Image thank to hereWe are so used to ourselves – in so many ways. Our face, our smell, our mannerisms, our this and our that. Everyday we look at ourselves in the mirror and get so used to it. We might even forget that we are beautiful or ugly in the eyes of others. In our eyes, we are we.
Being mortals, we go though a process – of being weak, to being strong and then returning to the state of weakness we began from. Some describe this as the journey from “cradle to grave”.
As a child, we are curious, full of energy, full of hope and full of faith. We only see ourselves growing from strength to strength. With no knowledge to increasing knowledge. Slowly, slowly we get into the world. From our “safe world” we now have to come face to face with the world of others – our first challenge of acceptance, understanding and self adjustment. Some manage fast, some take a lifetime. Each their own journeys.
Then, we reach the age of teen. The age of attention, The boys and girls - each with their own sense of what is important. Their own attractiveness – the hair style, the macho body, the show of skin and flesh, the lingo, the clothes, etc, etc – each out to express each one’s sense of uniqueness. Each trying very hard to be a different. Mostly at the superficial level because many, many just takes years before wisdom visits them.
Many die before attainting wisdom.
Then the age of apparent control. The world invites you into the system. Makes you part of the system. If before you were the recipient, you now are made to think you are the shaper and decider of events. You become anointed as an “adult”, whatever that word really means. Power. And with power breeds arrogance, loss of thankfulness, greed and most importantly , self delusion.
Then, the age of stabilizing as if there is such a thing as a “stable life”. But of course, mortals have an easy but misleading criteria of stabilizing – material successes and the applause of the ignorant majority. The car that you drive, the house that you live in, the clothes that adorn your body, the circle of friends whom you are seen with and such. And yet, many a “stabilized individuals” experience intense unhappiness when alone and by themselves deep, deep within their hearts. While the audience and their “friends” are applauding their “success, they feel a void in their life.
Have I been cheated by life?, they ask. Where did my life go- and when?
Then you enter the old age, period of sickness and real loneliness. Where has all the attractiveness, the energy, vitality, need for other people’s approvals all gone? If once upon a time, it was very important that you can run a 100 metres in 10 seconds, all you want now is to be able to get off your bed without help from someone else. Definition of success relatively changes.
If, once upon a time, it was so important that you looked pretty or sexy or macho, now all you wish for is for your body not to get more unhealthy. While all your life, you had focused on the FORM, life now has brought your focus back to the SUBSTANCE…but a trifle too late!
If once you were busy fighting against others for all sorts of dubious causes, now you can hardly move your finger to feed yourself. If you had stood tall and arrogant, now you could hardly …………..
If once upon a time, it was important how people see you and you take all efforts to spruce up your persona, now you can hardly see anything due to falling sight.
Try, just try to enjoy life. After all, if you can read this, that means you are “comfortable in life” and hence no amount of urging you to introspect is going to succeed! Only life can be the best teacher. And that includes to me.
Peace !
