You cannot connect the dots going forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. This is a lesson in life that has always kept me grounded and I will forever be thankful to belated Steve Jobs for this. There are so many great lessons we all get from life. We learn how to walk as toddlers, then start running one day. We also stumble and fall down sometimes, as we grow older. However, that does not mean we never get up again and forget about walking again. We need to keep learning and that is life.
I know there are many more lessons in life that will come my way, and I am ready, open and receptive to all of them. Here I present before you some of the most important ones according to my understanding of things in my life so far.
Try to see things from someone else’s perspective
If you have ever felt that you are not getting what you deserve in life or that your life is miserable as compared to another person who may be better off than you, think again. This time, think of the poor homeless person who is struggling to find a roof so that he can protect himself from the rainstorm. Think of the orphaned child in Somalia who has not eaten in three days. Surely, you will be better off than those people, and your situation, as bad as it might be, will now look much better to you. Remind yourself of this whenever you are feeling down.
Forgive everyone; it is a gift that you give yourself
If someone has been abusive to you, or has not treated you the way you deserve, it is natural to feel hurt or angry. Do not hold a grudge against them because these feelings of hate will only consume you from within and erode your character. If you believe in God, let him deal with it, and move on.
Hope for a better day, it will come
Life ebbs and flows. Be hopeful and remain positive. I know you have probably heard this a million times already, but the point from this statement is just as true as always. In order for things to happen, in order for anything to happen as we hope it should, we need to be patient. Consider how a farmer lives his life. When he plants the seeds for anything, he expects that it will bear fruit one day. But he does not expect it to grow overnight and knows that it will take time. Patience is a virtue and all of us should take a lesson from the humble farmer when we feel that things are not going at the pace that they should be.
Karma is real
Even though Karma is a theological concept found in the Hindu and Buddhist religions, people all over the world have come to accept the reality behind this concept. In simple words, Life gives you what you throw at it. Expect to be treated in the same manner that you treat others. Try to be respectful towards everyone and do not let disappointments be an excuse to act badly. An act of selfishness today can come back and hit you in the face like a boomerang tomorrow.
Sometimes a simple phrase can serve as a mantra for the entire life when you are looking for a simple answer to the doubts in your mind, to give you a reassurance that things happen for a reason. “C’est la vie” is a French phrase that is translated as “That’s life” or “Such is Life”. (You will come across 30 songs from popular artists with this title on the Wikipedia. From Shania Twain to UB40, everyone seems to have sung this song at least once in his or her careers; such is the naked truth behind this phrase). If you dig deeper, you will find “You can never tell” by Chuck Berry in the same list, and it struck me as something that is equally true but much more intriguing.
You really cannot tell what life may bring you the very next moment and this is exactly why we need to keep learning and keep growing.
