WHY CAN’T I ……….?
It has been so long since I posted my last blog. For the past few days I feel a bit desperate to write something new, for I have found it to be such a pleasant exercise for the mind as well as for the heart! However, I am unable to figure out what exactly I can write in order that I can convey something meaningful. Keeping wondering for days, I have finally decided to say something which may not be very meaningful to you, but to me, it means a lot!
There are times which remind me of my drawbacks and inabilities. I like to observe people around me and appreciate their qualities and talents. But then what happens is that I tend to think like “A can do X, but I cannot”, “B can do Y, but I cannot”, “C can do Z, but I cannot”, “D can do X, Y, Z – all with equal ease while I cannot do a single of them”, and get depressed. It seems as if I want to be expert at everything. I want to be a devoted researcher, a thoughtful writer, a passionate singer, a spectacular dancer, a famous actor, a smart communicator and a popular entertainer at the same time! Well, for me, the natural intellect, or the so-called ‘common sense’ ceases to work for the time being and the frustration deepens. Then, in order to come out of it, I ask myself why I cannot do so many things. I seek a convincing and logical answer to this question.
Very recently an interesting idea came to my mind. Make a list of ten things you cannot do. Now go back to the first one and ask yourself ‘why’ and try to answer as honestly as possible. Repeat this for the remaining nine. You will find that your inability is because either you do not want it, or even if you want it, your desire is not sincere and so you do not put the necessary effort. When you want something whole-heartedly, you do progress in it, and the progress continues as long as the whole-heartedness survives. Quite often we start a job with great enthusiasm but leave it in the midway; whatever the reason(s) may be and ultimately we cannot achieve anything. So think beforehand what you want and always want it, even after achieving, for you can always do better and better. However, keep in mind your limitations and constraints and set the goals accordingly so as not to end up as a loser at the end of the day.
Well, everything is fine, but I wonder why other people hardly seem to be bothered about what they cannot do. I do not know the true picture, but apparently most people are contented with what all they can do and live a happy life. Where does the motivation come from? In this context, I recall one of my teachers once saying, “Suppose that you have six colors while your friend has twenty-four and both of you are painting. Never think that your painting is going to be inferior to his as you have no more than six colors. Instead, convince yourself that using only those six colors you can paint much better than him.” In a broader sense, this holds for life as well. Not everything is for everyone; you will definitely be weaker in a job compared to somebody else, and you may not be multi-talented; but you can still live a life full of joy and glory if you can see a bottle to be half-filled rather than half-empty.
