Staying Connected
Staying Connected
It is interesting to note how so many people are unsatisfied and unhappy in their lives despite having taken the “right” steps and “right” decisions in the “right” directions. “Interesting” is probably not the right word to use, but honestly it does inspire an interest in me.
“Something is missing”, a friend informed me the other day. The friend is a “successful” professional and has made considerable material gains in life. Besides, I get calls from time to time – “something is missing”, they all say, 9 out of 10 are “doing well”.
I feel sorry and sad that so many people are caught in a rigmarole and take a lot of stress trying to live upto role expectations. The tendency is always to conform to some dominant principle. Who made these hideously inadequate principles of social, personal and professional conduct? Are not the parameters for being “successful” and “doing well” killing our spirits and making us similar to programmed gadgets? Are we even enjoying the limitless bounties that the Universe has to offer to us? Often, at corporate trainings I have heard managers speaking on motivation modules inspiring the workers to “think out of the box”. I think it is a wonderful way to operate, how about applying the principle to life in general?
There is a definite clash between the heart and the intellect. In an ideal situation, they must complement each other. But the problem arises when the intellect denies the heart and either contradicts or refuses to listen to its rhythm. I am convinced that all of us have the answers within ourselves. We use so little of our power as human beings!
I have decided that I need to go for a recharge.... think it is time to seek some inspiration.
8 comments:
Yea. You are so right. I feel the same way some time but then something always happen to bring me back to my usual self. Its sad though. You know some time some very tiny things would cheer up us but because we are so wrapped up in trying to be successful we miss those signs.
I guess it is easier to conform. It is easier because these dominant standards are visible everywhere.
You know, just an hour before, I was having lunch with my thai colleague who informed me that she is on diet, eating only one meal a day. I know she is doing this because friends and acquaintainces complain she is getting fat. And belive me - to me she is just perfect with not an ounce of unhealthy fat in her. But at the same time, she probably does not conform to the concept of beauty that demands women be as thin as twigs!
Everything is so consumerist. It is reinforced time and again - that to enjoy life you need this and that and that, and technology brings before us newer and newer innovations that seem to be so exciting, and for that you need money and to get that much of money - you need to follow that pattern...
And so the cycle goes...
Hi
Long time no I posted.
Well it seems you read my post... lol
Yeah i agree. i have often wondered whether people who conform are really happy. A friend of a friend is married to a princely family. She has a routine to follow... the routine a bahu of such family must follow. i would have thought she would be happy to have become a part of such family and be able to share the privileges. But she is not happy! she has her own set of problems.... shed rather be 'free' again.
by the way someone seems to have latched on to you. Thinking thinker care to say things which anyone apart from you can understand? From your earlier comments only thing i can make out is you are a cynic. Why this cynism?
Often taking the right step or making the correct decision involves sacrificing something... and at a personal level happiness is the thing easiest to sacrifice for things like stability and long term security.
azahar machwe, you confuse me. How can that which is achieved at the cost of happiness be 'correct decision' or 'right step'?
I think it is more 'pragmatism' that makes us sacrifice happiness for the time being.
kalpalata its pretty simple.. There are many situations in life where our happiness lies in the way of making the correct decision.
Just a small example from my life: Say you get a good opportunity to work/study abroad which will improve your career prospects. This in turn will allow you to give your parents and future family an added level of comfort.
But you are unhappy about leaving home. Your happiness lies with staying at home with your family and friends.
Yet the right decision is to go out since that will make you a tougher individual and will be good for your overall growth.
Thus you sacrifice your happiness for what is right. And in the end by sacrificing your happiness for 4-5 years you not only become a new person but you also gain strength of mind and heart.
Reading the second line of your comment is bit confusing.. how do you define 'for the time being'?
is it 1 yr? 2 yrs? 5 yrs?
Because remember often great things are done not by just giving up things which make us happy 'for the time being' but by giving them up for a considerable amount of time.
And finally we don't know how much time god has given us with our loved ones... and how much time THEY have with us.
So some times 'for the time being' can mean forever.
Hi!! all of you guys! I am back from a great trip! Have'nt been able to be on the net for about a week now! Long, long time. Great to see that some discussions are going on over here! I will write when I have collected my thoughts. As for now, I am busy composing my next post - that too from a cyber cafe coz the connection at home as gone for a six! Good, please carry on and thanks for visiting!
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