I have a question for all of you that what are meaningful things in life?? And this question itself generates so many other relevant questions like what is purpose of your life? What is the real truth behind our lives??? So many people have, in their own words, given answers to these questions and they seem to be very convincing too. All those who think a lot about their lives must have, at some point of time, thought that Is what they are doing is a meaningful thing??? You may find nothing new in what I am going to write. It’s a caveat before you read this further.
I will start with discussing about a close friend of mine. He is hereinafter regerred to as "X". X is a kind hearted person and is really a nice human being. He believes in realtionships, respects them and cares about his loved ones and those who love him. X is a man of his words, very hard working and dependable. And by god’s grace, his luck and hard-work, he is very well placed in life at the moment. X is working at “his type” of place, with a lot freedom in terms of work and is earning well too. But he did not land up in this place because he badly wanted but because of his destiny. In fact, he says that he is in his profession not because he wanted to, but because he simply went with the flow in life. He sincerely believes that he is moving in life with the flow of life but not with any big ambition in his mind about being superb, excellent or at the top. However he has a target in life. He told me that his life is going pretty smoothly with a good job in hand and without any fear or risk of any sort and that he is kind of satisfied with the way the things have shaped up so far and are happening in his life.
But as you know, life isnt simple. Its damn complicated. A man is not satisfied by what he has. But he is satisfied by having what he wants. Rest is a compromise and his bad luck that he couldnt get what he wanted.
One day, X mentioned to me that he keeps asking himself if this is the ultimate satisfaction??? He told me that his own self answers in negativ to this and says that things happening in your life may be good and must be giving a lot of comfort, but they are not meaningful things in life. X says that he has made his parents, friends and everyone around proud so far. He does things to make everyone happy. He always wants to help people and thus believes that his satisfaction lies in helping people and thus wants to leave his “golden” job. On this, I told X that he can help people even by continuing in his present job. But he convincingly reasoned that he wants to focus only on one thing and when you do multitasking, you are not focussed and your jobs aren’t done with perfection. I believe he is right when he says so. Surely if X quits his job, he will not have any source of a good income. So he will have to deal with that and manage it somehow. Secondly, X's parents want him to get married in 2-3 years or so. He doesn’t want to get married until he is prepared for it and even if the marriage is forced on him, he will not be able to provide a luxurious life to his spouse or kids. On one hand, he presently has a good secured life and on the other hand he wants a satisfied but risky and uncertain life. Any sane person would say X would be insane to quit is present job. But then such is life. We crave for things/person who are not with us. We take for granted and do not value things/people that we have. But this is not the point of concern in this blog. Issue still remains what are meaningful things in life. Let us take a break from X’s life and focus on our lives.
I have some questions for myself and all of you. Please ask youself that when you were born and were crying, were you doing any meaningful thing in life? Or when you started going to School, were you doing any meaningful thing in life??? (I would also say yes but let us still examine). Then when you learned and developed the skills of playing sports or the art of debating or painting or singing, were you doing any meaningful thing in life? When you liked a girl and subsequently had a relationship, were you doing any meaningful thing in life?? When you broke up and went on a drinking spree, were you doing a meaningful thing in life? When you chose the stream of a particular subject in school to proceed with, were you doing a meaningful thing in life? Or when you started consuming alcohol and drugs, were you doing meaningful things in life?? Then when instead of attending lectures, you preferred bunking and going on bike rides or playing cricket, were you doing meaningful things in life? When you loved a girl who did/could reciprocate or love you back or did not want you, were you doing a meaningful thing in life? Or when you are sleeping for extra long hours, are you doing any meaningful things in life??? There is a never-ending list of such questions.
You may have answered in either yes or no but the common feature is only one awnd which is that at all these times, you were living your life the way you wanted to and were beahving naturally. We spend alot of things in our life without even thinking if these are meaningful things. And our life is a sum of such small things. The way of doing each and everything defines your approach towards life and it also affects the way you live your life.
Therefore, I suggested X that no matter what he chooses to do in life, he will be living his life the way he wants to. If he stays back in his job, he will be a happy, secured and a content guy. Ek din uske paas gaadi aayegi, phir ghar aayega aur phir ek din biwi aur baad mein bachhey. Wah Suneel Babu ! Badhiya hai. But if he leaves his job, then shayd hi gaadi aayegi, shayad hi ghar aayega aur aise nikamme nakaare se shaadi kaun karega???? But then he will be able to succeed in his objective of helping people. He will be the most satisfied then. What is stated above may bring some clarity in your thoughts. However the moot question is still not properly answered.
For that I have to say that meaningful things in life are those which make you stand out from the mob, bring satisfaction and make you feel proud about yourself. The answer is also somehow linked with the talent you have. It could mean being a terrific scientish or an engineer or a lawyer or a doctor or even a mechanic. In short every work can bring you the feeling of doing a meaningful thingin life. Acchi Ghaas katne wala can also be doing a meaningful thing in life. Even being a nice human being is a talent and is like doing a meaningful thing in life. Knowing your talent and still not pursuing that due to fears you have in life is living a compromised life. I am not saying it is bad. It is your choice if you want to live a compromised life. Because if you life a compromised life, then there are always some voids and one persistent though that - "Wish if i could have". It is simply a matter of your choice.
Therefore dear people, my perspective is that, no matter wherever you reach in life and what you do, you must live your life on your own terms and try to live each and every moment. I believe that the art of living in present and tackling things are they come must be developed by a person. No matter how we structure our lives and no matter how many good habits we build and precautions we take, there will always be things that we cannot control. Going with the flow invloves acceptance of the facts and changes happening in our lives. A change may affect you to be either shocked, baffled, sad, happy or amused but the strength lies in how quicklly you recover and accept it and go on with the flow. And yes the "Jaadu ki Jhappi" and "All is well' work. Once a part of your life is distorted and dismantled you must accept such distortion and then improvise things with the resources available to you. Keep it cool. A source of inspiration lies everywhere. Always remeber that the match was not over when Sachin and Sehwag got out so early in the final, as much we thought. But the situation was tackled and pressure was absorbed by Gambhir and Dhoni. This just a small example. There are no so famous but bigger sources of inspiration. Please note that whether you are rich or not-so-rich or poor, you still can live a very happy and satisfied life and can do meaningful things in life. And if you keeping complaining and crying about things you couldn’t do or you could have done, you are wasting and destroying the charm of the moment you are living in.
. Let me also realte this with a popular saying that - “kisi ko mukammal jahan nahi milta, kisi ko zameen to kisi ko aasmaan nahi milta.” Lekin meri nazar mein agar mukammal jahan nahi milega toh job hi jahan milega who hi mukammal ban jayega. Jo zameen ya aasman milega who hi jahan ban jayega.Nothing and no one is indispensible in life. Life goes on.
I told you, there is nothing new in what I wrote. But I will be happy if even one reader is inspired by what is written above and I will feel that I am doing a meaningful thing in life.
Love,
Gaurav
P.S: Since I do not edit or re check my posts for spelling or grmatical errors, so those who finding such errors should ignore and be concered about other things. There are bigger and serious concerns to address and worry about.
