This thing called emotions

As quoted by Mahatria, “In the realm of emotions, we are all children”. How true is it. These narrow emotions of proving to be better than the rest, feeling complex with regards to looks or earnings or lifestyle, feeling unwanted, judgements, jealousy, anger, boredom are such childlike.

While we were kids, every time we did something wrong, our parents explained – helped us understand what that is right and wrong. While our actions were always taken care of, the emotions are all that goes within – never seen, focused or taken care of. Yet, it is our emotions that leads to our actions.

Ironically, we all go through this, yet, it’s rarely a striving to grow through this. To peel of these veils and look at the world through clear lens.

One of the very thoughtful stories as said by Gaur Gopal Das has stayed with me and it helps me look at life on a lighter note. Here is how it goes – There were 2 learned sages walking by, as they were about to cross a rugged bridge, one lady, too frail and petrified, wished to cross the bridge. She asked the sages if they could help her. One of the sages, the master, took her over his shoulders, crossed the bridge and dropped her at the other end. Disbelief propelled over the other sage, for they were not allowed to even touch a woman, yet how could he question his master? They kept on walking, and his thoughts kept on racing over the same event. Finally, he couldn’t resist, in a very meek tone, he asked his master, “Master, sorry to ask, but I wish to know, why did you carry that woman over your shoulders?”. The master smiled and said, “I have dropped the lady there, long back, why do you wish to carry her in your thoughts?” With this he continued walking.

Somehow, this one answers so many of my past baggage’s, my judgements, or some hurtful words, spoken by someone close to me maybe in anger, maybe they didn’t really mean it, maybe they did. But carrying those throughout my life, is indeed heavy, isn’t it? It plays with your mind, seeds in negativity and we often dwell into it for a long long time. I am striving to drop this and a lot more. I hope you strive too, for its undeniably easier to carry yourself through with free hands, no baggage, and free – peaceful mind with no heavy thoughts.

Not just in regard to what people say, but also in regard to what you think of yourself and others. I’ve taken my own sweet time, to get over this self-loathing, this thing called perfect looks, glam, physique, had hit me so hard, that since a very young age I’d been too conscious of myself. Those nerdy glasses made me feel that it obscures the beauty within me. When I was off those – the dark circles took over me. And then I said enough to those thoughts, there’s so much in me beyond these, there’s so much in you beyond the fallacy superficial aspects you carry about you.

I choose to look beyond, not just in me, but in others too. Everyone has some flaws, and often we look at those flaws so much so that the goodness in them is too clouded in our minds. Whenever I see too much of negativity in someone, I identify and focus on at least 3 good qualities in them, it’s not so hard, is it?

And yet again, even as I end this, I am still mulling over those words by Mahatria, “In the realm of emotions, we are all children”. Be cautious of other’s emotions, as much as we expect from others, they too expect from us. Whatever the situation – treat them the way you want to be treated. It’s all about striving at the end, it’s all about striving!