Is there hope in a rotten orange?

Both oranges have been sitting on the table for more than a month. Food has a lifespan, especially perishable ones. So it's natural for the first orange to rot.

What makes the other orange so resilient?

Oftentimes, we categorise someone as either good or bad (rotten/ evill). Their outward expressions are judged because they are the most visible. What about intent? Sometimes we think they are good, but their intent might be evil. Then, we think they are just sly and political. But are we too quick to judge? What if their expressions are deemed as evil, but their intent is good? Before we can answer this question, we need to define what it means to be good and evil.

But what exactly is good and evil?

I suppose everyone has a mixture of both.

If you are all good, then that makes you perfect and flawless. But there's none on earth except God. Regardless of how evil a person can be, their innate nature would still want to care for their loved ones. So with love in everyone's heart, we would all want to show love and kindness.

So what about those family members who ill-treat their loved ones? As a matter of fact, we live in a fallen world with several constraints. As much as we want to love and care, we are broken people who have been hurt and offended - by what people have said and/or done (both the verbal and non-verbal). Sometimes we think we are not affected by them at all, or we try to shut them out. But at the very core of our hearts, roots have already gone so deep.

“Your beliefs become your thoughts, Your thoughts become your words, Your words become your actions, Your actions become your habits, Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny.”

- Mahatma Gandhi

If you say you are not angry at all, are you actually reacting (outwardly and/ inwardly) when tensions arise? You might not yell at the person, but reactions can in the form of - strain in relationship, pre-conceived biasness, withdrawal, etc.

As much as we want to hide it, it'd surface subtly at work. If you have issues at home, people at work might trigger those issues within you. You might think that the other person is the problem. But you might just want to zoom out and see the bigger picture - Do others have the same problems with that person? If the answer is no, then it's rather clear on who has the issues.

Life is not a bed of roses. We all go through rollercoasters - sometimes we yell, sometimes we bit our tongues, sometimes we puke, etc.

What makes the other orange so resilient?

We are all humans, To determine to stay un-offended and not sin takes a disciplined conscious effort. We are have choices. We make thousands everyday. To say yes to evil means you are saying no to good. But why place yourself in such situations of choosing good and evil? Love believes the best in others and never gives up. Love is a deep substance.

So Is there hope in a rotten orange? Yes! Love changes people. Kindness goes a long way. To choose to see the good regardless of evil intent and behaviour brings hope to people - even to those who think that they are hopeless and purposeless.