Life

Life of Substance.    

“What is this life, if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare?” ---John Clare.

Take just a moment from your life to stop and reflect on the quality of your daily lives. What do we mean by life? Are we living a quality life? A life of substance?  Do we have a purpose in life? These questions often evade the mind. We try to find answers to these queries, but in vain.

 It is because people are so dissatisfied with life. The emptiness, the monotony makes them yearn for more. They try to find some excitement in gaining even more of what they already have. It is the greed to gain without giving anything in return.  They strive for a purpose of life. Therefore, the purpose of life should not be making life rich with material gains, but with love, relationships, compassion and spirituality. These are the qualities that give a meaning to one’s life.

The human being is made up of three component parts. The body, mind and soul. The body fulfills the physical functions and also acts like a carrier for the mind and soul. The body cannot do anything on its own. It has no thinking, reasoning, will power and emotions. It is like a computer, where information needs to be fed in. The mind is the seat for mental ability and reasoning power. The soul is the seat for will power and emotions. The need is to make all the three parts work efficiently, to their best capacity.

Life is really simple but we insist on making it complicated. If everything in life would have been predestined, then there would have been no scope for one’s intelligence. The positive attitude can enable achieving desired goals in life.

To achieve that goal the Bhagvad Gita, elucidates four different paths, 1) Raj yog or Meditation           2) Karma Yog or Work with  dedication 3) Gyan yog  or Knowledge, and    4) Bhakti Yog or Devotion, from which the aspirant may choose according to his temperament, capacity and inclination. The individual has the liberty and ultimate choice in his own hands, as to which path he wishes to choose. Liberal and without prejudice to help deal with the turbulence of life in as rational manner as is humanly possible.

The most powerful instrument that mankind possesses is Thought Power. People do not remember that they have this power and they do not have the ability to harness and make use of it.                                                                                                                              “The will to win, the will to succeed, to shape one’s life, to take control, can only be harnessed when you decide what you want and that no challenge, no problem, no obstacle will keep you from it.”----A. Robbins.

Each one of us is unique. Our uniqueness makes us aware of our goals and enables us to pursue them single-mindedly. Our journey in life is not meant to be left to chance, or else we would never get to our destination. It is the goal and the destination that gives coherence and meaning to life. Do not bury your uniqueness to become unidentifiable mass. Losing your individuality, but build your identity on god-given gifts and your unique capabilities.

People lack the courage and inner strength to make their own decisions. They become dependent, moving with the crowds. They cannot differentiate between the present and the past. The present moment is the foundation of the next moment. The way in which one reacts in the present will determine his future. Being positive, powerful and loving today, can give strength to handle any situation tomorrow.                                        “When all else is lost, the future still remains.”---Christian Bovee.

We have examples of innumerable great personalities that are said to have lived a Life of Substance. May it be Albert Einstein, Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa or President Abdul Kalam. What makes them stand out among others? What is it that they have in their lives and we don’t?  It is their motivation. Their need for achievement is their motive to accomplish things and to be successful. They realize and fulfill all of their potentialities. This success makes them great personalities. They lead their lives in a well calculated manner, on the path that needs different behavioral patterns across situations. It includes characteristic qualities life self-discipline, understanding, warmth, patience, humility and adjustments. These qualities mould and project them as great personalities. Psychologist, Gofdon Allport defines personality as, “The dynamic organization within the individual of those Psychophysical systems that determine his unique adjustments to his environment.” Personality consists of the distinctive patterns of behavior that characterizes each individual’s adaptation to the situation in his or her life. It is the way how he finds a way out of any and every critical situation. Personality is not attained by the ultimate success, but by the path taken to achieve that success. It builds a receptive character instead of being rigid and obstinate. The prerequisite for progress in any field of activity is receptiveness to new ideas. Receptiveness is the capacity and willingness to absorb. A closed mind, may it be due to inadequate life experiences, indifference, stubbornness, intolerance or contempt is dangerous, because it hinders all avenues of progress.

Our best possible investment in life should be of time, mental ability and will power. Many philosophers have said that we have a conscious and an unconscious mind. But in reality, it is only one mind which was originally intended to work consciously most of the time, but gradually becomes accustomed to work largely like a machine. The mind is not given any space to expand, no food for thoughts. The habitual mental processing is based only on materialistic conception and motives that have very detrimental consequences. As a result, the mental ability, concentration and will power gradually decrease and give way to worry and fear, nervousness, misery and unhappiness.

However, strenuous or complicated life maybe. We simply cannot afford to let these distractions interfere with our progress. Though being practical and motivated needs a good deal of perseverance, this accomplishment is within the reach of each and every person, one does not need the abilities of a Superman to achieve it.

This life of ours!    --------------------------             
 It is a wonderful life, when we know how to take it, when we live it as it should be lived!