To Err Is Human

To Err is human, To forgive is divine. At some point of time in our lives, we all have heard these lines written by Alexander Pope. I was first acquainted with the words in one of the many philosophical sessions with my grandfather. I was a child at that time, 8 or 9 years. The quote was embedded in me, but it was only with time that I understood its importance in real life. The feeling of gratitude when I received forgiveness for the mistakes I made, and the feeling of satisfaction when I forgave friends and family for the mistakes they made is just surreal.

If you are one of those who made a mistake and are struggling with it, the first thing you need to do is accept it. Pride and Denial often lead to further downfall, and it will suck you up into a blackhole from where it would be difficult to come out. Yes, accepting it might lead to people not liking you or seeing you in the same way as before, but in your heart you would know that you are true to yourself and that will ease your pain with time. As L.M. Montgomery said “Isn’t it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?”

If your wrong doings have affected the people around you, you should have the courage to ask for forgiveness. But at the same time, you should be prepared of people not accepting you or your sincere apology. To undo wrong doings takes time, and you have to be strong enough to pass through rejections, un-acceptance and the trials that come with it. However, understand that you have to learn to not be so hard on yourself. The right people will understand you and the ones who are not meant to be will not. I would like to share one of the excerpts from Steve Maraboli’s book “Life, the Truth, and being free”:

“If people refuse to look at you in a new light and they can only see you for what you were, only see you for the mistakes you’ve made, if they don’t realize that you are not your mistakes, then they have to go”

If you are one of those who are having a tough time coping up with the mistakes made by your near and dear ones, I know you are hurt. I know you got something you did not expect. But if that person really means something to you and has an impact on your life, it is time to clear the clouds of disappointment and look deeper into why did a person do what he/she did. What was the motivation behind it? This is your chance to help someone who have lost their way, and trust me there comes immense satisfaction to show the beacon of light to a fellow being in need.

The world has become a darker place with ego, pride and greed controlling the better part of us. But I believe that there are millions out there who still believe in humanity and wish for a peaceful and better world. To all those, let go of your err’s, understand the people around you and with forgiveness and love in your hearts, you can make the change you wish to see.

“It is unwise to be too sure of one’s own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err” – Mahatma Gandhi

K.A.

 

Happiness Lies In Humankind

We all today live in an era of science and technology and in a world which is better connected. We Humans have progressed to a level which seemed impossible just a few years back, we have set foot on the moon and in no time we will be ready to walk on mars. We today have opportunities to innovate and excel beyond our imaginations. We are jostling our way through life to climb the ladders of success. On the basis of what I have just said, I can safely conclude that the 21st century is the time to be, it is the time to rise and shine. However, reality suggests a different picture – An average human being is not that happy as he was in the previous century, and the depression rate is increasing at an alarming rate (The number of people diagnosed with depression increases by 20% every year.(http://www.healthline.com/health/depression/statistics-infographic)

There are many factors that lead to an unhappy life, but in my view the only thing that contributes most is our ignorance towards basic human relationships and to humanity. As Mother Teresa rightly said “if we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other”. We are so much embroiled in our jobs and day to day life that we don’t even have time to talk to our close family members, let alone the community! India was a pioneer in the system of joint families, where up to three generations lived in the same household, helping each other and being there for each other in all walks of life. But alas, the nuclear family system is now prevalent in our culture rich country as well. We now want to be more independent, we want our “own space”, we want freedom! But then why, even after having all the freedom do we feel that something is missing?

There is a new way to become social these days – social networks, again a gift of technology. These networks were developed to give us the power to connect with the world, however what I see is the complete opposite, wherein we have given power to this technology to control us and our lives. It’s funny how a person will refrain from talking to his/her neighbor, but will have no reservations at all in sharing his/her personal life on the web with an unknown fellow living at an unknown place. We then become sequestered from the real world and try to find solace in our self-created virtual world. We share photos, information, our day to day activities on the social network like a madman, just hoping to receive a like or a comment from someone out there so that we can satiate our hunger of “company”.

If you are alone and depressed today, it is nothing but because of the result of your own actions. No outer force can help you come out of this state. You need to make changes in your lifestyle. Talk to the people around you, build real social networks, join community service! “If you are not making someone else’s life better, then you are not living at all” I love this quote by Will Smith. The joy you get, when you find time from your busy schedule and go out to help someone in need, rejuvenates you! It gives you a purpose to live. We surely weren’t born on this earth to live mechanical and independent lives and just die, did we? We were born in a community for a reason. Let us all revive the convivial spirit that is buried deep down within us. Let us try and be happy for what we have. Let us be ambitious, but may we never forget the roots and the culture to which we were born to. Let us make time for our family. Let us make a difference in someone else’s life. Let not technology control us, but let us build a more safer and happy world by holding and giving helping hands.

K.A.