Man is a funny animal. Whatever he does, he has the ability to
come up with a justification. I have seen this happen with myself so
many times that I have come to terms with it. Excuse, justification,
defensive behavior, lack of will, call it whatever you will, as we get
older, we begin to accumulate this and over time, it weighs us down.
Life is like a journey and the lighter we travel, the better we can move around and take in different sights. A traveler who makes the mistake of packing too much along his journey will eventually grow tired of traveling. He would want to stay put at a place so that he can arrange all around him, the accoutrements that he has gotten used to. Our excuses for our mistakes are in a sense like the unnecessary baggage a traveler carries. The more we pile them up, the more crippled we become.
I was pondering this when I realized that I had been rushing like a mad man even though I was only returning from work. The long steps I was taking were tiring my legs and the peak hour noise was taking a toll on my nerves. When I slowed down, it felt as if I had suddenly entered the world of slow-motion cinema! I consciously slowed my pace and to my amusement, it was difficult to slow down...
The effect of my slowing down was quite dramatic. Suddenly, I could feel the cool breeze. I reached home, changed, went to the terrace to get the clothes I had put out to dry after washing. The crescent moon in the far distance appeared out of place after all the commotion, jostling, noise and the unceasing throng of people on the streets. In no mood to return to the apartment soon, I took in the breeze and continued to gaze at the moon.
Visions of all the treks and cycling I have enjoyed in the nature came in spurts and within a few moments, I felt lighter. A wave of happiness surged through my veins and I resolved not to forget this experience. An incoherent stream of thoughts, one inexplicably leading to the next had sparked this.
In life, no matter what the circumstances are, no matter what adversities we get subjected to and subject ourselves to, no matter who lends us a hand and who does not, no matter what quirks of fate await us, it is important to live lighter. To experience what I mean, get out of the cities, get out of the confining walls of your living spaces, get out of your routine, however meaningful your work is, get out of all that is chaining you to noise. Escape to the vast expanse of nature, escape to the mountains, forests and seashores. Subject your senses to the purest of pleasures that only nature can offer. The soul will automatically disentangle itself from all the baggage that is holding it down and soar...!
Life is like a journey and the lighter we travel, the better we can move around and take in different sights. A traveler who makes the mistake of packing too much along his journey will eventually grow tired of traveling. He would want to stay put at a place so that he can arrange all around him, the accoutrements that he has gotten used to. Our excuses for our mistakes are in a sense like the unnecessary baggage a traveler carries. The more we pile them up, the more crippled we become.
I was pondering this when I realized that I had been rushing like a mad man even though I was only returning from work. The long steps I was taking were tiring my legs and the peak hour noise was taking a toll on my nerves. When I slowed down, it felt as if I had suddenly entered the world of slow-motion cinema! I consciously slowed my pace and to my amusement, it was difficult to slow down...
The effect of my slowing down was quite dramatic. Suddenly, I could feel the cool breeze. I reached home, changed, went to the terrace to get the clothes I had put out to dry after washing. The crescent moon in the far distance appeared out of place after all the commotion, jostling, noise and the unceasing throng of people on the streets. In no mood to return to the apartment soon, I took in the breeze and continued to gaze at the moon.
Visions of all the treks and cycling I have enjoyed in the nature came in spurts and within a few moments, I felt lighter. A wave of happiness surged through my veins and I resolved not to forget this experience. An incoherent stream of thoughts, one inexplicably leading to the next had sparked this.
In life, no matter what the circumstances are, no matter what adversities we get subjected to and subject ourselves to, no matter who lends us a hand and who does not, no matter what quirks of fate await us, it is important to live lighter. To experience what I mean, get out of the cities, get out of the confining walls of your living spaces, get out of your routine, however meaningful your work is, get out of all that is chaining you to noise. Escape to the vast expanse of nature, escape to the mountains, forests and seashores. Subject your senses to the purest of pleasures that only nature can offer. The soul will automatically disentangle itself from all the baggage that is holding it down and soar...!
5 comments:
It's hard to walk slowly from office to home. Every being moves with an urgency at that hour & you too want to reach home, freshen up, relax. A stroll sure does good for anyone. :)
@Surabhi, :)
Wonderful analogy between travel and life! If only we learn to wear lightly the disappointments and discontent can we enjoy the ride. And only then will we have the interest and courage to attempt new things all through life.
And perhaps you should draw an analogy between calm, unhurried days and a stroll too. Sometimes we need them too, to find ourselves amid the breakneck-paced madness that often becomes our life.
Beautiful writing, as always :)
@Prathiba, Perhaps I should some day...and thank you! :)
Beautiful post. It is like someone wants to go on and on about cancer, yet stopped short to tell his audience that one nice hot cup of tea can cure that dreaded disease. ( A very loose analogy. Apologies :) )
Sometimes I feel a simple act of opening the windows, leave alone slowing down to breathe and stroll, can do wonders to an otherwise crammed brain/heart.
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