Tag: postaday

Partial

Means naught for mother

the rivalries of children

all hers, all the same

The talk

A strange quiet fell throughout the room as the door swung open. Everyone’s heads turned towards her, surveying and judging her capabilities. How much does she know, how useful would this be, they wondered.

She sensed their doubting minds, their disbelieving eyes boring into her as walked into the room. She’d done this a hundred times before. And she’d be doing it many times over. But that didn’t make it any less daunting. Each time felt new, and as she took the stage she dragged stress and self-doubt with her.

And then she delivered the TED Talk that inspired millions.

—

Thanks for the muse, Today’s Author.

Flowing

Go with the flow, people say.

As if it’s so easy. As if it comes to us all without trying. But to get to that point of going with the flow, of making it look like it’s no brainer to be in the moment and letting things run their course, we need to make constant and conscious effort.

It’s anything but easy.

When I read a book or cook for myself, write something I care about or just walk down a nice road, I feel my inner self at peace. My mind and body will be calm and I continue. I flip the page and read another chapter, sprinkle some extra cilantro on my food, make my writing a little better, and take another turn instead of turning back. When my inner self is at peace, I let myself go, I feel myself going with the flow—even without trying too hard.

However, to find the inner peace within me, I had to discover what made me happy. I had to understand myself, try different things, persevere, and experiment every day with an open mind so that I know what makes me tick. I realise how contrary that sounds—who else would know our preferences better than us, right? Well, I think even we won’t know ourselves unless we test ourselves.

This testing process is trying. I often get stuck trying to understand what works for me. For example, when I’m under pressure to finish a certain task within a deadline, I can do it well. At the same time, though, when I have to finish a task within unreasonable time frames, it stresses me out. I won’t be able to do it as well as I could and that blocks my flow—my inner peace. And the only way I know this is because I’ve been there. It wasn’t pleasant, but it was helpful. So in a way, through consistent trial and error, we can understand ourselves better and do more of what makes us happy.

And that’s how we go with the flow.

—

Thanks for the muse, Kumud Ajmani and #SpiritChat.

The quitter

When the going got tough, Mark was always the first one to quit. Every argument with friends and colleagues would result in Mark distancing himself from others. At thirty, he was friendless.

This time, however, he was going set it right. He was determined to sit down and talk it through, regardless of how tough it became. Mother was right, of course. This relationship was far more important than all other dismal failures.

At last, he was ready to persevere. With that happy note and flowers in hand, he entered their new home.

His bride of two months had left.

—

Thanks for the muse, Today’s Author.

Of innocence

A baby born the day before. A seasonal mango still unbitten. A young mind un-penetrated by the realities of life, a butterfly still in its cocoon, and a pre-teen living with their parents. A lot of nice and desirable things come to mind when we think about innocence. In many ways it’s an adorable trait even.

Nevertheless, when that innocence persists over time, it becomes an inconvenience. An adult who’s unaware of society’s structures, one who’s unaccustomed to facing impromptu situations, one who’s so innocent that they can’t even navigate the constructs of everyday life ends up a liability.

An unadulterated younger sibling at home might be fun, but when the same behaviour lingers at work, it holds everyone back. Think about this: an innocent child doesn’t know how to behave in certain circumstances. The same in an adult would mean that they’ve made no effort whatsoever to train themselves. Sure, laughing and joking around at an office party is fine, but not knowing why it’s inappropriate at a meeting with the board of directors isn’t charming. It’s inexcusable behaviour, and we can’t always shrug it off.

Such a person needs precise directions every time. They need someone to watch over them, tell them what to do and how, introduce them to people, spoon-feed guidelines, and hold their hand as they walk across the cubicle to talk to a senior team member.

That’s extreme innocence. It’s dependence. Not only is that annoying to others, but it also affects the individual’s growth. Unexposed to the actualities of life, they’ll live in their own little haven of imagination, believing only in what they want to believe, in a blissful manner, far too unassuming about how to get anything done.

It cripples them when they have to take up responsibility and prove themselves capable. If they’re unable to take on the challenge it affects their moral and mental health as well. They become the underdog, the weakling, the goat in a pack of wolves.

In a world that insists on independence, denying basic knowledge and exposure to a child places them at a disadvantage. It’s not how we should raise the future generation.

——

How do you interpret innocence? Good or bad?