Life S25E02

Hey there! How you doing today? I am not asking you just for the sake of this post. You can actually go ahead and respond to me by subscribing to the blog. 😛 Having a great day? I earnestly hope so.

But, if it is an off day, that is equally fine too. I had one yesterday. Was feeling a little down from it. I tried something gutsy which didn't quite work out. Frankly it was a farce. My friend was of the opinion that it isn't that big a deal, but for me it was. Earlier today, office was going on as usual. I was slightly hung over and gloomy from yesterday's situation. Well, I can't quite explain right now. Maybe 2-3 years on, I can share with you. Anyway, that's not the point!

During lunch time, I just wanted a vent to the sadness I was feeling. I got out of office and went for a stroll in our beautiful premises. We have a freaking lake and some unhindered forest outgrowth. It is not exactly within working premises but, well, I got a little mercurial. So off I was, onto a meandering pathway into the quaint wilderness amidst the bustle of our huge manufacturing facility. And slowly with every step of the path, my sadness wilted away like the leaves of autumn. The sun with all its blazing glory couldn't reach me as I quickly found a spot to nestle in the shade of pristine green trees. I brought myself to focus on just what was around me. And I couldn't help but feel blissed out.

It is humbling how nature quietly continues to pervade all of earth. No one on this planet can explain with absolute certainty how the following happens:

Trinkets of greenery all across the earth. Randomly everywhere. It never ceases to fascinate me. Koi bolega bhai, seeds germinate hote hai, photosynthesis hota hai. All that is fine, it is great intellectually but no one has experiential understanding of the entire process. I am not professing a heavenly providence. I am a mediocre theist at best. But I believe that if there is an eternal power, the onus is on you to understand it.

The truth will continue to be; regardless of how you feel about it!

And as I sat there marveling at the thicket of trees. Whoosh! A peacock flew across the trees and onto the ground. It was a very euphoric moment. I couldn't quite capture the moment digitally but it'll be forever etched in my being.

In that moment, it dawned upon me that:

All experiences are contained within us. We give meaning to the world around us!

Another aspect I want you to consider:

Imagine a 7 year old boy whose pen has been stolen by his friend. Now imagine your own pen ‘borrowed’ by a colleague. In all likelihood the kid will be infinitely more upset compared to you.

In the same vein, imagine that you are facing the heat from your boss regarding a project deadline. Now imagine being the PM of India, right now, amidst the pandemic. I think we can agree that it’s more challenging to be the PM right now.

Mind you, I am not belittling your office work or the kid’s grieving over the pen. In fact, I am empowering you to control the way you feel about a situation. Nothing is trivial or nothing is too important.

You can choose to give value to a situation as you deem appropriate!

Just a few moments prior to the above train of thought, I had been sulking over yesterday. Yesterday is still the way it was. But now I have chosen not to give it the importance it doesn't deserve. Instead I chose to immerse myself in the present. Most of us are giving too much importance to the past or the future.

The objective truth is that you can only live in the present.

Something good happened? Great. Something bad is going to happen? Even better! How do you think you can define what is good if you have never experienced that which is bad! So stop categorizing the end results of activities. It is futile. The moment you feel helpless in a situation, remember that it is you who is doing the feeling. So I think it is only logical that you instead choose to be upbeat and try resolving the situation. Reminds me of the Chinese adage:

“If there is a solution to the problem then don't waste time worrying about it. If there is no solution to the problem then don't waste time worrying about it.”

Most of us are distracted in pursuing certain logical end points (educational qualifications, high paying job, great family, peace of mind, likewise and otherwise) to our continued existence. We believe it brings us ‘happiness’. But that’s the fallacy; every end point is the beginning of a new pursuit. So, simply put, the process or simply the will to achieve is more important than the achievement itself. Because life is a ceaseless becoming. Success is in the achieving and not in the achievement. The end points induce pleasure by virtue of the intense process of achieving!

I would like to borrow from Disraeli (previous post):

“Nothing can resist a will that will stake even existence for its fulfillment.”

Adi Shankaracharya has put it aptly:

“Nishchala tattve jeevanmukti.”

(A determined mind, a mind whose choice is permanent, will allow destiny to flow the way you have chosen.)

I have earlier emphasized through my poem that: Pursuit ‘is’ Happiness. You may think this is incorrigible idealism. But I contend that this is pragmatism of the highest kind. I am no credible authority on giving out advice but since you have followed me till here, I want to say just this:

Live life intensely. Don't confuse intensity of action with tense emotions. Stay blissful. Always!

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P.S. Try guessing the meaning of the title!