Depth & Insight

There is a tendency in us to strive for big things. We believe we have to achieve something great so that we can be worthy of respect and deserve happiness. It is not so. Sometimes small things can bring much more happiness if you learn to appreciate simplicity and homeliness and all the small comforts of life. Sometimes your morning coffee makes you more comfortable than a big journey around the globe even if you are an earnest and enthusiastic traveller. Sometimes it can be more gratifying and rewarding to pay attention to what we have and appreciate all that contributes to our comfort. A kind word from your friend, a happy afternoon with your family, some deep thought that comes to your mind, lessons that you understand from your life experience, etc. We all take these things granted, while in truth they are gifts from life so it is a mistake to regard them as your rightful property. Everything that makes you feel good is a gift which should make you thankful. Even your life was given to you as a gift and you should regard it as sacred. One who regards his life as sacred will not give way to discontent and malice just because things don't always go smooth with him. And, when you have no troubles to upset you, you are still unhappy because you long to do something great and somehow you feel limited. Life is not always about greatness especially in these modern times. The best you can do for yourself is to realize and accept that small actions can make you quite as much worthy and happy. You should make the best out of what you have, talents, opportunities and all. You don't need to be great. You can be a good person without ever doing something big and impressive. 

Sometimes you feel like nothing can hurt you. You feel so much above ordinary fears and self-doubt. When things go right, and life grants you something you wished for, you might think you are invincible. You will never get old, never die. Especially very young people might feel that they can accomplish anything, they can get anything they want. This feeling is natural for the young. But then, something happens. When you reach middle age, you feel like you have been deceived. As if somebody promised you that you would always be happy and live well. Some kind of disappointment creeps into your heart, there's a vague feeling of loss. You don't feel invincible anymore. Some wounds make you be aware of your vulnerability and you lose your courage. Trying new things gets incredibly hard. You don't even wish for novelty anymore. An existence devoid of trouble is the very best you hope for. Thoughts of happiness become disturbing, because they feel like dreams, surreal and never to be achieved. You almost think there is no chance of happiness in real life. Everything you believed in your youth becomes shattered for there's a certainty now in your heart that you can't do more, you can't be more. All the experience that you acquired throughout your life tells you it is foolish to hope for happiness. Quiet contentment is all you can reasonably hope for. I often ask myself why time brings such convictions on people later in life? Why don't we keep our courage? Where is the feeling of invincibility we had in our youth? Where are all those hopes? Why are we silent when we should express what we wish for? Where do our dreams go? And what if we tried to sustain some portion of the feelings we had in our youth? What if we kept dreaming and wishing for good results? What if we dared to open our hearts again without fear of getting hurt (like we have never been hurt before)? What if we tried to keep our hopes alive despite all the disappointments we might have suffered? What if we still tried to be happy despite all?