a Kungfu Master. You could even say that he was enlightened with a higher purpose. He even mastered the long-lost Buddhist palm, which was known as the palm that falls from heaven.
This begs the question as to what it means to be enlightened.
“Are we humans in search of a divine experience or are we divine beings having a human experience?”
~Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
As enlightened beings, one can realize the true sense of spirituality while having human experiences. As a leader, this view of spirituality has several implications. First, it means that we are all connected to something greater than ourselves. We are all part of a larger whole, and our individual experiences are all part of a larger story. This can help us to feel more connected to others and the world around us.
Furthermore, it means that we have a responsibility to live our lives as leaders in a way that is aligned with our spiritual nature. Knowing that we are divine beings can help us deal with the gravity of seeing ourselves in a new light. It can help us to remember that we are not defined by our physical bodies, but also spiritual beings. This can give us a sense of purpose and meaning in our lives, and it can help us to live more fulfilling lives.
As an enlightened being, you can:
- See yourself in a more positive light.
- Connect better with others and the world around you.
- Find meaning and purpose in your life.
- Be more compassionate and empathetic towards others.
- Positively impact the world with enlightened action.
Hence, this is indeed a process of enhancing one’s SiQ or Spiritual Quotient. This is where our FIT score works to enhance the level of spirituality one experiences.
- F = The Frequency of experiencing this realization of being divine,
- I = the Intensity of feeling the connection between your divine self and human senses,
- T= and the Tenacity to hold onto your spirituality as a leader.
These three core aspects are what will help you transcend from the illusion of being a human being into simply having human experiences as a divine being.
Here’s a verse I extracted from Horace’s odes and verse epistles (Roman, 65-8 BCE) [translated by Burton Raffel]. It speaks volumes of the way the enlightened mind may work:
Leucon, no one’s allowed to know his fate,
Not you, not me: don’t ask, don’t hunt for answers
In tea leaves or palms. Be patient with whatever comes.
This could be our last winter; it could be many
More, pounding the Tuscan Sea on these rocks:
Do what you must, be wise, cut your vines
And forget about hope. Time goes running, even
As we talk. Take the present, the future’s no one’s affair.
