All
living beings, including human beings, over the centuries, have evolved
characteristic ways of life depending on the time, locations and circumstances,
they live in. Perhaps, we human beings travel more than the other living
beings, except for some species of birds and fish, which migrate long distances
due to some natural reasons or compulsions. We do make some adjustments, but
without making many changes in our ways of living. Just to be able to live the
way we are accustomed to living, we have to put in substantial part of
ourselves towards the ‘cost’ of living. This cost usually ranges from half of
our life to two thirds of our life.
An extremely small minority from within us, committed to some
lofty ideals of investing the most of their lives for exploration of the truth
or for being useful for the humanity, minimizes their basic needs and put in less than one third of
themselves as the cost of their lives. This minority leads an ‘extraordinary
life’, which is not the subject of our discussion.
We, the ordinary people, are normally left with one third of
ourselves to make our lives a shade better than an ordinary life, which is
usually considered as a ‘waste of life’, even by us. By living a life without
any consideration of its meaning and purpose, we amass much of what is useless
or waste inside us and around us. This is to be identified, extracted and
thrown away on a regular basis. We may need one ninth of ourselves to do this
cleansing operation on a regular basis. The advantage of such cleansing
operation is twofold. First, we will be able to save a part of ourselves, out
of the two thirds that has to be spent just for the sake of living. Second, we
will able to put in more of ourselves for such creative and innovative purposes
that add value to our respective lives thereby elevating our lives above the
ordinary level.
This means we give two thirds of ourselves for living an
ordinary life, one ninth of ourselves for getting rid of the accumulated waste,
and, two ninth of ourselves for living a creative and innovative life.
What we have suggested above is not a tall order; anybody can
practice it if he decides to make a serious and sincere beginning and keeps on
reminding himself about it for about two to three months. Till the time one is
not able to find out what is ‘creating’ or ‘innovating’, he can invest time in
studying good books, being in contact with good people or helping those who
need help just to the level one can easily afford to do it.
The important thing is that we all badly need it and, in fact,
are hungry for such ‘elevation’, but, it just happens that we do not make a
beginning, and, instead, keep on cribbing about things of no consequence.
PROMOD KUMAR SHARMA
[The writer of this blog is also the author of “Mahatma A
Scientist of the Intuitively Obvious” and “In Search of Our Wonderful Words”.]
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