“We all want to fly high, high up in the blue sky, just spread our wings and fly, high up in the blue sky.”
We all want to soar, but we don’t want to let go. Only if we let go of our baggage can we let our minds free.
The inspiration for this post comes from a li’l girl of about 4 who I saw at the signal yesterday. She was on a bike, standing in front of the rider. I noticed how she loved the breeze that was blowing her hair away from her face. She was worry-free. Why? Was it because she was not a grown-up yet? Was it because she had no responsibilities? No. It was because she decided to let all her worry take a back seat.
Of course kids worry, about the food that they don’t want to eat, but are force-fed, the clothes that they are not in a mood to wear, but have to because they are not supposed to have an opinion, the itchy diaper, the forced naps, having a bath, an adult cleaning their nose painfully, about not being able to play with wires, the computer, the TV, the phone; the list is endless. As adults we look at these as trivial worries, but they are worries nonetheless. In spite of all this, have you noticed how the smallest of objects, the simplest of gestures, or a loving touch makes the baby happy? As adults, I realize, we tend to complicate life and everything that makes up life. We consciously or unconsciously train or minds to amplify our worries manifold.
I remember, how as a kid I would wait for the rains and get drenched. I loved the feeling of submitting to the raindrops hitting my face. I could feel even the tiniest of droplets on me. Now, I hate going somewhere drenched. I wonder where I lost myself. There was a time when I could read a book a day if I put my mind to it. Now, let alone a book, finishing a few pages tires me out. I wonder where I lost my mind.
In the course of trying to conquer the world, we manipulate ourselves to an extent where we let our fears, anxieties and worries slave us. As kids, it was always about where we would play in the evening, which chocolate to buy today, what we would wear today, was all that mattered. We no more live in today. It’s always about planning for the next day or the next week. Clichéd, but we lose the zest for today. What the future holds, we do not know. It’s the fear of the unknown that eats us up.
Why can’t we be kids again,learning to give more importance to our happiness in the present than our worries of tomorrow? I’m sure there is a reason they say ‘Ignorance is bliss’; why then is the ignorance of what tomorrow holds not blissful? What we end up doing is live each day of our lives partially. We evolve physically, but it feels like our mental strength and resolve shrinks as we grow older.
Note to self: If things go wrong, don’t go with them!
Anu–lovely post! The operative word is RESPONSIBILITY.
Kids know that somebody else is there to give them all that they need–they are secure in the love of their parents/caregiver (mostly). As adults there is no safety net and you are also resonsible for others at home, on the road, at the workplace…the list is endless. Every action has a reaction…every raindrop carries with it the germ of a sneeze that like a juggernaut moves on to so many permutations and combinations.
Yes! The instant enjoyment of a rainbow, a cloud bearing rain, a flower and a child’s delightful smile is lost under the burden of ‘if’. If we learn to stop and enjoy our bounty, we can plod on with the burden of our responsibilities.
This morning I saw a swarm of dragonflies buzzing around. Dragonflies means it is raining ta a distance…and in hot sweltering Chennai that is a thought to hold close and wait for the first raindrops….do you know the other part of the proverb of dragonflies is that moths (eashul) signifies rain in your vicinity. I wonder whether these will be out this evening?
Padmum: Thanks for your detailed comment. Glad to know you liked it. I wanted to bring out the difference between how kids and adults view and treat problems. I totally agree when you say that as adults we are responsible for everything and everyone. In this case, is it possible to be at peace without ignoring problems/concerns/issues, without shunning our responsibilities?
I didn’t know about the dragonfly/eashul bit. I know the eashuls are always around during Diwali. Thanks for sharing.
Nothing stops us from being like children again. The operative word there is like. I still go out in the rain and get wet. I still get on the floor with children and play with them hide and seek. I still banter with young people who think that I am daft. I enjoy myself! So, get on with it girl. Go get wet in the rain.
Hey, Anu,
Nice to be connected with you on LinkedIn. This is a lovely & mature write-up that only brings forth whats missing from most peoples’ lives – JOY, FREEDOM & ABANDON! And since everyone’s talking about operative words, let me throw one out there – EGO!
My take is that we are all a culmination of the biases we have developed in our lives from various quarters PLUS our own experiences PLUS our achievements & a few other things. Everyone has challenges / responsibilities. Why take them as a BURDEN? The reason is that we worry too much about how we will discharge them with the limited & ever-dwindling resources available to us. We reach a stage where FEAR rules our heart. We do not think about possibilities, but dwell on unseen ghosts. God forbid anyone who tells us we are wrong!
We do not trust, for fear of losing even whatever little we have, be it Sanity, Power, so-called Respect & Fawning & Adulation by others or even Money. To top it all, we think that we know all, that our way of doing things is the highway, the ONLY way. We constantly compare & compete with our circle of friends, family, neighbors, entering a soul-eating circle of envy & jealousy. This is all EGO or a defensive manifestation of EGO.
Sorry, but Ignorance is NOT BLISS. Ignoring your challenges only helps them mushroom. Appreciating them & taking ACTION the right way removes the problem forever. We are all living in a rapidly evolving world where past glories & failures do not define the FUTURE any more. Its how we handle the PRESENT & take ACTION that defines our DESTINY!
The proof is in the pudding. Even as one is reading this, one would be judging why I am even saying this or thinking “How Dare He Say This?”. Hence proved!
My journey as a entrepreneur has taught me different things over the last few years. Chief among them is the realization that through doing whatever I have done in the past, if I want to achieve different results than what I have achieved thus far & change the outlook for the future, I must be willing to do different things & do them differently. As I don the hat of a SUCCESS coach more often now than before, the first step I ask people to take is to Empty Their CUP or in other words, give up their EGO or at least hold their disbelief, distrust & EGO in suspension for the time being. The next step is to submit themselves to the MENTOR, without judging him/her based on age, sex, creed, qualifications, wealth, or any other parameter. Then comes the slow process of EVOLUTION. I achieve this through conversational questioning & sharing & of course, action.
This path, I have often discovered, leads to JOY & ABUNDANCE & a zest for LIFE! The gentleman RUMMUSER says to get on with it. He is right, to a large extent. His vibes are awesome. Must be something to do with all the RUM he USES.
I have only one shot at life. Life’s Great, It’s a Joy, a GIFT. No wonder I am living a PRESENT…