One day of a usually busy week, I sat down at my desk, feeling the load of work very heavy, not knowing how to unburden myself and feeling lost. I was feeling particularly rebellious, with an inbox threatening to increase the number of unread emails, the numerous meetings that had sucked my energy, my to-do’s, all demanding my attention as if with a magic wand expecting a solution. Something within me snapped and I locked my work machine, stood up and walked towards the cafeteria on the ground floor.
It was relatively empty at this time of the day and I got a cup of hot chai and sat down at a table near the window with a view towards the garden. On an impulse I silenced my mobile and kept it facing downward. As the aroma of fresh ginger chai wafts rose up, it made me inhale deeper breaths within and I looked out to savour the sights of a well-manicured garden bathing in sun-light.
Feeling my sense relax, my mind wandered again. The place I was in my life currently was where work took over almost 80% of my awake time and my sense of reward dependent on my achievements and external stimuli, did not actually give me a sense of fulfillment. I had read a quote on a FB page and it had lingered with me – “An unexamined life is not worth living – Socrates.
As I dwelled deeper into the quote, it sprung up a question – that had been troubling me since the last few days – “What does leading a good life mean to me?” and some of the first thoughts that came to my mind were that I should not impose an external influence on what I thought a good life to be. A good life to somebody else may not mean a good life to me. We usually spend half our lives striving to get, what we thought gave happiness to others. In the end realizing, it does not make us happy.
A few flashes reminding me of important milestones in my life – graduation, my first job, buying my first home, marriage – basically appreciation or rewards or in simple words a nod from society gave me a false sense of achievement. Will not deny though it did boost my self-confidence to live in this world and courage to face the lows.
Phases in my life when I was truly happy on the other hand or I look as the good part of my life were times spent happily as a growing child with my family, vacations at my grandparent’s homes in Kerala, enjoying Sunday lunches and dinners with relatives and friends. These times together, that never required a real reason to celebrate – they just seemed like an extended expression of one living the good times.
Another time was when I had travelled to the other side of the world USA for the first time alone for work or when I travelled to Kailash Mansarovar– it gave me a thrill of travelling alone to a distant land where I did not know anybody or anything. The thrill of doing something new pushed my boundaries further and made me feel truly joyful.
Yet another phase which I enjoyed thoroughly was that when I spent my time reading, writing and gardening. I realized quickly that indulging in hobbies kept me happy and when I am happy, I was the best version of myself whatever the situation.
As I sat sipping my tea lost in these thoughts, I also realized, that there were a few aspects that I had not given due importance to in my life. Wealth is important to navigate in life smoothly but cannot overtake the importance of Health. A healthy body and in turn a sound mind is important to feel good every single day to take you through the highs and lows in our journey. Hence physical activity is important and should not be compromised for anything in the world today. Focus on diet and exercise is half the battle is won.
A sound mind needs a healthy body. As the body needs exercise, so does the brain need stimulation and hence needs to be fed with new set of information. The important age-old adage of constantly learning is one to mull on. I would also like to add –Keep learning to help you be in touch with your soul – could be anything like music, painting or a new sport, or just a new skill. An activity that challenges your beliefs, where your sense of time vanishes and keeps your mind fluid.
As I finished my tea, I continued taking in the sights around the garden, of the beautifully manicured lawn, with flower beds, small butterflies flying around. I felt at peace knowing I had answered the question that had been troubling me. Sometimes we do not realize that Life is best when not complicated. All we need is to unwind and remind ourselves of enjoying the small moments and to make it count.
“The most wonderful, beautiful things in life are the simple things which we have all forgotten”. – Gerald Durrell
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