This time, I was in two minds — whether to write about the Congress rally in Nagpur last week or about our personal life, where we are constantly sacrificing a lot in our quest to gain! The ones we want to get close to are slipping away and the ones already close to us are moving away despite being around! Since it’s the New Year, I figured why not talk about life, about living life and the present time.
I was thinking about myself, and obviously you all must be thinking about yourself. Some of you may be in politics, some in social life, some in the field of science or arts, some in education, some in industry and business or some other field, but there is a serious question: Are we able to concentrate on our health? Some people are able to pay attention to their health but the reality is that most people are not. I also think that I should pay attention to my health but the reality is that I am not able to do so. I have many wishes but I am unable to fulfil them.
In everyday life, I am flooded with thoughts and I want to write songs and ghazals, but I am unable to do it. I adore colours and know how to play with them. I adore brush but am unable to paint though I want to! I want to spend some lovely time with my friends but I can’t!
I believe I should spend some time with my near and dear ones. Even when we do get together, I keep thinking about those who are not there. I am missing out on the fun of being with them because I am worried about someone who is not around. I recently reached another country for business, but my mind was elsewhere! I was in a dilemma. I was thinking about simplifying this complicated life because time is slipping away every moment.
Time slips away like sand does from our fist. So why not do something that will make you feel like you did something which you like? I wish, as you do, to live life the way we want to. There should be no needless pressure from anyone and no dense shadow of advice. There is nothing wrong in it but living according to your choice should not imply living with lethargy!
The actual meaning of life is to live with purpose, with new thinking, and to introspect every day whether we are being creative within? What is the reward for what we are doing? People who really think like this stand out. Such people know how to behave better and more appropriately with time. They know the value of time, they are self restrained and they are bound by discipline. Would we have attained freedom today if Mahatma Gandhi would have thought of living in luxury like a common man? He was a barrister at that time! If he wanted, he could have lived a wonderful life! But a voice came from within… the chain of slavery has to be broken. He touched upon so many subjects! If new ideas had not sprouted within Rabindranath Tagore, would he have become the Rabindranath Tagore who lives in our hearts? Just look at the sportspersons! What a disciplined life they lead! How much effort they put in to keep themselves physically, mentally balanced and healthy. It is not just about sports. People who attain greater heights in every field do not just have a wealth of thoughts, goals, focus or skills, but they also have the discipline that makes all these things fruitful.
Normally, the difficulty with ordinary people is that they are less busy and more disorganised. I believe the fundamental reason behind this is that they are unable to effectively manage their time. This condition will endure unless you learn to respect time.
When you are stressed for time, how can you expect fresh ideas to evolve? Only when you keep your mind calm in the midst of the chaos can new ideas sprout. Hence, it is critical to maintain the calmness of mind during our daily routine and focus on what we can do better, and what new we can develop. Waking up in the morning, striving to go to work, working all day and returning home in the evening to sleep is not living. If we plan our activities according to time and stick to it, we will see that we can do more work than before and still have time for personal hobbies. It is very important to find some time for yourself.
Walk, do yoga, exercise! Only by staying healthy will you be able to paint new colours of hope and fulfil your dreams. Another thing I would like to say is that happiness in your personal life will multiply only when everyone around you will be happy. So, resolve this year to not only create happiness for yourself but also fill your surroundings with it. I have some feelings about the New Year:
Aao nav varsh mein jee lein,
Pyar ka pyala pee lein,
Jo mere hain, jo tere hain,
Unke saath zindagi jee lein!
The author is the chairman, Editorial Board of Lokmat Media and former member of Rajya Sabha.
