Relish Your Life

There is a Chinese saying which goes- “We are so busy making a living that we forget to make a life”. How true!

We are so busy running around in life that we have lost the sense of direction and purpose.

The pleasure of living has given way to stress and strain of earning a livelihood and making both ends meet. Life has become one extended and tedious journey where only the end will bring respite.

Such a frenzied life is not a new development. Living life was never easy anyway. Only now it has become more intricate and perplexing. Living life to the fullest is not a new concept but of late it has acquired uncanny interpretations and bizarre connotations.

We all want so much from life that we end up getting bewildered by the puzzle of life itself. The depth and the gravity have gone missing from our life. We stress so much on quantity in life that it has almost become bereft of quality.

You need to look at life with a whiff of fresh air. Give meaning to your life only then will your life have a purpose.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson has put it- “It is not the length of life, but the depth of life that matters!”

You need to give your life a chance. Sense it, experience it and enjoy it! Life is much more striking and astonishing than you think it is. And your approach is what makes all the difference.

Many years ago, I read these thought-provoking words and ever since, they have been resounding in the corridors of my mind- Your life is not counted by the breaths that you take but by the things that you do to take others’ breathe away! How meaningful!

We need to reckon our life by the pleasant things that we have done for others, the enjoyable moments that we have lived, the fond memories that we can cherish.

Living life is no frivolous business. Life is precious. Respect it. Live it with a purpose. Don’t just exist- LIVE! And while you are living, make your presence felt.

Don’t make your life a series of coincidences and accidents. You didn’t come into this world to drift in the ocean of life. Adjust your sail and guide your way to success even if it means sailing upstream or against the wind. Lead your life worthwhile so that you leave your footprints on the sands of time.

Abraham Lincoln once pointed out- “It’s not the years in your life that count. It's the life in those years”.

Life is a journey with no destination. The destination is the end, the very end, when we shall all perish. So make your journey as pleasant and memorable as possible.

Enjoy it each day, each minute. Seize the moments and make them worthy of living and remembering.

“You can only live once, but if you live right, once is enough”- These words of Joe E. Lewis describe the essence of life very aptly. Enjoy your life for you have only one life.

Living a contented life is not a matter of chance. Living life to the fullest is a decisive choice that you make. The beautiful words of Cortia Kent have summed it appropriately- “Love the moment. Each moment is vital. Life is a succession of such moments and to live each, is to succeed.”

Live a purposeful life- seize every moment and live each day as if there is no tomorrow!

Customize your life

There are neither any universal laws governing how to live your life nor a perfect recipe for living life that suits all. Customize your life and live it the way you want it to be.

Live your life to the full. Follow your heart. Do things that you want to do. Set your own  goals, decide your ambition level and control the pace of your life. Keep the remote control of your life in best hands- your own!

Make the best use of your life. Look at life through your eyes and interprete it your own way. Paint the canvas of your life in colors that personify you.

You might not be endowed with the best assets but can develop the skill to nurture yourself in a way that brings out the best in you. Rely on your abilities and bank on your strong points to outshine others. After all, they say- “Life consists not in holding good cards, but in playing those you hold well!”

Cultivate Divinity In You

Nurture an angel in you! Make your behavior towards others unconditional, irrespective of what they think about you. You would always be surrounded by rivals and competitors no matter where you are. Be alert and vigilant without feeling intimidated. Do not hate them because they are jealous of you. Hate the hatred in them. Michel de Montaigne very aptly commented-

“Of all our infirmities, the most
Savage is to despise our being”

Your attitude towards others should be that of categorical support and unreserved stance. Express your human character and instincts but at the same time, do not restrict yourself to a single wavelength. Develop a whole gamut of frequencies within you. You should decide when you want to be a human being and when you want to express Divinity. In your chosen moments of divinity, let you be the forgiver and the healer, the nurturer and the provider! Let your character epitomize forgiveness, compassion, generosity, kindness and affection. Mother Teresa once said- “If you judge people, you have no time to love them”.

