We
cannot deny the fact that life is a mystery, which cannot be understood in its entirety.
No one fully comprehends the reality of life. It is for this reason that no scientist or
philosopher has ever been able to define life totally.
Why human life is as it is, no one has been able to answer this vital
question. However, this does not mean that owing to such complexities we should shut our
eyes to it and attend to day-to-day work half-heartedly, so much so that we regard going
to bed at night and rising up in the morning as a compulsion, taking bath, eating,
drinking or going anywhere as a trouble or feel glittery while discharging other duties,
or go on cursing the circumstances throughout life and regard life as a burden under the
impact of material and external circumstances. To go on cursing the circumstances or lead
life reluctantly is nothing but doing injustice to it. To lead life disinterestedly is to
render life meaningless.
In
the circumstances, if we ponder, we will come to the conclusion that shirking toil or
performance of duty is the basic cause of our boredom and depression. Work and toil is the
peculiarity of human nature and when we do not discharge this natural obligation, we feel
depressed and bored. The wish to do something can be fulfilled by action only. It will not
be out of place to mention here that we should not only do work, which we wish to do, but
do all works with equal interest. In other words, we should do even work thrust on us with
interest. In case we develop the habit of doing every work with interest, we can be free
from hatred and discontentment, because work in itself brings joy, peace and satisfaction.
Performance of work has its own importance in life. By performing one’s work, one’s
courage, joy and self-confidence find growth. Contrary to this, those who do not work or
discharge their duties, suffer from fear and restlessness. Such people, whichever status
of society they may belong to, neither succeed nor experience peace, happiness and
contentment in life.
It
is true that human life is a struggle. Both happiness and sorrow are its integral parts.
We cannot lead a life free from happiness and sorrow. However, it depends upon us to lead
it joyfully or sorrowfully. It is so because to be joyous or sorrowful or happy and
unhappy is dependent on our internal state of mind and not on external circumstances or
amenities at our disposal. Despite poverty and hardships, labourers are found to be jolly
and carefree and unaffected by adversities. In this context, Dale Carnegy made a
significant observation, when he said: If there are two persons and both performing the
same kind of job, having equal wealth and enjoying equal respect and prestige in the
society, yet, in accordance with their mental attitude, one may be joyous and the other
depressed. Thus we can be happy even without a change in our work and environment. By changing our mental
attitude we can transform sorrow into joy and failures into success; we can cheerfully
face obstacles and surmount difficulties in our way. All that is needed is to bring about
a change in our mental attitude: to think positively. Life is a wall. On one side of it is
cool shade and on the other schorching sun. All that is required to be done is just to
walk into the cool shade from the schorching heat. If we learn to lead life like this, it
would prove to be a boon of peace and happiness. And such a state can be easily imbibed in
the company of saints.