This morning, I was taking a walk, when I came across a beautiful tree, with lovely yellow flowers.
I wanted to click a picture, but then I paused and reflected as to why I wanted to do that.
The answer was that I wanted to share the beauty with my wife, who is also a nature lover.
Then I realized, what I am experiencing right now, in this moment, is far too grand to be able to capture in an image.
It wasn’t just about the tree, but the freshness that surrounded it. The cool breeze, and the pleasant weather, all added to the moment. None of which I could share through a picture.
So I dropped the idea, and also learned something in the process.
I learned that, there are times when the moment is far too rich to capture in a snap, so instead of sharing the picture, you can share the joyfulness that you experienced.
Whosoever you connect with, you can connect with them from that place of joy and lightness.
It would be far more valuable to them, than just sharing pictures.
It is so important to remain present in life, and not be bogged down by unnecessary use of technology.
People these days are increasingly getting obsessed with capturing everything in their phone. Wherever you go, you will find people clicking pictures, as if life can be captured in a memory card.
The way I see it, the life that we lead, appears to be so dull, that the few moments that come across as refreshing and new, we want to capture them so we can keep going back to them to get the same feeling of joy.
In truth, what we really need, is to review our lives, and see why our lives are not more joyful every moment.
Does it ever occur to you, that it is only man who seems to be missing the key to a fulfilling life? Rest of the existence appears to be in perfect harmony.
It calls for the need to pause, and reflect on the life we are living.
If your present ways of life are not centered around an experience of joy, then something needs to change. You can’t keep doing the same thing, and expect a different result.
It does appear somewhere down the line, we have forgotten the true purpose of our existence.
The true purpose of life, is living. Not what the world has convinced us it is.
Maybe you are thinking you already know what living is, but if you already knew what it is, you’d be full of joy, because living is joy. And by joy, I don’t mean you will be dancing on the streets, all I mean is, there will be a certain pleasantness to you in every situation.
This is something to ponder and reflect on. Are you truly joyful? If the answer is anything but yes, then it is time for you to take a serious look into your life.
Now you might say, I am all for joy, but this one or that one doesn’t behave the way I want them to behave. This thing or that thing isn’t working as per my preferences, this is why I am suffering.
Whatever the reason for your suffering, is suffering sensible? Is it sensible to suffer? I am sure your answer is no.
So if you want to drop this suffering, what needs to go is the million expectations you have from life.
How others will behave, what they will do, is not in your control, but how you be in this world is a 100% in your control.
So here’s a simple practice you can do if you want to bring more joy into your life.
Every few hours, check within and see, are you joyful or are you suffering?
If you are joyful, great, you are on the right path. But if you are suffering, then something needs to change within you.
This world has you convinced that suffering is a way of life. And I am here to tell you, it is a lie.
Suffering is not a way of life. Suffering is an indicator that you are not living your life the way it ought to be lived.
Stop valuing unpleasantness, and it will soon part ways with you.
Yes, no one else around you need to change a bit.
Whether it’s a troublesome neighbor, or a difficult boss, or someone else. They can be as they have been, but they can no longer affect you. Because you have decided to no longer play that game.
You know that it is not sensible to suffer, and hence you let it go.
Just this one simple change within you, can transform your life from being dull to being full of joy.
Try it.
To conclude, yes, there are times when clicking a picture totally makes sense, and would make for some great memories. But you don’t have to go picture crazy, because then you’d be missing out on fully enjoying the moment.
More importantly, living is about having joyfulness at the center. That is the secret to living a more fulfilling life.