March is about coming of spring, going of gloom, gushing of waters, opening of schools, going to gardens and lush green meadows; feeling light, getting bright and arriving afresh in life with new season and new session. March is about taking new projects and marching ahead in life.
This month is also about some serious affairs like examinations or result declaration. At a global level we observe zero discrimination day on March 1 and International Women’s Day on March 8 besides many other days of recalling and remembering humanity and its accomplishments.
Coincidentally, Einstein was also born in March, on 14th, and this day is observed as the international pi day across the globe. According to Einstein, life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving on. So let us keep marching ahead. We may go slow or we may go fast but we should always go on and on.
March past is a wonderful act among troops to salute and pass a prestigious spot or a dignity without stopping at all. So should we live through the life. Success should not put a full stop on future endeavours nor should remorse hold us back.
Those of us who are taken aback in life for any reason should try to come again and see that there are a whole-host of options still un-attempted. Let us not regret what we are not capable of. Let us explore what we are enabled to do. Persistence can change failure into an extraordinary achievement. We can have our Eureka moments in life.
The Harry Potter series which went on to shape an entire generation of children, was rejected by 12 publishers before finally getting picked up by Bloomsbury Publishing, selling over 500 million copies worldwide, and making Rowling the first billionaire author in the world. Similarly, Edison had said, “I didn’t fail 10,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 10,000 steps.”
Failure is an inverted mirror image of success. Once we realise that, we can always reorient towards the goal. Success, however, has a wider connotation than our local understanding. It is not just about career making, having a pretty wife and owning a grand house and a luxury car. These things do not even make the necessary ingredients of success. As the poet says
Yeh Mehlo, yeh takhto, yeh, taajoun ki duniya
Ye insaan ke dushman samajoun ki duniya
yeh doulat ke bhooke riwajoun ki duniya
Ye duniyae agar mil bhi jaye to kya hai.
This world of palaces, thrones and crowns,
this world of societies that resent humanity
and this world of those hungry for material wealth.
What is this world to me even if I can have it.
And lastly the death is inevitable. Knowing that we would survive best upto 70-80 years, the ancient prophets who lived for hundreds of years thought that the last people to live on earth would plan their lives very temporarily and may not even construct the houses.
I wish something brings them back to this world to see us behind our rigid fences masked from the reality. Refusing death does not necessarily have to be a verbal declaration, it can also be expressed very well by our stupidity and insensitivity.
Quoting again the popular movie 3-idiots, recall the incidence when Chatur, the mischievous character impresses his mantra of success upon the hero Ranchhod, by showing him the photographs of his gorgeous wife in front of a grand house with beautiful landscape and maple wood flooring and that the pocket money of his child being more than salary of the school teacher in front of him.
But he realises soon that the said person is the same person who he has been yearning to meet for so long. While Chatur had become a local hero, Ranchhod had risen to international fame and recognition by serving the society in more than one ways.
He was terribly genius and greatly generous. He had earned his Bachelor’s degree for the master who domesticated him, and he was imparting the scientific training and skill to the underprivileged in a self-designed school.
His research and scientific accomplishments had won him a huge name. He was fond of Priya but had never asked her for marriage until one fine day she came travelling all the way to have her say.
Let us believe that all is well even if all is not really well. It’s normal to worry given the unknowns that the life may take us through or the challenges it may throw at us.
Worry is a natural response to many situations. However, it should not be chronic and consuming to the extent that it may interfere with our ability to work freely and calmly in our daily lives.
Letting go does not mean that we don’t care any more, rather it means that we care without fear and apprehension. The worries do vanish, the merry also ends, the ferry of life sails regularly. Death alone can stop it.
Dr. Qudsia Gani, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Physics, Govt. College for Women, Srinagar
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are the personal opinions of the author.
The facts, analysis, assumptions and perspective appearing in the article do not reflect the views of GK.