“Simple Pleasures: Sit Outdoors and Listen. Really Listen” – Anya Raazka, Photographer
Most of us toil at our 9 to 5 jobs and come home to slumber in our cozy bed scrolling through our social media until we doze off. We were the people who dreamn’t about travelling the world, pursuing our hobbies and narrating stories to our children. But we fell into the same trap of running the rat race as all the adults behind us did. We are the new racers, called the ‘people of hustle culture’. We think we run a better race but we are still the same rats.
One of the downsides of falling into this trap is creating a generation who postpone happiness and living until retirement and have regrets when you are too old to motivate yourself to start over. It is nice to have a 20-year plan and a stable career because we are primed to believe that’s what a happy life is all about. But is it?
I do not intend to spill coffee over your plans but to shake you up a bit to make you understand if you are living or existing?
If you have been a fan of this book called ‘Monk who sold his ferrari’ by ‘Robin Sharma’, you would know how most of us are busy running that we forget to pause and see the world around us. This includes negelct of our loved ones, our health, our wellness and the creation. But why do we run so far and fast? For accumulating wealth and status?
That is when I realised how many of us are engulfed into this life by creating misery and unhappiness for ourselves. You ask your friend or your neighbour, they have countless problems to share. No matter who we are, we are going to suffer when we have to. We aren’t escaping any misery, then why to complicate life by bringing more misery. The need to accumulate wealth by 30 or financial freedom by 50 or having a home by 40. I am not saying, we don’t need money or wealth or respect but not at the cost of everything that you hold near to your heart.
Do not miss your child’s first birthday or first day at school. Do not miss your graduation because you got a job somewhere else. Make compromises to enjoy moments, to get a glimpse of the world around you and to make time for that moments which won’t come back ever again. Because your child will grow up, you won’t be able to throw the graduation cap with your batchmates again nor your youth would wait for you to run a marathon. Some days are irreversible. It’s not just that, more we attuned to be behaving in ways that is detrimental and mechanical, we tend to continue living that way. It’s hard to change the wiring which you followed all your life.
Take that step to do what you are scared about. It doesn’t matter if you are 50 or 60. Do it!
Let me end with a short story. There was once a man who was in the middle of a tsunami who kept praying to God to save him from dying. He continued praying throughout the tsunami wave. While he was praying, a man in a ship came to rescue him but he sent him way because he believed God would save him. Later, a helicopter came to rescue, but he refused to get in believing God would save him. And finally, he saw a rescue team trying to pull him up in their rescue boats but he failed to get in beliveing God would save him. He eventually died and went to heaven. He then asked God, ‘God, I prayed so much but why didn’t you come to help me?’. God said, I did. I sent the boat, the ship and the helicopter but you didn’t get in.
In the same way, if we are too focused on the future, our goals and the things we want to achieve. We become like this man who fails to notice these blessings that came his way. Look around and take a glimpse of the life you are living right now at this moment. Show gratitude for the life you own, the fights you have fought and for the people in your life. Cherish it when you still can!
Have an amazing month ahead. Be present and remember to pause!