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Random Forays: You win some, you lose some
Life is never black or white, after all. And it is not in the calendar but within us that the answers to greater happiness can be found
The battle of life is a long-drawn affair, for all human beings, relentless in its bombardment, with challenge upon challenge thrown at us, day after day. Yet there are sunny moments in each day, or most days, which cause us to smile and feel blessed. Some days actually end up leaving us feeling lighter, even satiated, at having conquered new ground or having made new friends. But on other days, those which only add to our list of lows, we might be forgiven for wishing that such days had never dawned at all.
“You win some, you lose some”, goes the old saying. And in these philosophical words we find the answer to the seeming unfairness of life. Those who think they will always be on a high, might just discover that life will jolt them sooner than later. And those who are so despondent with their lot that they cannot visualise any light at the end of a tunnel, need to shake themselves out of their sense of despair. Life is imperfect after all. But it need not all be downhill. Sunlit, flowery, pathways will surely emerge along the way.
The year 2020 has epitomised the mother of all worst-case scenarios. The pandemic and its severe impact upon the lives of people all over the world, whether they were infected or not, has left many rattled, even shattered. The pain and tragedy of families which have experienced illness and even loss of life, cannot be imagined by those who have been more fortunate. But the generic consensus is that the whole year has been a write off for everyone.
Yet, will 2021 bring all the answers to mankind’s problems? Will pollution, disease, ignorance, poverty, petty politics, crime, and degradation of values, simply fade away? Indeed, the pandemic shows signs of relenting at last and the new year will offer hope that we have seen the worst of it. Things can only get better in the new year. Yet, the shades of grey and the incessant play of darkness and light will go on unendingly, will it not?
Have we not found any moments of joy at all in the year 2020? Those who have not been affected by illness must surely have spent many more months of quality time with family and themselves. A new skill, a new art, a new hobby or a new outlook must have made its glorious entry into their existences, and brought some cheer with it. The very fact that mankind has been able to produce medical heroes from within its ranks who have combated the worst of the virus is a very heartening sign. Numerous common individuals, too many to name here, have inspired and led by example to help those who have needed an embalming intervention during this global crisis.
Life is never black or white, after all. And it is not in the calendar but within us that the answers to greater happiness can be found. Those who can carry on unflinchingly despite the surmounting challenges that life keeps presenting as the years roll by, will win the greatest battle of them all, the battle of the mind. It is within us that triumph and turmoil coexist. And the choice is ours, whether to focus on the sunshine or the darkness in each situation.
Walt Whitman said, “Keep your face towards the sunshine, and the shadows will fall behind.” The choice is actually ours, and not the making of our circumstances. We make of life what it ultimately becomes. We can forever focus on the black spots in our lives, or on the bright light that envelopes most of our days. Even in our worst moments, we can summon the resolve to bounce back, if we exercise our will power to the fullest.
And on a lighter note, even India’s poorest ever cricket Test Match score of 36 All Out is being blamed on the year 2020! Team India had better salvage some pride in the second Test which begins on December 26, Boxing Day, at Melbourne. The players, the fans, and even the year 2020 will do well to remember those golden words. You win some, you lose some!
vivek.atray@gmail.com