Deal with others’ faults as gently as you would with your own. Forgive them for the wrongs they have done to you. Do not harbor ill feelings for anyone. Do not carry the burden of bitterness and enmity on your tender heart. Forgive and forget. Though it is easier said than done but it is well worth a try. As Henry Wheeler Shaw, a humorist has described- “There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness.”
Never hold a grudge against anyone who has hurt you or cheated you. I find the words of Jane Rubietta very apt-

“Someone may have stolen your dream when
it was young and fresh and you were innocent.
Anger is natural. Grief is appropriate.
Healing is mandatory. Restoration is possible”

Whatever harm has been done to you cannot be undone. Revenge cannot heal your wounds. Do not leave your wounds open or they will end up becoming painful, non-healing ulcers. The best way to deal with it is to forget and forgive. It takes a large heart to forgive someone who has hurt you. But if you do not forgive, you will be the one who will suffer the most. Those wounds might leave occasional scars but at least they will not be painful. But the ulcers will ooze and bleed repeatedly and worst, you will be forced to remember them forever. The recurring thoughts of someone having caused injury or harm to you will perpetuate more bitterness in you. You will then experience a strong urge to give back the bitterness to the one who hurt you. It will become a vicious cycle and prove to be destructive for both sides.

Erase bad memories from your mind and engrave the fond ones on your heart- practice this theory of selectivity and you will make your life very pleasant. Neutralize the poison that you have for others and spread the nectar of kindness and affection.

Take It Easy

Reject the cynical approach in life and abandon being a misanthropist. Stop looking at everyone with suspicious eyes. Learn to trust people and have faith in them. Life is not a game of chess where you need to be wary of your opponent’s moves every second and plan yours accordingly. Do make strategies in life but don’t be obsessed with the game plans 24x7. Avoid thinking on the line of attack all the time. Live your life like a civilian in a peaceful country not like a soldier on the front facing a hostile nation’s bitter army!

Give “benefit of doubt” to others- accept them with an assumption that they all have good intentions. However, keep your eyes and ears open and be on the vigil. Do not blindly trust anyone. This might sound contradictory but this is what life is- a juxtaposition of two extremes!

Surviving in today’s world might not be simple but it is not all that complicated either. All the complexities and intricacies can be broken down into smaller fractions and tackled one by one. The key word is patience and persistence.

Enjoy your work and make it your passion. Be practical in your approach. Shun outright perfectionism because it disturbs the balance of life by swaying things to one extreme. It is wise to follow the ninety-five percent rule- aspire to meet the ninety-five percent target in whatever you do. That way, the psychological pressure of touching hundred percent is circumvented and you can do considerably well in life!

Whatever you choose to do, follow your heart. Do not get caught in the rat race and don’t do things because others are doing them. Do what appeals to your sensibilities and do it at your pace. It is your life, handle it your own way. Strike a balance in your life so that there is perfect harmony.

You don’t need to renounce the world, relinquish the worldly pleasures and go to the Himalayas in search of happiness. Nor can any amount of money bring you peace of mind. Tranquility cannot be searched for in the outside world. It has to be attained and realized from within. Doing things that are close to your heart will give you satisfaction and help you ward off turbulence from your life.

“Serenity isn't freedom from the storm,

But peace within the storm”

Make the most of your life. Although you cannot increase the quantity, but you can certainly improve the quality of the life that you live. Spend a pleasant, quiet moment with your inner self once in a while. Take time out from your hectic schedule to listen to your inner voice. Learn to take it easy especially when stress levels are soaring high. Unwind and relax yourself. Do whatever suits you. Meditate, do yoga, carry on breathing exercises, tend to your garden or go for a walk. Spend some moments in solitude. Give yourself time for introspection. Unfurl the human side of yours. Rejuvenate your mind, body and soul. Celebrate the fact that you are alive and kicking. Slowly your life will be filled with happiness and you would take delight in living your life to the fullest!

Take Yourself To A Higher Level

No matter where you are, you can still rise higher in life. Believe in yourself. Believe in your dreams. Leave no stone unturned to materialize those dreams. If you are ambitious, hard working and determined to rise, there is nothing that can possibly stop you. There is enough room at the top. Do not procrastinate. Now is the time for you to put in the best of all that you have. Rise up and get going. Do not stop till your goal is achieved.

Make your life pleasant

Everyone wants to live a perfect life-full of happiness and contentment. Perfect life is not inherited or gifted. It is developed. Life will never be the way you want it. But you can choose to live it the best way you can. No one will grant you a perfect life, but you can fill it with perfect moments!

Purpose Of Life

Do not keep drifting in the ocean of life. Develop a sense of direction and purpose.
Give meaning to your life. Figure out what you want to do only then can you devise ways and means to achieve it. If you do not know where you want to go, no road can possibly take you to your destination.
You might not be good in everything but there must be something in you that is 'exceptional'. Explore yourself, find out that 'special asset' in you and tap your potential.