Stop worrying, Start living!!!

How will you describe "LIFE"?

Life is really a big maze with puzzles at all levels with transparent hints which are hard to locate against the opaque harsh black and white background. A single life’s duration is not judged by the span of one’s breathing. But it is judged by the number of footprints it makes in those hearts who have contributed in any way to her very existence. It’s a slice of bread which gets coated with layers of happiness, sorrow, friendship, jealousy, truth, lie, and loads of love topped with a slice of humanity making the "sandwich" complete.

But this definition is only ideal in nature. The correct implementation and practical execution of it is hardly attended to. Starting from the very second of being conceived, the very first lesson that the embryo learns is, “Life is a race!” In this extremely fast society, if you are not open to changes, if you are not updated, if you don’t acquire a social status; you are termed to be a social outcast. A social status hardly complies with your norms, your wishes --- it is largely influenced by what is glamorous, what is high-statured. People grumble over this sad, pathetic situation but in reality hard take action to curb this menace. Pressure from parents, teachers, peers makes a child vulnerable to becoming a competitor and excelling in all that he does. But in this process of excelling and making others happy, he makes a huge sacrifice of giving up “LIVING”. He drifts apart from his family, friends; misses the small talks, the random laughs; forgets to take out time for himself.

I listen to stories about youngsters or the so-called heirs of the family, who in the process of getting addicted and engrossed in winning this race get totally engaged in their ambitions that their want for success blurs their complete vision, making them go blind in their personal life. They are never satisfied, never actually happy with what they have achieved. They ignore their friends, their well-wishers who have helped them selflessly, take for granted giving time to their family. The only thing that holds importance in their life is their work and of course 'salary' which grows at a accelerating rate.

But in this maddening race for materialistic luxury, they start losing their own identity, their own desires and passion. Just to get the smell of paper notes having a distinct numbered value, they overlook the small things of life which come easy. They “dedicate” themselves completely into earning a decent social status and slowly they grow hungry or rather greedy in earning a higher and still higher status, all the while neglecting their humane needs. But before they actually realize, they have suddenly grown old and are on the verge of resting in peace. They are so engrossed in implementing E.S.Hooper’s words, “I slept and dreamed that life was Beauty; I woke – and found that life was Duty.”  that they forget that there is a family to attend to, children waiting to be taken to the fair, wife waiting to be praised, friends waiting for a reunion and their very passion waiting to be nurtured.

A man once said...

"First i was dying to finish my high school and start college,

and then i was dying to finish college and start working,

then i was dying to marry and have children,

and then i was dying for my children to grow old enough

so i could go back to work,

but then i was dying to retire

and now i am dying...

and suddenly i realized

i forgot to LIVE!"

Please don't let this happen to you. Appreciate your current situation and enjoy each day.... old friend!

"To make money we lose our health,

and then to restore our health we lose our money..

we live as if we are never going to die,

and we die as we never lived... "

So, in the end I would just like you to ponder upon some basic questions. Is being a human with rationality, feelings and above all respect for those who hold you as important for life so unappealing? Is going beyond the bundle of paper notes and maintaining social status so hard?