Only 36,500 days in my kitty … Can I be a Mayfly?

It was last Sunday – The Official Weekly off – Of course the ‘Official’ as they call itJ. I stress on “Official” as my Husband is always busy and has this typical and favourite line of his “I wish I had the time to do it” and I always have my favourite fighting line in response saying … “When will u have that time?”

We were in the study working on our individual assignments when from somewhere this discussion cropped up. It was the evening time when sun was setting and the sky was looking amazingly beautiful. There was a slight drizzle also in the morning which made the weather very calm, cool and soothing. I said my husband “let’s sit in the balcony for a cup of tea”. Very surprisingly he agreed with just one invitation and we thoroughly the evening tea to the dregs of the cup... It was certainly one of those treasured moments.

Taking the last sip of tea my husband took a sigh and said “That was certainly one of the beautiful Sundays of my life”. I smiled and I said “Well we will have certainly many more such”.

Taking a pause he said “By the way, how many Sundays do we have together? I din’t quiet understand the question. Explaining further he said “Do u know even if a man lives to his full of 100 years he has in total 36,500 days and 5200 weeks. It hit me and said “O which means 5200 Sundays only... Is that all that we have?”

“Is it really true that we all have just 36,500 days with us in our life time? I couldn’t believe it and I did my calculation getting a calculator since I thought we were into some wrong calculation.

He smiled, looked at me and said “Yes my dear!!! J And that too only if we both live for 100 years together”

Adding further, he said “From that we have already moved 30 years ahead which means we have already lost 1500 Sundays and are just left with 3700 Sundays, which can be even less if we don’t touch 100 ”

Now that gave me a real punch. I went into a deep thought wondering …

“What have I done with these 1500 Sundays already passed by?”

“What can I do in just 3700 Sundays left with me … they are so less and I have so many things to do”

Seeing that I was going a little emotional about it he said “But Life can always be led as a Mayfly”. The lifespan of an adult mayfly can vary from just 30 minutes to one day depending on the species. He fills his day with the things he loves. He soars! He swoops! He savours every moment! He plays sports; He even mates during the meager 24 hours of his life. And at the end of the day rather at the end his life sits down to watch the sunset with his beloved!

Yes! Maybe there’s a lesson in this, for us all. Just think, if we embrace life, like the mayfly, what a life that would be!

At times this seems difficult. We got loads of things to worry about. We got our family, friends, studies, and work. Life is not always fair. There are times when life is more of a burden than a chance. Every night we go to bed, worrying about tomorrow. Worrying about work, about college, about the bills you got to pay, about your annoying colleagues, irritating teachers, nagging parents. Well, do we ever wonder if we would ever see the sunrise tomorrow?

In the real sense, what does living every moment to the fullest mean? Living carelessly as if there isn’t a tomorrow or is it living as if we aren’t going to come back ever again? Not necessarily so.

It means enjoying what you are doing at the moment. It’s also about the right choices you make. At times in this fast moving world, this might be tough. It may not be as easy as putting it in words. But then, we all live on hope. Because we mighty creatures do have lessons to learn from the mayfly after all!

I'm absolutely sure that's not all of it. But the question is, how much of that can I do with these few days left in my kitty and how to USE YOUR LIFE, BEFORE THE WORLD GOES AND FLUTTERS BY  J

Isn’t it high time to stop just “Existing” and “Start Living”?

As I see the thought “Existing” helps us just ‘Make a Living’ and the thought “Start Living” helps us ‘Make a Life’.

In the structured society (so called!) where in we live in a political, economical and social environment, we spend long years of our life in preparing for a degree .. a career ... or a job at best.  Most of us, are familiar with the world of making a living through services rendered to an organisation with its limited set of opportunities.We are certainly educated for the market and our skills are employed in productive activities. We are rewarded with salaries which help us sustain ourselves and our families.  But is this somwwhere making our goals narrow in view ?

Wherever we go, we take these narrow thoughts and goals with us. We thus, then end up just Make a Living, and most certainly not Make a Life. Very few of us, however, draw up goals with a far larger reach in mind.

As we evolve as Human Beings, we begin to realise and discover that what we have to really do is to ‘Make a Life’ and not just mere a Living. We cannot Make Lives by adopting high handedness. In making a life, you create your own responses and shape society in a way that is different. We may begin with rules and regulations, but we then have to move on to the more intricate complexion of life where boundaries are more fluid and flexible. A young artist would, for instance, begin with small and simple sketches and pictures governed by the rules of art. Once the artist discovers self and is able to express and create original works in a way born of interior motivation  rather than only by relying and adapting to the outside framework, he / she has begun the most important phase of his / her life journey.

This can only take place if each of us as individuals connect to a particular project or idea that makes our own heart sing. For me, I am planning to go, taking a little time out from my schedule and spend it with my parents in the Farm later this monsoon, and work on a kitchen garden. The idea is to “match make” myself with the fun of enjoying the earth and the mud and the fun feeling of being “Earthy” and at the same time spend some good moments together. Think of how much such a simple idea could change our life, at so many levels and moments.

So lets put our thoughts together and see and understand where is it that our real happiness lies. Is it only in the corporate board rooms or in the open space around us. The things we do, however big or small, are invested with a meaning.  So lets have the clarity to put our dreams and desires into action, and not just “Exist” but “Start Living”!

Cheers!