SATURDAY, JULY 27, 2024
Joseph Lewis D’Silva
Everyone wants to live long without any trouble, worries and bodily ailments. But life is such that the ‘slings and arrows of outrageous fortune”, in the words of Shakespeare, spare none.
Journey of life is built around a few fundamental milestones: Birth, education, job, marriage, and then silver years with grandchildren; next health-related issues and finally, the inevitable reality ‘death’. We know that thousands have lived and left this world before us and are heard no more. Only a few are remembered and the rest are rarely thought of. We are all visitors on this planet. Symphony of life is the work of our choices that makes us a victim or victor, with our thoughts and beliefs.
Some of us fall in the failure trap when we compare ourselves with others. We should know that there is always someone better than us. Life is growth: --- not by standing still with disappointment and failures; but through our effort to be something with our will power. Life is as uncertain as a drop of water on a lotus leaf. We have to improve ourselves with uplifting thoughts; and by keeping the company of good people.
We all are fascinated with how others look, act, talk and live. There is nothing wrong if we appreciate the variety of people, which God has created; but to be in envy trap or jealous of others, is wrong. Everything we have is a gift from God. Therefore, we have to be satisfied with what we have; and not, to be always wanting something what others have. Life on earth is unfair because of sin, not because of God.
Many fall in guilt trap because they are influenced by memories. They allow their past to control their future. No doubt, we are the product of the past but we don’t have to be prisoners of the bygone days. We have to live and march through the passage of life with patience; and balance our lifecycle with adjustability.
The aim of life is not simply to survive, but to discover inner joy. According to Robert F. Kennedy, the purpose of life is to make things better. Our plan should be to please God, not people. We are made for God’s approval not that of the general public. Therefore, we all need to sit in silence and reflect.
Think about the fear, of being criticized or rejected by others, which puts us away from God. Ponder, when we utter: ‘Why does God burden me alone with so much trouble?’ We should reason that unfairness is a part and parcel of life and its mysteries cannot be fully understood. A little influence by evil persons can throw anyone into evil habit and make anyone live an impure life. Therefore, we should keep away from people who have done wrong to us; for they may strike again. So, we should never allow them to enter our home. Socrates, the Greek philosopher said, “The examination of life is the evaluation of events, past and present. By examining our lives, we learn from our mistakes and make life more fulfilling. Santayana observed, “He who does not remember the past is condemned to repeat it.” Life is always slipping away out of our hands. From moment to moment, the body is moving towards death and decay; we are accountable to God. Therefore, Buddha said, “It is better to conquer yourself, than to win a thousand battles.”
