A Cocktail of thoughts and such

Okay! Here i am. Finally! There's something there about writing which satisfies one a lot. Sometimes it just springs up as a notion in one's head. Time and again; until one picks up that pen (or in this case the keyboard) and starts pouring that inner pool of thoughts out into the world. It's like that saying- "What goes around, comes around!". Just like thinking. For years i've been thinking. Thoughts. A lot of them. It happens to each one of us. From the moment we wake up to the moment we close our eyes again, the mind is constantly engaged in thoughts of all kinds. Whether we're walking by ourselves, eating breakfast, talking to friends, doing some work or just lazing around the house. They're always there. Creating a web of uncountable philosophies of life; and testing each one of them as we move into newer experiences in varied situations. But, There's always one question: What works? Which of these philosophies is going to get me out there in the world and keep me happy and satisfied with my life? Well, there can be several of those as long as one really "wants" to be happy. So, there comes to mind a question. Doesn't that imply that we get what we want? It's again a way of looking at life.

Now, there are different kinds of people in the world who would react differently to this question. Really, each individual is unique. And, one may react to it on the basis of the depth of one's understanding of life. For instance, an optimist would say- "I get what i want because i believe". A pessimist on the other hand, would say- "The rest of the world seems to have it all figured out. But, it doesn't work for me". A skeptic would say- "You can't bet on life to give what you want. It's too good to be true" and a cynic would say- "So, what's the deal here?". Whatever, the actions be, the truth is that the philosophy that really shapes our lives is the philosophy of belief. Beliefs play a major role in directing the course of our life. More than our thoughts and knowledge about a particular thing. So here, neither of the above mentioned class of people is right or wrong. They each react in their own way because of their own beliefs. An optimist believes in the positive outcome of things, hence, his reaction to the thought or situation would be driven by positivity. Similarly, a pessimist would be driven to a negative reaction and so on. Now, the question arises: "Where do beliefs come from?"

Are they the byproduct of family values given down for ages from one generation to the next? Are they the consequence of upbringing of an individual influenced by his/her familial, educational, regional, social, cultural and political surroundings? Or are they simply a set of values created by an individual from his own experiences? I believe all of these are a major factor to different degrees depending on the nature of the person. For instance, a person with a high degree of flexibility in his nature would be more apt to change than one with a lesser degree of flexibility. One may then infer that such a person would be more prone to being influenced by society and less resistant to force. Again, if the same person with a flexible nature is also more individualistic; then he would take his own decisions. He'll be resistant to influence from external factors. Now, throw in some positivity and he'll be flexible, individualistic yet positive when the tide is against him/her. He'll take a decision without external influences, on his own, demonstrating his individuality. If something goes astray and he finds himself in a situation he did not plan on to happen; he'll adapt to it demonstrating flexibility. If he adapts to it begrudgingly it'll demonstrate his dependence of happiness on external factors. On the other hand, if he takes it in stride and keeps his head on his shoulders, it'll be his positivity working behind that attitude. So, here, there are several factors working behind laying a foundation for a belief system in one's life. Here again, such a person would be an example of "Inner world being independent of external world"; which is a law truly universal. While we don't have control over what happens around us, we do have a control over what happens inside us. It's a food for thought!

Copyright created on 9th December 2009