Strength and Inspiration

A person would need two things to sustain this life, to grow, to be great – Strength and Inspiration. 

Lucky are the ones who find strength and inspiration both within them. They find their way and have the will to walk on it. Some carry the strength within, and bloom when they find external inspiration. Other few carry the inspiration within, but wait in lives for someone to give them the strength to create their inspiration.

Strength and inspiration is an addictive combination.

She had always had Strength. She had him, from as long back as she could remember. Strength had come to her; she had had the strength and the sturdy anchoring which only an unconditional love can provide. She continued to be in love for there was the strength, the stability, the routine. Strength made her feel she had everything for she didn’t know what to name what she was missing.

Then one day, she met Inspiration. Strength was plain, earthly, solid coloured; Inspiration was like a starry sky, like a rainbow. Intoxicated, she followed Inspiration, the chase tired her but she always had Strength with her.

Strength is like that, rooted, in one place, and because Strength is yours, you know you can come back to it, always. Inspiration, knows no roots. It has the speed of its own and it’s not in its nature to stop, because its nature is to inspire. So she went after inspiration, and she went on till Strength couldn’t hold her back. She could feel the Strength weakening as she tried to catch Inspiration. Two steps forward, one back to Strength, she was torn. God forbid anyone who has to choose the love between Strength and Inspiration. It is an impossible choice. She continued to be torn, till life made a choice for her. 

She is now learning to find the strength within her. For without strength, Inspiration is no good. But then, without inspiration, what good is strength for.

The addiction to struggle and the #whatnext problem.

Born to the aspiring Indian middle class of 90s, one things which has become more clear to me over these past months of 'pause' is the inherent addiction to struggle. Struggling, not resting, continuously striving, 'hard-work' was the mantra for 20-25 odd years, to gather enough escape velocity to 'make it' in the standard Indian terms. I myself watch my being an addict to the continuous nature of strife - to the point, rest/leisure periods do not 'feel' natural. I would rather complaint of a burnout, than being in a slow burn 'boring' stable job. There I said it.

I romanticized for the longest of the time for a steady 9-5 job, which would let me do 'other work of interest' and 'live my life' outside work. The strange nature of universe is that, when you spend enough time and emotion and thought in something, it eventually materializes. And hence I started seeing such opportunities. I started witnessing more space in my day. Questions arise - have I become more efficient or have I become redundant? Or do you naturally become redundant as you peak?

Should I change jobs now, should I set another personal milestone now, should I move countries now, should I learn more about investing or scrum methodology now...the bloody list is endless. You see, I realized to my dismay, my nervous system has been conditioned to a state of "What Next". Is it a blessing - sure. Is it a pain in the neck - you bet.

Sadhguru asked once, once you have your job and the wealth you aspired for, what are going to do next. The paradox of "What Next" has almost become a joke. Some have it easy, they explore the dimension of raising and rearing a family they can emotionally invest into - which is biologically gratifying to answer the question of "What next" and "What more". Rest keep themselves busy, playing zig-zag on corporate snake and ladders, and defining and enjoying their own meaning.

This job that job, this country that country, this house that house, this restaurant that restaurant, this stock that stock - it is almost amusing how much we over index on certain variables to give routine and vision to our lives, that too in 2021!

My point here is...in a world where the planet is literally burning, and people are deprived of basic necessities, if you are privileged enough to be sitting and reading content on LinkedIn...then what do you when you reach a point beyond struggle?

Are you there yet? How does it feel? Is it worth it? Am I oversimplifying it? Or are you addicted to complexity and struggle. #justsaying

Floating in the sea

 Change is the only constant they say

What are we doing, here if not floating in a sea
We think and think and think, we do and do, and try and do
At the mercy of currents, of the mercy of the flow of life…
What are we doing here, if not floating in a sea

Looking for floats, looking for anchors,
From one to the other, the other to another

Excited on crossing every wave,
Every storm, making it to the clear skies

Proud, sad, tired, week, happy, lost,
Dreaded, relaxed, excited, confused, mad, obvious
What are we doing here, if not floating in a sea

We find communities, lovers, jobs, hobbies, recipes to mind our time
We think the float and journey will be from one beautiful island to another

We pick and choose and decide what we think and think and think
We try and do and try and do next time,
At the mercy of my will, at the mercy of my mood …
Tell me what are we doing here, if not floating in the sea

We look for anchor, we look for the destination,
What if the sea itself is the anchor,
What if that destination we seek, is an entry into another sea, as we keep floating
At the mercy of winds, mermaids, rains…
Some seek adventure in the waves, others in the sunshine, others just let the journey be
Tell me what the hell are we doing here, if not floating in the sea

Change is the only constant they say.

It changes people, relationships, needs, desires, aspiration, status, love, cravings, drive, health, status, from one level to the other.

People come and go, and we feel our anchors losing, jobs change and we fill our identity's changing, economies, business models change, and we feel our ground moving.

And when nothing is changing, we change our perceptions, needs, desires, demons, angels…they all change.

Looking for the anchors elsewhere I realize, I am the anchor. I am all which my soul has got, rest I have no idea no control no visibility over.I am just floating, trying way too hard for way too much…so many games to play…. I'm floating. But only if I weren't so tired, only if I could be with the one whose presence envelops me, protects me, touches me…all gone you know why?

Because change is the only constant they say