I have always wondered what is to live peacefully and happy. What is this fuss all about?
In my early career days, I thought earning enough money to lead a decent lifestyle is enough(well, I was never a fan of hi-fi luxurious life).
Then during early married days, I thought a small house, a car and some amount in a bank account may lead me to my ideal life.
After a child, my bar went as low as a peaceful nap and a fully not disturbed toilet time is more than enough, (its been 6years and I am still unable to achieve both of them).
The bottom line is, my “Ideal life” kept on changing as days passed and according to the situation. I never understood what my “ideal life” would be.
Recently there were 2 death’s in my family, it was indeed overwhelming and this question again poped into my head. If death is ultimate to all creatures, why do we have the struggle to lead an ideal fabulous life? etc., We are anyhow going to die, it is quite natural to get such spiritual and existential thoughts when someone so near passes away, isn't it?
As in the days of mourning kept passing and death rituals started i could not stop thinking about it and somewhere else a person was doing all his works without much talk and knew exactly what to do.
This person was the assistant to the priest for death rituals and he seemed not very talkative, most of the time he kept things to himself. Initial 2 days i was not that keen to know about him or even recognized him as an individual as some of my relatives were moving jovial with him. Later came to know his name is Shivanna.
3rd day was the day where we remember our ancestors, offer prayers to them and pray the person recently dead may reach to heaven. This day I realized Shivanna was doing exactly what needs to be done and was instructing me and my husband todo even before the priest tells, he knew where are the required items, what needs to be prepared, how much and what time it has to be given to whom. I realized he knows his job, he is not an MBA or CA or Doctor but an assistant priest for the whole life and he is an expert in it.
We come across many of them like this day to day and never notice them, They are innocent, simple, they just do their jobs perfectly, without complaints, take the remuneration we decide to give and leave for another ritual in some other place.
Shivanna understands his competency, his job, its procedure, and the importance of it in his life. He worked to be perfect only in that, without frills and he finds success in it.
People like Shivanna teaches us the Mantra of a simple life without telling much in actual words,
Know how much best you can give in your work,
People may or may not notice and it is fine both ways,
Slow down and relax if you want to,
Accept yourself for who you are,
Be in the moment,
And Only you can define Success of your life.
Isn’t it what we all want?
Instead of getting into hundreds of things and trying to do everything perfectly, just get one or two things done and for rest, it is ok not to be so perfect in it.
Once, my faculty, Chandra happened to mention, “Otherwise I am a good Cook, but 10days once I take a break from cooking, hand over the kitchen to my husband and daughter, just to get rejuvenated and they have to do it if they want good food for next 10days”, we found it funny then, but isn’t it a life skill to take break once in a while?
One of my far relatives once expressed “as a parent to an obese girl I was worried, what is going to happen to my child’s future, she used to find difficult even to take a few steps, but today she is successful in her career as a singer”, Could she have done it if she kept pitying herself for health problem and be where she is?
And If Shivanna thinks, Working for a whole day, eating blissfully without disturbance and having a nice sleep in the night is SUCESS in his own words, What is wrong with it?
Do you have anything to add??
