"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."
This is the first line of the serenity prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr. What i want to convey through this post is in life it is important to maintain the spark but equally important the serenity to accept the things we cannot change. It is very difficult to maintain this balance. Either I have seen youths with overwhelming confidence to change the world or I have seen dull and dejected aged with are over secured towards the approach to life. With time they have became over protective, frightened or confound. Taking the reference of Chetan Bhagat's speech at orientation programme Symbiosis once & modified with my own thoughts, here I go...
Nature of a man is always to be happy. He is always excited towards doing new things. He is in such a way programmed to have series of goals which make them alive. I call this excitement a "spark". Where does this spark comes from? I think it’s the way we are born. When we were small we were excited about every little thing. A countdown for Birthday, or a diwali vacation, or a new toy....every little thing. I know how i waited for my exams getting over, or for a final result. And the same excitement was for going back to schools and meeting friends. But with age the spark fades. With all the bitterness of the world and storms of reality, it is difficult to keep the spark shining. Imagine the spark to be a lamp’s flame. The first aspect is nurturing – to give your spark the fuel, continuously. The second is to guard against storms.
The spark & tingle ness decent with age and is directly proportionate. It is important to be happy most of the time, if not all the time. Its human nature to strive, improve and achieve full potential. In fact this is I believe success and this success can add meaning towards life. I know that by writing I may not become khuswant singh, Vikram Sheth or Chetan Bhagat, but I know I can go to next level. Just getting better from current levels feels good.
Goals help us to keep this spark alive in us. Have any goals in your life. Be it any material landmarks. But remember isn’t purpose of life. Balance your life ensuring health, relationships and mental peace. There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions. Have fascination for everything but practice renunciation. Strive for an apple gadget but be happy with Xiomi. It’s all about detaching from material attachment. Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. Else, you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die.
