Self Discovery

 

 

It is amazing how little we know about the person who is closest to us, who stays no matter what the circumstances are, and with whom you have to adjust with more than anybody else--your own self.

How often have we taken the time to look inwards, at ourselves, as to what we really are ? Caught up in the maelstrom of our daily existence, forced to perform at a certain level, day in and day out, and maintaining relationships with near and dear ones, or blindly watching television, we forget or subconsciously refuse to look deep within us. Fundamentally, we refuse to assess who we are, why are we here at this particular place at this particular time, and where we are going to.

All men should strive
to learn before they die
what they are running from, and to, and why.
~James Thurber

Is it necessary to do so? Why do we have to take a course which is occasionally painful, sometimes cruel and hurting, sometimes rewarding and finally so cleansing? Why not avoid it and settle cosily in our little niches? The answer is simple. Life and circumstances change.Crises will happen.Dangers will loom. Bereavement will come. Tears will be shed. There will be a crisis in belief, self doubts, a seeming inability to handle a situation. It is in these critical times, that your greatest asset is yourself. You can crucify yourself if you are at fault--but almost always you will find that you have been cleansed and you look at the world and yourself with a new vision. Friends and family will help, but the "buck stops here", in a lonely corner, or in a walk through the woods, or more likely on a bench in the park.

Sometimes to know yourself, you need to develop alternative interests. Some do gardening, some play on a musical instrument, some direct plays, some write, some travel etc. Some meditate, some philosophize, and some search for a meaning to life, and some take refuge in spirituality. I deliberately said "refuge", because most people abdicate the responsibility of changing ourselves to God or Godot, or whatever you may call Him. It is possible to change ourselves, and become calmer and more assured without depending on Him to do the job.

We hesitate to look at our successes. We introspect only when there is a threat to us. We do not look easily as to the times when we  achieved. But we need to do that. Recollect the problems that we solved. Recollect the decisions we took that turned out so right.   Remember when against all odds we pulled off a miraclous ,risky  plan, when in difficult circumstances, we stuck to our guns and restored a person to his rightful place in society.

The key question which we are afraid to ask but we must, is this--"Do we like ourselves? Are we comfortable with ourselves? Are we happy with our inner core?

Because that is the ultimate self discovery, the ultimate self realisation.

If we could eliminate "mine" from "me", then and then only we can realise the true "I". This is the main message from this song, marvellously rendered by Srikanta Acharya.

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