Ten out of ten people die, so don’t take life too seriously.
After diligently managing to write this blog almost daily during 2010, I made a momentous decision to write only from Sunday to Thursday thus giving myself a break on Friday and Saturday. It was a tough decision to make for I was quite certain that I was letting my readers down. However things got worse when last week a combination of lack of motivation, overwhelming laziness and some minor illness combined to distract me from writing the blog with the same sense of urgency of the previous year. I was therefore rather distraught when a couple of followers checked out with me as to why I had not posted my blog for a couple of days. I was however jolted into reality that I should set my own pace and enjoy what I do rather than force myself to do it because life is to be lived and not become a mere existence for me or for that matter for anyone. Today’s quote simply reiterates the point.
A simple test to understand the point is to recollect the names of people whose company you enjoy and to simultaneously list those people who, given a choice, you would avoid at all costs. There would be a common thread that binds the first set of people and a dramatically different tread that binds the second set of people. The first set of people would invariably be gregarious, have a contagious laugher, be very positive, often are spontaneous and they never seem to carry or display their problems or worries. On the other hand the second set of people seem to be glum, morose, negative, brooding, perhaps offensive in interactions and definitely seem to be cross with themselves and the world at large and their own fate in particular.
So how does one ensure that life is not burden to be carried but a song to be sung? The obvious answer is to reorient our mental conditioning and to view life as a song and not a burden. The next step is to set aside all worries about being a competent singer but to sing with the gay abandon that we all display as bathroom singers. Yes the key is to enjoy the song in our heart and sing to the beat that stirs us passionately. This kind of an attitude is not as easy as it sounds for many of us are more concerned as to how to utilize the lottery winnings than in the probability of winning the lottery. Life becomes a burden when we try to meet other people’s expectations and then we are in the vice like grip of the seven deadly sins of pride, envy, glutton, lust, anger, greed and sloth.
To be more pragmatic, here is a little self test. How many of us know anything much about our own great grandfather/ grandmother? In 99% cases the answer will be that we know precious little about him/ her. Yet we would believe that they did in their time contribute significantly to the family tradition and sustenance and possibly took their roles very seriously. Yet a couple of generations down the line there is no remembrance about the contribution let alone recognition. If they lead their lives in all seriousness and in a dour and self sacrificing manner, they would be definitely regretting it now. On the other hand if they had fun while taking care of their responsibilities they would have happily, cheerfully and ardently welcome death; for as the philosopher said ‘in the long run we are all dead’.
Remember: “Laugh as much as you breathe and love as long as you live.”
Try this:
- Recollect 3 of the happiest moments of your life. Now identify the reasons for that happiness. One of the prime reasons could be that almost everyone around enjoyed that moment. Now look at yourself as an inexhaustible reservoir of good cheer and begin to live life with a smile.
- Make a list of the following
- The 3 regrets you have in life
- The 3 hurts you cannot forget
- Your three most painful moments
- The 3 people you haven’t thanked enough
- The 3 ambitions yet to be fulfilled
- Your three favorites jokes
Now thrash the first three lists and begin working on the next three lists.
This post is courtesy www.actspot.com
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