I always ponder over the thought that if 2020 happens 10 years back, my life would have been different. It teaches me many soft lessons about life through hard experiences. In the month of Jan, I deliberately confronted with my Senior Manager over a role and I was hit back by his big, big ego when I refused to continue to work with him, but alternative path was already gifted to me by nature. I couldn’t realise the gift and faltered, in a very idiotic way. My fate was sealed. In the month of Jan-Feb, I got admission to a reputed Management Institution hoping my professional career would propel, but could not continue because of too much uncertainty in the air. My fate was sealed. I got my first warning call in the month of June from my supervisor that my work was being monitored by senior people, my fate was sealed. In the month of Nov, my supervisor intimated me that I need to improve my performance and will be monitored for the next few months. My entire family members were severely ill, but recovered well with some intermittent illness during Aug-Sept. My fate was almost sealed. And I faced anxiety attack during Feb-Mar that had costed me unnecessary expense, nothing in return, and still I am bearing and will bear the burden of it.
All these incidents, be at professional, financial or at personal level, I have incurred tremendous amount of loss which I have to carry and am still carrying. I would heave been dead by this time, but still am surviving just because of few books I read during the lock down period, which gave me enormous strength and spirit and still inspires me to move ahead. To mention few books are – The Monk’s Memoir, The Big Questions of Life, A Fistful of Wisdom, Mind full to Mindful, When All is not Well, A Million Thoughts.. and last but the most impacting one is BLACK LOTUS. All these help me to sail through this difficult period.
All these hard experiences teach me many soft lessons of life. Nothing matters, eventually. In a nutshell, it explains everything about life. Life is just moving from one situation to another, but where, what is the destination? There is no destination, life is just a continuous process, it is me, my mind which thinks and analyses and contemplates on certain things, which has never been or will never be mine. Believe me, there is no success or failure, it is me and my mind concludes on something to get some consolation for me and others for their satisfactions. With or without it, life is flowing and will flow. Eventually, all are empty and hollow.
Then what is the purpose of life? Even ever-lasting happiness is also a misnomer, as I believe even after ecstasy, you have to do laundry activities. Honeymoon is not a marriage life, ecstatic condition is not a perfect life, once honey moon is over, you have to do all sorts of nonsensical laundry works. Thoughtlessness is an utopian concept, you have to think and do your karma to feed yourself and others. You cannot stay away from your responsibilities, how difficult or tough it may seem.
The only purpose of living is to celebrate life, with yourself and others. As long as you are committed for celebration, you are happy and joyful. To achieve it, it requires tremendous amount of involvement and mindfulness. It requires good food for belly and good thought for mind, it requires good books to read and good friends to talk, it requires good work and accomplishment. All you can achieve if your are involved to all the activities you are currently doing. If you are doing it mindfully, life flows effortlessly, touching each milestones of life. Mindfulness invigorates your life and awakens your spirit, it helps you to be grounded all the time. Once you are mindful, there is no past nor future, only present – a gift. Once you do it effortlessly, you will shine like a star, others will see it and say what a successful you are, and for you, NOTHING MATTERS, EVENTUALLY, AS ALL ARE HOLLOW AND EMPTY.
This is my overall takeaway. Bye bye 2020.