Filet Mignon & Cube Steak (it’s all steak)

A strong and well-constituted man digests his experiences (deeds and misdeeds all included) just as he digests his meats, even when he has some tough morsels to swallow. – Friedrich Nietzsche

Looking at this post in my Drafts folder I wasn’t sure if I was going to actually write the post or not.

It is, however, a great quote, and the title, which I wasn’t sure about, is pretty good.

My point (with this post) is that every experience has something to teach us.

Everything that happens in our life is an opportunity to learn and grow.

Just as cube steak (a low quality cut of meat which mechanically tenderized) is made of the same stuff (overall) as the finest cuts of meat, so to are our experiences. They are the stuff of life and even if some are less flavorful (or even down-right objectionable), they are delicious if we “see” them properly.

If you had some cube steak and didn’t like it (wishing it was something different, like a well-marbled rib-eye… ), you wouldn’t buy it again – would you?

I certainly hope not.

You may finish the less-than-desirable cube steak, because it does fill your belly and you paid good money for it, but you’d learn that if you want steak you’re going to hold out for a better cut.

So to with our lives.

If something happens that we don’t “like” we can either learn from or (likely) repeat the experience (and the mistake… ).

It is the wise diner, and person, that chews the tough morsels that come along, but doesn’t continually choose foods (or experiences) that don’t delight the palate.

Similar Posts

  • Fear and Passion

    I am interrupting my watching of Seth Godin on Jonathan Fields’ Good Life Project to explore an idea Seth presented. Brother Seth was talking about how people begin things and how whether they are 1) afraid and 2) if they care impacts what happens (if anything). I had an idea to map the idea, using a…

  • The Nature of Desires

    Aren’t desires bad? Don’t desires lead to suffering? Isn’t that what Buddha would say? If I recall, Buddha would say that cravings and attachments lead to suffering. Desires are a natural part of life. Properly understood* desires are healthy. Authentic** desires are healthy. *  *  * * To properly understand your desires you must know yourself,…

  • The Best Thing You Can Do

    . . . is to get really, really, really good at answering the question: what’s the best thing I can do now? When you develop greater awareness to ask the question more often, and especially at key moments, you will make better decisions. And when you commit to learning and growing you ask that question…

  • Failure

    “I’m a failure.” I failed. Things didn’t turn out exactly like I thought at the outset. I learned something about my goal and my choices along the way. There is no such thing as “failure;” everything produces results. I have examined my inputs (thoughts, beliefs, exclusions, inclusions, emotions, moods, choices and non-choices) and results. I…