Random Musings

I reproduce below some lines from one of my favourite poems, 'If', written by Rudyard Kipling in 1895. Sometime I wonder if I belong to the right century when I think about how much I admire this poem, and how little I know of facebook :-) This also serves as reminder to me of the values I aspire towards...

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you

But make allowance for their doubting too,

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or being hated, don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise

...

..

You'll be a man my son !

Sometimes I wonder - How many us lead our daily lives the way we planned to live our lives ? I see some of my friends saying ' I'll work hard till I'm forty five and do whatever work junk work I need to do, and then retire early, and enjoy life'. Somehow I fail to understand this. What about the prime years of our lives that we throw away accumulating things that we think we will need in future? What about the attrition of soul, and accumulation of fat ( as someone succinctly put it ) that happens in the process? Nor do I understanding retiring early- I think life is about constantly doing something - whether or not it works , whether or not we get results. Its not about waiting to relax. As they say, 'Youth is wasted on the young' :-) Only when people are old do they realise the luxury and the vast opportunities that good health provides !


The other question that arises in this context is - How do we balance our needs with those of others close to us? I don't know the answer.  In any case, I don't believe 'Its my life' is the answer, for I find it selfish. We might often need to give up what we want so that a loved one might get what they really really want. All I can say is - though we might often need to compromise, we can can still do things to make our life more meaningful.

One exercise I personally found useful, and would recommend is this - Go read up on what people regret the most in their later years. That will give you clues on what mistakes you're prone to making that you need to avoid. In a nutshell, the most common regrets people have are - Working too hard and neglecting family, Not travelling enough when they were young and healthy, and not taking the time to build close relationships with loved ones. See if you're prone to one of these....

As to how you can make your daily life more meaningful - I'd highly recommend the 'Life's little Instruction Book' by Jackson Brown. Browse through it on a Sunday afternoon, spend some time introspecting, and find your way to happiness !