Monday 23 September 2013

The Eternal Optimist Unplugged - Version 1.0

"Mirror, mirror, mirror on my shelf
Am I doing well for myself?"

I mentally echoed this question off my mirror and I saw the reflection of a tired teenager with sunken eyes without the glow of continuous energy he once had.

I'm here with this post to make a....ah, what's that phrase? 'a clean breast of everything' to the best possible extent. And this might not be just about me. You may be in the same boat as me in the same lake, or perhaps in a cruise in the ocean ways with no visible captain steering that unstable ship of your life. So, you might be able to do yourself a favor by reading on.



The Eternal Optimist is a phrase I coined BY myself FOR myself. Not a self-conferred title, but the phrase reminds me of who I am - a guy who sees the result of a tossed coin as only one and not two. Heads and heads. Or tails and tails. To make it simple, a win or a win. Meaning no Tom, Dick and Harry will ever be able to force me view any situation as a bad situation.

But even the best of optimists have to accede to the tough times, just like weathermen to bad weather and analysts to the worsening markets. And here I am, acceding that I have recently hit new lows, with my successes barely outlining the shadow of my old self. And I feel the need to share this with you (without getting too personal) so that you don't make the same mistakes twice. Or to get you think before you make one. Here we go.


You could quiz me

-  on the TV series of my choice, having watched fifteen odd shows of varying genres and I would be up and raring to go on an information spree about the cast, plot and reviews.
-  on the technical aspects of Mechanical Engineering of which I could cobble up whatever this rote education system of my country fed and taught me to answer a related question.

and I would come up with dazzling to moderately satisfying answers. But ask me one thing about what am I doing for the world to address any pressing social issues, I WILL turn up empty-handed. So many souls around me are leading meaningful lives, lives with a purpose:
- serving the aged,
- helping out the underprivileged,
- leading from the front, setting an example for the youth to step up and think maturely and morally for the greater good.  


So the question is,
WHAT THE FUDGE AM I (and possibly you) DOING WITH OUR LIVES?
As ordained by one of the many laws of nature, you begin by looking around and then you realize you need to look inside for sharper and converging answers. So now, about myself.

Medium tall, the average middle class guy, likes to be overconfidently in the driver's seat at all times who thinks life is all about winning. Detect a whiff of ego? Yup. Right you are, my dear reader. But, the ego issue isn't exactly the problem here. I wish to say, without sounding like an over-protected and a pampered child, that I've been unsuccessful at my trade and game for the last month or so. In that period, I have lived my life exactly the opposite way of which I've always wanted to live.

Without getting too philosophical, I wish to say only this. In the midst of all the chaos that I mentioned, amidst the darker days that clouded my pathway to my goals, I understood one thing.

There are three types of people in this world:

1. People who have no 'frikkin' idea as to where their life leads them (because they haven't planned or motivated themselves) and experiment with work just to do something. A perfect analogy would be trying to attempt community services just to enhance your resume, without really feeling the spirit of selflessness and service.

2. People who have planned well and know where their life leads them, but give up too soon to understand the value or too late to rewind their life back. An example would be you have planned stuff, but planned without adjusting for fluctuations that come up and occupy Priority Spot No 1. to 10. in your list.

3. People having top notch plans, clear work priorities, but don't go the distance because of reduced or under-utilization their core strength(s), which results in the individual succumbing to their inner, personal weaknesses, eventually falling and remaining stagnant in a state of inertia and lethargy. For long periods of times.

To make a long story short (so that I don't bore you out of your wits), I started this blog to help people realize their lives through my posts. You know, that 'make a change'  theory where you put efforts sincerely and feel you are making a change, but the change is small? The same here, except that I feel the change has been infinitesimal. One year into "Rhythm of the Soul" and I'm still the same guy with a pinch of ego needing a pinch every now and then to keep that ego in check. Neither do I feel that my posts have really connected with people.

Perhaps my marketing is poor. Perhaps I have not written what people want to read in most places. BUT THE REAL PROBLEM LIES ELSEWHERE. It lies within. Inside me. And miraculously, even though the next few sentences are about me, I'm sure it would prove highly beneficial for all my readers going through these words.

The real problem is within me. If my goals, thoughts and my actions, along with my core strength(s) and faiths, have been consistent, the overall effort that I had put would've blossomed into something which I've always wanted, in this case - transforming the lives of people. But that has not materialized. Meaning I haven't changed from the slob whose core strength has been deeply under-utilized.

So get this straight readers, this is the brutal truth. You can claim you did everything in your power, make a big hue and cry about it. But if you haven't got what you've wanted, then you are severely lacking in either your core strength(s), faiths, goals, thoughts or actions which translates to moderately lacklustre results. I have realized this recently, felt a stone drop in my stomach. That's why I have decided to share it here. How long will it take for you to realize your shortcoming(s) and core strength(s)?



There. Straight from the heart, fresh after the realization. Exclusively for my readers. Simply because one transformation can make a huge difference. But with a small catch.
It starts from the self. Me, you, together and finally the world around us. Finding the rhythm of my/your soul. That alone is consistent with the laws of the ever-bountiful nature. Amen.



 

1 comment:

  1. Dear Aravind

    I am peeved with myself, realising that today is only the second day I have visited here (the first day being in Dec ’12) as there is much wisdom and honesty here as you search your soul.

    Like your good self I consider myself an eternal optimist and always look on the bright side of life. I say ‘always’ in the firm belief that this is true, but yet acknowledge there are times when life throws out its slings and arrows and I am temporarily wounded. Despite my optimism I am aware that the world is neither a very nice place nor many of the people that inhabit it. Were it not for mankind I think the world would be richer, a better place. Despite this pessimistic view of mankind – I remain optimistic in that we have the power to change – and maybe will one day…

    You are at an emotional crossroads of your life having entered adulthood and the ?security of childhood not that too far behind. There is a certain loneliness as we mature, it is a time of learning, learning that all our dreams are not reachable despite good and honest intentions and because of this, it is also a time of great disappointment.

    Unavoidable circumstances – often of which over we have no control – will mar our dreams, our goals; yet do not let them dishearten you from your optimism and accept that disappointment is part of the rich tapestry of life. Would that it be that life is beautiful all the time – but it isn’t. Would that it be that life followed the direction we chose – but it won’t – but this is not failure but an acknowledgment that all dreams are not achievable.

    You state that you believe your posts have not really connected with people and I would suggest that is that people are unknowing of them (including me). There is a need in this world of blogging to network or market yourself and you must do that for your posts will make people think, as they have me, and I am richer for that and I thank you.

    Do not be disheartened dear Aravind for I am certain you will achieve your goals although perhaps not in the time frame you have set yourself.

    Kind regards
    Anna :o]

    PS I now have you on email notification so will visit whenever you post.

    ReplyDelete

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