Drama of life
“To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier
state of mind than to be hopelessly in love with spring.”
George Santayana
Seasons are a part of nature’s cycle and we adapt to that
change by wearing cool, warm or monsoon gear. Whereas when it comes to our
life, we resist change till the rubber band of tolerance is ready to snap. We
entangle ourselves in our own web of emotions and then we don’t know how to
extricate out of it.
I remember meeting Swami Advaitanandji some years ago, when
I got cold feet just before the launch of my book and asked him that what
should I do with the book. Swamiji laughed and remarked, why are you even
thinking, just do what needs to be done. It sounded simplistic and obvious, yet
I agonized for weeks and made life difficult for myself by meeting so many
people from PR agencies, book stores, authors and everyone possible. Finally, I
did what needed to be done – I sent a personalized note for all friends and
colleagues with a copy of my book. The response that I received was better,
with least amount of money and time spent. I knew all along that the book was a
gift of nature and what was required was selfless sharing of knowledge. I
created stress by resisting what was the right thing to do and thinking too
much. I got sucked into desire for success, fame, recognition etc and
complicated my life.
Why do we think so much? We spend so much time thinking about
what’s in it for me, what will happen to me, what if…….these thoughts drain
energy and cause fatigue. We refuse to give ourselves a break for even a moment
to ask – what is my duty as a human being, what is the best outcome for a
win-win solution? We think about worst-case scenarios, how to protect
ourselves, how to stay within our comfort zone, how the world and its people
are so bad. It’s an list of endless whining. What about us – are we perfect?
Hope is a great gift and curse. It keeps us going but it
also slows us down when we can get stuck in wishful thinking. I am reminded of
an analogy I heard as a child – a pigeon closes its eyes when it sees a cat in
the hope that it will not be able to see the pigeon. Similarly, by pretending
or wishful thinking, circumstances do not disappear or correct. No sportsman
wins a medal without rigour and action. Life too is a sport, it has its rules,
trials and tribulations. Enjoy the Sport.
“If you don't like something, change it. If you can't
change it, change your attitude. Don't complain.” Maya Angelou
