The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon, but that we wait so long to begin it.
~ W.M. Lewis
One of the big problems of society is, that we are bombarded by a constant stream of opinions disguised as facts and the truth.
The corrupt tell us how to be moral, people with little empathy tell us, 'how to feel'. Those with little experience or knowledge tell us, 'how to do', and paid priests tell us, 'how to find salvation'. Actors and models who fake emotions for a living, tell us, 'how to find true love and happiness'.
Taking advice and blindly following all and sundry be it through self help books, writers, magazines, newspapers, cinema advertisers believing if it's in print, on tv or social media it must be true. Then there are those politicians, ideologists, government bureaucrats, priests, counsellors, entertainers, business and social leaders, who now more than ever try to impose and shape our lives.
Is it it any wonder that we seem to be disoriented, discontented and unhappy?
The result of all these opinions and advice, is we are possessed by greed and insecurity. We are so plagued with fear and wants, that we are constantly pursuing a life full of impractical and unachievable expectations. This triggers relentless and unnecessary change in our lives, exhausting us. Further more we become insecure, because we want our lives to be constantly validated and approved by others.
Like many other folks, for a long while I too had very little idea about myself. I kept looking for answers and validation from others. I stopped reading self-help prescription books about 20 years ago, because I realised, I was trying to live a life other than my own. Others were advising me how to lead not my own but the life of the author, speaker, or influencer.
Following fashion and prescriptions for love, work and play by others, blindly imitating the style and mannerisms alien to our natural being, we acquire their beliefs and knowledge. As a result our words and actions are never really ours. In fact we get totally confused and even lost.
If we are fortunate, at some point in our lives we will awaken and become aware enough, to start living our own lives. Uttering words that have taken birth in the depths of our own minds, feelings that come from our own heart, and actions that come from our own conscience.
I started living my own life about two decades ago.
Since then I have offended many and entertained even more people without meaning to.
Found the courage to tell people I like them or even love them without fear of being misunderstood, my appreciation not being reciprocated or not believed by the other.
Beginning to live my own life I became aware and understood where I fell and more importantly why, allowing me to rise again, a better being.
Learnt much, experienced even more.
Walked away from many situations that lacked meaning.
I am comfortable by the fact that I am a misfit in many social environments and groups.
I now travel, work, play, befriend, love, view, read, write and meditate with greater awareness. I believe I am increasingly realising something called 'Sva-Arth', (from the Sanskrit words, 'Svayam' that is 'self' and 'Arth' that is 'meaning' - Literally translated 'Understand the meaning of oneself'.
Living my own life, makes me happy and almost always at peace with myself and existence. I now realise that, its indeed true, 'The best things in life are free'.
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