....if I sleep now, I'll have 5 hours of sleep.....if I fall asleep now, I will still have 4 hours of sleep....if I could fall asleep now, I'll have 3 hours of sleep...
Have you had nights like that? I have! You desperately want to sleep and yet for some reason, being too excited, too worried, sometimes too tired, to sleep. Or maybe not tired enough, not sleepy enough, not relaxed enough. You try and try but it doesn't work, you just lie there waiting..and wishing...
There's a parallel to that in life. We are always waiting for something that's just around the corner and is going to make our lives so much happier. Or happy.
Once I turn sixteen...once this pay raise kicks in...when I have that new phone...after I receive my new, fast PC...when we go on that vacation...once I reach India...
Funny enough most of these things that we wait and wish for do come true, okay, not all of them, but quite a lot. Surprisingly though, they do not bring the everlasting joy that they seemed to represent. What happened? There are many reasons. Sometimes our expectations were so high that the actual event could not fulfill them. Sometimes, the thing, the event, the person is very very good, but still we miss something in him/her/it, but mostly, by the time we get that wish, we already have a few more that we want to come true.
Long time back I read a quote that stayed in my mind, "We never live, but kill time in the hope of living.".
This hope of living stays alive but usually stays a hope and nothing more...
To add another quote, "Death is more universal than life; everybody dies, but not everybody lives."
So what is the solution? Well, I am no expert in the art of living but I definitely am a student and most things in my philosopy come back to the same principle, "Live in the moment". Don't stop wishing, wanting, creating, getting, but don't make life wait on your wishes. If you look in this moment, you will find a lot to be happy about. Once you learn to squeeze the joy out of every moment, you'll be surprised to realize how little it takes to make you really happy. Sometimes, after I finish a meal I sit there with the rest of the Diet Coke in my glass and sip it slowly, watching TV and as I sit back enjoying the perfectly chilled Coke with 2 ice cubes, my feet up on a chair...I feel, "This is life!". None of these things are extraordinary and yet, that's how little it takes to be happy if you want to be.
I'll end with Leo Tolstoy's famous quote, "If you want to be happy, be!".
6 comments:
Hey thank God you changed the bg color of your blog. I just want to tell you that. I didn't like the previous black color. Well I havn't read this article, so my comments is not related to that. Actually when I link to your blog. I was surprised to see the white color. That's why I first decided to tell you about. Otherthen the article "Who will cry when you die?" seems good by it's title. And I can surely say it must be.
Thanx man !
There is a book "How to sleep less and have more energy than you ever had before" I believe you need it :)
Hello Sagar,
Welcome back to the blog. If something doesn't look or feel right you should mention that freely. I am always open to criticism. :) Thanks for the late feedback.
Anonymous,
Thanks for that tip and the link. I have acquired the book, now plan to read it. Next time maybe you can leave your name too. :)
I wanted to play some game with indian jamesbond :D that was me
I can totally relate to this post. That's what I've been doing most of my life, and that's not much because I'm only 18. I had been wanting a mac book pro recently, and I decided that, that was the only thing missing in my life right now. When I finally got it I thought "ok now, my life is gonna change." Nothing happened, and only then did I realize that nothing and no one can change my life, besides me...So I started living life. Have you seen the movie "Yes Man"? My life was pretty much like that for a period of time. I always accepted offers and did what people suggested (that didn't turn out to good btw), now I'm a neutral position, not living life to the extreme but still living life.I also agree that it doesn't take much to make you happy =]
@Anonymous,
Thank you for sharing your views with us. If you are already thinking about these things at 18, I am sure there is a lot of hope for you to be happy.
I have seen "Yes Man", it's a funny movie, but the "Yes" policy doesn't work out even in the movie and I don't think saying yes to everything is the answer. I think an awareness of the present is more likely to bring us closer to that state of mind that's called happiness.
Thanks for your comment and hope to read from you again. :)
Post a Comment