It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees. - Emiliano Zapata - The beginning of freedom is having the guts to say 'no' to many things. To stand up for your beliefs, to politely decline to adhere to social norms, to create your own path - even if it means walking alone. Sometimes we may even need to go against the desires of those dear to us, simply because what they are demanding of us is not in line with our own principles. This may sound sacrilegious, but before kicking the idea, let’s take a deeper look at the matter. As gregarious creatures, our natural instinct is to want to fit in with the crowd – don’t rock the boat, lest I get kicked out of the community & have to fend for my own. In caveman times, when basic survival needs were the only priorities, this was legit. Being ostracized from society meant not only much more difficulties in finding food & shelter, but without the combined protection of the ‘herd’, being alone in the wild also made one more susceptible to predators. But in today’s day & age, the human race has prospered so much so that our ‘safe zones’ have increased tremendously. We no longer have to fear being attacked by predators of other species. Our means of getting basic needs & security are much different from that in the good ol’ days. Unfortunately, along with that, our civilized society has moved very much away from its true nature, & has started putting all kinds of unrealistic & unnecessary rules & conditions on its members. It has gotten to the point where it has even started dictating how, when, with whom & where we should be happy! If you look at it this way, isn’t it an utter madness we are living in? Think about it: Society says that by X years old you should have a college degree, by Y years old you should have a well-paying, stable job, by Z age you should get married – oh & don’t forget, in between all these you still have to play according to the rules! You should behave this way & not that; you can only be friends with this kind of people, not that; you can only be in a relationship this way & not that… Thought-provoking illustration by John Holcroft (johnholcroft.com/). Where does one draw the line between happily complying to the expectations of others, & sacrificing unnecessarily for the ideals of others? When do you put your foot down & say ‘ENOUGH’? Shakespeare said the whole world is a stage, & we are merely players. In Hinduism, it is said that life is a leela, a play. Each person is not born into a new play – we all come into a stage where a play is already ongoing. Surely, we still need to play our unique roles in this play; but to what extent? Roles are there, the play is there, but who are you? There is one grand play going on, but as individuals, we are constantly dictating the movies of our own lives. & you only get one chance at this – are you going to spend it making others happy, at the expense of your own happiness & well-being? Are you going to be just an extra, a background actor, in the movie of your life? Of course, there may be some reason & logic behind why society projects its ideals on its members. But at the end of the day, it is up to you to make the final decision. As long as you are not harming others, why should others force you into adhering to their ways of thought? & why should you feel obliged to comply? The beginning of freedom is having the guts to say 'no', because once you remove the things which make you unhappy, there is space for better things to enter your life. Mere jaan, it is never easy to live the life you love. Great courage is needed. Happiness is a very individual thing. Listen to your inner voice – what is it telling you? In my personal experience & observation of others’ experiences, when you stand up for what you believe in, at first you will be met with resistance – it is normal, because your actions are defying someone else’s authority over you, & in a way, you are making them question their personal beliefs. But this persecution is a small price to pay, & it is short-lived. At the end of the day, the people who love you will understand.
When life hangs precariously on the line – what matters then? Would you rather be loved for who you truly are, or for something/somebody you are not? The movie of your life is still filming - direct it according to you, & play it well! <3 <3 <3
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About Prabh LehriI am a yoga teacher based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I am passionate about yoga as a form of healing on the physical, emotional & mental level. I have been on a yoga journey for almost a decade and have been formally sharing my experience in the last 4 years. Archives
December 2017
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