The year 2020 has brought with itself one bad virus that has got us all down to our knees. We have ranted about it for more than three long months now, locked in, unhappy souls that we are. However we have unanimously failed to realize all the pretty little lessons that covid-19 had taught us in these few months. Every year thousands of people die due to various common reasons like road accidents, tuberculosis, liver cirrhosis etc etc, but have we spared a second thought about that? Not really, we have crossed the streets like we own them, we have smoked out billowing clouds from our nostrils, and we drank like we would drown the world in our glasses. In came covid_19, and slapped us right across the face with the realization of how short and uncertain the life is. How today we are all here, but tomorrow, this pub would be empty like a graveyard. How happening places like shopping malls would be devoid of all, except the mannequins. How in the comfort of our homes we would start feeling claustrophobic.
'Life is short' is only the tip of the ice berg, when it comes to lessons that Corona has brought in. In one swipe, it has made so many of us much more self dependent than we used to be. With a dearth of available facilities, there are so many basic skills, that we now have at our fingertips. We started by managing, scraping through, while practice has made us a pro these days, or we are on our way, to each, their own. This self dependency has its roots deep in our lives. In every sphere, this is one medicine that can cure most of our problems. Most importantly, this, can bring us to the end of our pursuit of happiness.
Great masters have spoken the wise words, to be happy, we need to give up our expectations. Without expectations, there shall be no disappointment, no reason to be sad. Very well put, but then, the words of wise men, and the life of a common man does not have much in common. The common man has wishes, expectations, hopes, and they all need to be fulfilled for life to go on, to take shape. If things don't go according to our plans, life seems to be spiraling down an abyss, and we try nails and teeth to catch on to something, and rise up again, and thus, the journey of life continues through the ups and downs. We cannot be too wise and live our common lives, we must follow the routine track. Yet, there is a loop, which can make things better for us. We may give up our expectations from others, and keep them solely to ourselves.
In the beginning it sounds all high and lofty, but when we come to think of it, it is the easiest way we have got to find our happiness. Waiting for others to fulfill our wishes, disappointment and heart burn on being turned down, we have all been there at one point or the other. However, that feeling of having it under our own wing, being in charge, and nailing it down, that is different, exciting and absolutely satisfying in its own sweet way. If by chance, it cannot be done, well, at least we know that we had given our best, and there is nobody else to blame for it. It sounds difficult, no doubt, but in the pursuit of happiness, it surely is the easiest way out.
Our dreams make us who we are, our ambitions and our choices shape us in and out. Depending upon how much of it we can achieve, we are labelled as successful, or, in unfortunate times, as a loser. The label is put on us by the world. The world only sees the end result, no proceedings, not how much work was put into the matter, not how much effort went into it, none of it, only the neat end result. That is how the world has been for a very long time, we cannot change that. But when things are completely our under our own fingers, somewhere deep inside, a flickering light still shines on, that reminds us, no matter what the world may be saying, we know, why and what got us to where we are. Do not let that light out.
Life is a long long journey in this pursuit. Happiness, like a bright big ball, floats out in front of us, just out of our reach, tempting us to come and get it. One ball after the other, floating just out there, waiting to be grabbed. Now it is upon us, if we will dive head first into the water ourselves and capture the balls of happiness, or wait for someone to do it for us, if at all, they feel like doing us the favor. We may or may not reach out to the balls of happiness, but even if we cannot clasp our fingers around it, rest assured, we will still have the fun of one refreshing swim in the tides of life.
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