Dreams lie within our benevolent being, pining for millions of answers for it. We are fading in a haze of bitterness and so we keep on struggling despite finding ourselves falling into the midst of a storm that does not seem to go down quite well in life. This, I believe, is what takes us to a whole new level of existence. Vanity comes hand in hand with hard work, failure walk side by side with accomplishment, and so does sacrifice quietly accompany gain. Despite all these differences, man is in fact born to strive for an unusual kind of ideal; an ideal that invariably will determine his destiny. Man is not limited to the act of choosing the circumstances he is in; yet, he is fully aware of the long-term consequences that his fate inevitably brings.
Passion and zest could actually be the catalyst that ignites the engine that has broken down few miles away from its destination. Passion, in many ways, is the key ingredient that enables us to appreciate the goodness in life. Certainly, that goodness is not just limited to the level of success we pine for and tussle over against all odds. Besides hard work, passion is the force that makes you steer and guide toward one’s destination. I believe that every little event in one’s life exerts its own influence, for everything around us can either inspire us or lead us toward the path of self-destruction. All these life’s incidents mold and sculpt us, either transforming us into a better or a bitter person. Every incident in life reminds us that all of life’s races are not free from hurdles; that all ways do not point us to the right directions. Sometimes, in life, it is harrowing to affirm the existence of possibilities in the midst of difficulties. However, we, in the midst of those struggles, continually try to overcome those hurdles, we manage to turn to the right direction, and we turn impossibilities into a reality. Such moments afford us to rediscover ourselves; that there is more to life than our endless needs; and that we are quite capable of cultivating, in ourselves, of seeds of kindness and humanity.
From the way an individual expresses his sense of freedom to the depths of his insecurities, from the kind of pleasure he seeks to the grief in times of sorrow, one thing we know is that man desires to hold an upper hand for the bliss he seeks in his life, or else his life turns into a sordid boon. I believe that mankind must have taken the brunt of the unconditional grace and hence we justify our ignoble actions by blaming the conditions we find ourselves in rather than appreciating the wretchedness of our conditions. Every hour, minute and second ticks off precious moments of our lives that cannot be replaced; instead of appreciating our own fragile conditions, we lose ourselves chasing life’s vanities. The irony of life lies in the fact that we desire our independence, yet, at the same time, we also cognize our dependence on the goodwill of others. We all have the capacity in our veiled benevolent selves, a prayer, a duty, an obligation, and a sense of responsibility towards others. Therefore, in a world held captive by opinions and emotions, chipping off one’s selfish egos can do much good than worse. And if this had been whispered into our hearts, as if it through some divinations from within, then, maybe, we ought to realize that it is our unconscious self that is urging us, you and I, to strip off our egos, which blind us. Only if we could trade a baggage of frailty for a speck of brilliance or if we could trade darkness for light, then we may find a silver lining marking a possibility for a sunny day.
History has a lot to say about the slave system and I bet we are making history repeat itself by virtually becoming a slave to some factors in life. We have carelessly metamorphosed ourselves as slaves to avarice and to the fear of losing our emotions, and to the fear of taking responsibility for the risks we take in life. Each one of us has something to offer, something to give in order to witness and experience that ideal life, which we all long for. I believe in the need to lend a hand; after all, what benefit does it bring me in not doing so? We all have sighed over a crumbling scene unable to make a move. There were times I cried as if there’s no tomorrow and raged as if there’s no tomorrow. But all the while, they have taught me to keep running as if there is no tomorrow till I step into ‘that’ moment of ‘tomorrow,’ where what fate has in store for us finally unveiled itself. In this way, we also have a better story to acquaint to the young hearts. Until we get there, we are all involved; we are all responsible, and we are all in the process of writing a better story.
Degree of Thought is a weekly community column initiated by Tetso College in partnership with The Morung Express. Degree of Thought will delve into the social, cultural, political and educational issues around us. The views expressed here do not reflect the opinion of the institution. Tetso College is a NAAC Accredited UGC recognised Commerce and Arts College. The editors are Dr. Hewasa Lorin, Anjan Behera, Dr. Salikyu Sangtam, Nivibo Yiki, and Kvulo Lorin. For feedback or comments please email: dot@tetsocollege.org.