Beijing, China
Thursday, March 21st.
This morning I woke up with a wide horizon overlooking the sublime orange rays of a Chinese sun bowing out across the city.
Natalia Lafourcade's "Alma Mia" playing in my ears as a certain someone came to mind. I am happy that my journey continues on to today as I wake up in another country ~ a new story yet to be revealed.
Judging from last night, Benjamin & I had lost all hope from ever considering our arrival in Beijing.
From having a superb lunch at the New York Grill atop the Park Hyatt's 52nd floor, Ben and I must have spent several hours there. Our conversations flourishing along with the 17 year old Hibiki Japanese Whisky.
We discussed a multitude of topics ranging from WTO reform to the idea of consensus decision making versus majority decision making. We transitioned to discussing selfless love and how we understand each other in our relationships. We both agreed that in an effort to reciprocate or feel each other ~ we must understand that love has the ability to transcend our collective balance of payments towards one another.
Recently I discovered that this is the art of ascertaining the "Non-Zero Sum Game" approach. This approach describes the situation between two or more parties interactions that can aggregately be seen as positive gains or negative losses. When you lose, I lose. When you win, I also win. This approach is precisely how Chinese Foreign Policy & Statecraft has dominated in so many spheres of global influence. In practice, China is able to maximize its utility as well as maximize the utility of other global players who seek to participate in their collaborative approach. Politically, non-zero sum drives home the point that if we act like the world is a zero-sum game then that is all we will ever get to play because we aren’t open to the possibility that the actions of others could have positive intent. Now and again, we can reach a win-win and maybe gain a confluence of newfound intelligence and trust as part of the bargain.
When it comes to love... Love doesn't look for anything in return, two becomes one and where you find a soul like yours... Ah that is where we find rest. You can finally rest and know your love that you share goes beyond reciprocation. Reciprocation no longer matters. The giver becomes the gift.
Thank you all who shared in that precious gift of travel and may today find you in good spirits. “It takes practice, feeling happy about the ever enfolding events of life, and, because of all the conditioning we have undergone before this, it may be very difficult to make the change, but if we take the saying to heart and practice it, as the days unfold we will find ourselves living ever happier lives, smiling more, and finally, laughing more.” ~
