For
a long time, I wondered endlessly about the worth of life. I lived in
a placid state and became detached from the world now and then. I
found myself feeling disgusted with humanity. The word itself seemed
ironic to me. I didn't see people being 'humane'. Rapes happen,
bullying happens, terrorism is prevalent, there is war, tears fall;
and while there are some people living happy, content, luxurious
lives, there is poverty, sickness and despair.
I
believe everything happens for a reason, and I couldn't find the
reason for why some people had to live a life of struggle, only to
die in the end. What was that life worth? I didn't think God existed
because I couldn't imagine how any person, even supernatural, could
claim to love everybody and let this endless suffering go on. I
didn't understand and I couldn't get myself to believe.
Then,
I watched a video of a man named Nick Vujicic, which changed my life,
as cliched as that sounds. He has no legs or hands and he still does
so much with his life. He loves to swim (yes, you read that right),
he can kick a ball and pick up a telephone using the stub that his
leg is which he calls his, “Chicken drumstick!” He talked about
finding the purpose in your
life. You may think your life has no purpose, as I did for a long
time; you may think that all the pain and suffering in your life and
in the world means nothing, but you can make
a difference. You can
make an impact and then it's all worth something because you can
change lives.
It's
so easy to be ruled by what other people think of you, so easy to
give up because you face some hardships, so easy to be passive- and we
love
doing whatever is easy. We find it hard to take a little extra effort
when there's an easy way out. But actually, when things are hard and
you get past them, the result is all the more gratifying. There is a
sense of accomplishment, of satisfaction that you did it in
spite
of some hardship. Maybe we all need some hardship in life to have
the desire
to struggle, to overcome it and get somewhere. Nick Vujicic overcame
his physical impairment and loves
his life.
On a school trip I went on to Rajasthan, I met motivated
people who overcame so many difficulties. I met illiterate women who
had
constructed
complex solar parabolic reflectors and water heaters, I saw an
illiterate woman typing things on a computer when she couldn't even
read what she was typing. These ladies could have found language an
excuse, illiteracy an excuse,their supposed inferiority to men as an
excuse, but instead they travelled kilometers and moved mountains to
do what they wanted to do. That little effort and will to learn made
all the difference to their lives, and a thousand others.
Struggle,
I think, defines us. It gives us potential, makes us amount to
something. When we have it all good, we just assume that we are
satisfied, but how much more can we accomplish? By being satisfied,
we assume we are removing barriers, but instead create boundaries
that we're too scared to, or believe we have no need to cross.
For
all those people who have fought difficulties and not won, there are
just as many who have.
It
makes all the difference if you love yourself enough and love what
you do enough to get through and get past things which get you down.
Maybe there is struggle, but there is also accomplishment. With
sadness, there is joy. With all these coexisting, there is chaotic
peace, a delicate equilibrium that is life. There needn't be a
purpose to it because it's beautiful just like that and your only job
is to live
it.
P.S- When and if you get time, DO watch this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJvEoLPLIg8
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