Seeker's thoughts ...

All events/talks/anecdotes (generally related to some form of sadness) that are meant to simulate the thought process follow one of the following 4 paths:

1. After hearing about them one views them in a comical sense from the very beginning ... so rather than empathy being aroused or the gravity of it coming to the fore the event/talk/anecdote is pretty much wasted.
2. On hearing it pathos arises, but just stays at that. The gravity and empathy are very well present here but they don't lead anywhere as there is no step forward and mere pathos isn’t a solution.
3. The initial transient feeling of tragedy is followed by a bout of light-heartedness leading to that earlier feeling getting completely washed off. This is a waste as well as the first brief feeling never really was real and was more like a mask.
4. The primary tragic feeling is eventually replaced by a comic feeling which is because of the realization that:
   a. I can’t control any events in the present
   b. This is how it was to happen and that’s why it happened exactly as it should have
   c. This can happen with me as well
   d. This is life
   e. If I don’t like it, I have a choice
   f. That choice lies with me in my present and will affect my future

Only is this final realization of any tangible value. Only is this dawn of true reasoning in reality making any use of a given event/talk/anecdote. Else it’s just moving through the motions. Letting wonderful opportunities come and pass by.

I have this tendency to believe that anything I do is supporting the universe, helping keep it stable ... if I didn’t do what I was doing the universe would collapse.
Any task being done by me feels to be the missing puzzle in the cosmic jigsaw which wouldn’t be revealed any other way.
The work that I do wouldn’t happen in case someone else was in place.

Couldn’t be more wrong! Much greater people than me doing much greater work that what I do/have done/will do have proved expendable.

Instead need to enjoy whatever task I am doing – knowing very well that:

1. It could be done by anyone.


2. It could be done by anyone in a better manner.


3. It wouldn’t be the end of the world if I failed.


4. It wouldn’t be the end of the world if I finished it late.


5. It would definitely be the end of my peace if I believed anything other than the above points.

Two ways to get to a particular destination:

1. A shorter route which has some traffic and one is stuck more than moving and takes about an hour to reach.
2. A longer route which has constantly moving traffic but is so long that it still takes about an hour to reach.

Given the above choices which one would you go with?

7 out of 10 times I would go with choice 2.

A little bit of introspection points out the reason to go with #2 to be my equating a false sense of moving forward with moving. Just like driving a car, same with life. I equate moving with moving forward. Moving aimlessly is not the same as moving towards a goal. Those two are as different as any.

This seems to be a clear sign of me losing the ability to be at peace with a lot of situations.

Relax, Think, Evaluate, Act.
Or a single word to sum it all up: Accept.

At each and every moment in life we are faced with exactly two choices. There might be times when there seemingly exist three or more choices at some point in time but in reality we just compare two at any given time and pick one and move on to the next set and so on until we are left with just one at the end.

The choice process is something we are consciously aware of (in very few cases) or something that we subconsciously are a part of (overwhelming majority of the times).

Right from something as big as a life/career decision (which we, on the outside, seem to be making consciously) to something less important like whether I will attend a particular event or visit someplace to something totally trivial such as deciding what to eat or what to see on television – all are directly influenced by what we choose.

And what influences choices? Prejudice.

It's almost never the situation, or for that matter even the potential outcomes, which influences a choice. More often than not it's something for or against something/someone that has happened in the past which influences that.

Me not going to a certain movie is based on my prejudices for a certain actor.
Me not opting for interviewing with a certain company because I believe they make people work a lot.
Me not meeting a friend because I haven't had great interactions with her in the past.
Me avoiding a colleague because I have this notion that he is obnoxious.

And as I am building prejudices against everyone/everything all the time I am not making a just decision ever. All prejudices are inherently harmful. No prejudice helps even if it appears good as eventually it stops one from making the most appropriate call when faced with a choice.

Prejudices make one falter.
Prejudices make one fail.
Prejudices kill.

Action-reaction

Newton's third law of motion states that for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. In other words, if there is no reaction seen assume that there wasn't any action happening.

Perfectly exposes a lot of my lofty claims:
1. I really want to practice something but I just don't have the time.
2. I have understood that it's bad for me but I can't stop doing it this moment because of xyz reason.
3. I have understood it but still think my fate's making me act in a different way.

If there isn't a reaction (the outcome I was expecting) it just means that wasn't any action making that reaction possible. It is always due to lack of efforts and nothing else. It's never because of not having enough time, things not working in my favor or something else.

Sure, those are there but just on the surface. At the root it's always lack of efforts.

I can be all that I want to be.
And all that I am now is exactly what I wanted to be. Whether I like it or not.

Grace (Deux)

It will come or it will not
Nonetheless I am forever yours
Grace of His flows unabated
And with that strength
My mighty spirit finally soars!