LET YOUR LIFE SPEAK (1-3)

Reading Response

The first three chapters of “Let Your Life Speak” centers around the meaning of vocation, which
is a gift to receive rather than a goal to achieve, and how to find it from listening to one’s inner
self. In the story, Palmer shares his own journey to find his true self after wearing different
masks and letting his ego deceives his heart. He knows that he loves teaching, but his ego and
ethics forced him to save the city and take on major leadership. Not until Palmer came to Pendle
Hill was he able to find his true self, learning to embrace both of his limits and potentials. I really
like the part that he compares himself to the story of Rosa Parks, mentioning that “the
punishment imposed on us for claiming true self can never be worse than the punishment we
impose on ourselves by failing to make that claim”. I share the same belief that the journey to
cultivate the truth is different for each person, but the fruitfulness of it will make us realize that
we are born with gifts and the original selfhood given by God. We just need to recognize the
clues given to us, as Palmer says, seeking vocation without understanding the material you are
working with may put your lives in peril. The analogy of making pottery - the clay presses back
on the potter’s hands rater than telling the clay what to become – provokes my thought. Afterall,
if we don’t listen to our voice clearly, the outcome will be fragile and vulnerable.
The readings really challenge me to reflect and look back at the decisions I have made, the
darkness that I have encountered that shape the person I am today. Born and raised in an Asian
family, I grow up with a defined path of doing this and that, of being a successful person or it
will be a shame on me and my family. I remember when I was young, I loved to take art class
and piano class, but my grandparents always pushed me to take math classes and gave me extra
advanced math exercises. Furthermore, the education system in my country doesn’t keep
students’ grades as secrets, they can publicly announce the grades that one student earned,
putting me in shame most of the time since I didn’t take study seriously back then. Consequently,
my primary teachers and friends looked down on me, claiming that I can never be smart and get
into a great school. Thus, I have grown up studying hard and getting into a gifted high school just
to get some self-recognition, to prove that I am smart, and I can be better than all my brothers as
I am the only girl in the house. It was always a need, or fear in me to get the attention I need that
I have never been aware of. Not until I practice meditation and receive education in the States
that I healed from my childhood trauma and changed my perspective on the meanings of
learning. Up till now, I still love classical music a lot, I always envision myself playing piano
like a pro one day. My plan is to take piano classes when I get a full-time job since it is very
expensive to learn now. I agree with Palmer that silence can bring your soul, your wild animals,
out. Through the practice of meditation, I always look inside to heal, listen to my heart and my
body. Just like making the pottery, I listen to what my body wants, instead of following a strict
diet and force my body to adapt to it. I feel so related to Palmer and his urge to listen to the inner
voice. As I am preparing to dive into the business world in the future, I will always remember
what my Zen teacher taught me: “be mindful in what you do, decide if your action comes from
your pure heart, if it comes from greed and anger, it will wreck your life heavily”.