In one year, there’s so much that we learn and so much we miss. In all the chaos, we sometimes forget to truly live. To live the way we want to be remembered after we pass away. Who will remember you when you are not in this world anymore? What will be your legacy? Are people going to forget you the week after you pass away? These are all the questions that most of us have faced at one point in our lifetime. The only hurdles we face whilst making a legacy are perhaps ignorance and denial of the hereafter. The hereafter that exists.
When I first heard this quote in the movie 3 idiots, I was truly inspired because it was a simple rule to live by. Chasing excellence in whatever we do and then leaving the rest to God will surely give us success. It is guaranteed. But the question is are the students of today really pursuing excellence? Are the students of today really following their true passion or are they following the grading system laid out by this educational system?
When the teacher tells us to open the book, have we ever thought that we will learn something new? Have we ever thought that this will increase our knowledge and make us a little better person than we were yesterday? I’m sure most of us don’t do that. When we go to the class, we don’t think that we will learn something exciting today but we think of strategies and ways to understand the concept through rote-learning so that it can stay in our heads till the exams only. There is no guarantee of whether it stays there after exam or not. We have never thought of learning beyond school. I agree that calculus might not help you when you will be living a life you have dreamt of; but why not learn things with more interest in learning rather than achieving higher grades.
We all are going through this system and we are very well aware of what happens in a class room. A person who gets A+ in a subject automatically becomes the teacher’s favorite. A classroom is more of a race competition than a learning space. We don’t learn as much as we worry about our grades.
This system, if ever changed, will take a long time to change but why don’t we try to bring a little change within ourselves by practically following this quote. After we finish our academic studies, we will have 40 or so years left to live a life we have been struggling for; then why not try to enjoy what we learn instead of trying to be a gradeaholic. Learn for the sake of gaining knowledge – not because you have to but because you want to. So be the fourth idiot and follow the rule!
I would like to end it with a quote from 3 idiots:
Today my respect for that idiot shot up. Most of us went to college just for a degree. No degree meant no plum job, no pretty wife, no credit card, no social status. But none of this mattered to him, he was in college for the joy of learning, he never cared if he was first or last.
For quite sometime, I used to believe that we do what we have/need to do. There is no such thing as passion. Passion was just like any other word to me. But by doing things which I love I changed my perspective of passion and realized that passion is actually a very mandatory component of everything we do. A few days back when I was struggling with life (which is school essentially), I took myself through what I call the thought-process. When things don’t work out and when life seems to be going nowhere then you need a break – a short one, perhaps. A bit heavy duty for a young mind but will work for your best in a long run. So this short process will help you stay away from depression and many other unnecessary burdens of life. It might not work for you but it did for me, so yay! :p
Forget about everything for a moment. Go out in fresh air and let your mind cool down.
Observe nature i.e. any trees, birds, plants, etc. that you see and appreciate these beautiful intricate creations of your Creator.
Think of it this way – You are the only appreciator of these little things. Absorb these little packages of happiness to let hormones of happiness flow freely in your body.
Now comes the heavy-duty part – the simple process! If you are struggling with your school life (I can only think of that example because I have experienced it :p ), then just let all your worries free.
Enjoy the moment – It’s hard at times when you are juggling with your exams and assignments and tests at the same time but think about it – every moment that you spend being angry or upset is a moment of happiness that you will never get back. No returns, unfortunately or fortunately. Why don’t we, instead of complaining, try to enhance our lives by adding those little pleasures and joys that we get by doing what we love and by being with people we love. This feeling will make things a whole lot better. You can trust me on that!
As we grow up, we learn that one person who was not supposed to let us down probably will. You will have your heart broken and you will break others’ hearts. You will fight with your best friend and at the same time, you will cry because the time is flying by. So make those small interactions your best memories with a touch of love, affection and kindness.
A quote a day, keeps despair away! Yes, make it your habit. Read at least one inspirational quote a day. Plus, reading a simple quote won’t wreck your brain. So next time, while you chill on facebook, google a quote.
Give someone a reason to smile. Inspire others. Live it. Love it.
PS. I’m not saying that don’t get depressed at all. Ofcourse, you will face moments when you will feel down and it is totally okay to feel that way. It gives you the desired boost sometimes. Just don’t over-do it. That’s all.
“Hate no one, no matter how much they’ve wronged you. Live humbly, no matter how wealthy you become. Think positively, no matter how hard life is. Give much, even if you’ve been given little. Keep in touch with the ones who have forgotten you, and forgive who has wronged you, & do not stop praying for the best for those you love.” —Ali bin Abi Talib (Radi allahu anhu)
It’s been raining in town, lately. It’s like those monsoon rains which never stop for days, once they start. But it gives me a chance to enjoy this moment as it won’t last long once winters take over the season. I even got soaked in rain many times during the past weeks but it’s a new experience each time. A soul cleansing experience.
I have been away for a while from this blog and the sole reason was that I had nothing to talk about. But then I was listening to this ghazal of Jagjit Singh: Ye daulat bhee le lo which made me think out of this confined box and go beyond it. And so what the ghazal taught me during those 8 minutes is that life can only be summed up into three words, as someone once said: It Goes On. It was just yesterday when you were born, enjoyed your worry-free chidhood and then came upon the teenage years when you were rebellious and then the post-teenage years and so on and so forth. You meet new people and you loose some on your way – all comes with this jumbo life package. Like the good times, bad times also come and go; what we need to do is believe in the fact that whatever is happening is happening for our best.
The saddest part of life, I think, is that when we don’t get the desired results, we stop hoping. We stop hoping that things would turn the other way around and it will all get better once again. We stop hoping and rest our thinkings upon the fact that things would never be the same again. We get manual books on how to drive a car, how to run a computer, etc, but we don’t get manual books on how to live a life that will give us the desired results painlessly. We sometimes have to struggle through what we want whether it be persuading someone or choosing a career. But then again, if we had manuals for everything, your life and my life would be pretty much the same. The only difference will be that you will be born into a totally different family and I in an another.
Sigh. Life is simple, it’s just not easy. - Author Unknown
Khush raho, Khush rakho, Muskurao, kya pata.. Kal ho na ho!
