There are times when we give up. Times when we feel that life has no meaning any more. Times when we feel we are done with life. The first urge is to run away from it all at the earliest opportunity. Frustrations, unfulfilled dreams, the monotony of a life that is, at best, “average” and “uninteresting”. The reasons may be many and diverse. And no amount of wealth or other material elements can make up for the absence of mental peace and emotional contentment. We all have expectations. From life, from others, from ourselves… even God! And when these expectations are not met, we just break down and resort to whatever destructive forces that are easily available to us in order to somehow turn things around – alcohol, drugs, medication, or worse – believing that these messengers of darkness and despair shall show us the light on a path towards magical joy. Little do we realise that what they actually do is shred the very fabric of our souls, lay ourselves at the mercy of negativity and squeeze the last drop of strength from the most remote corners of our beings.
Strength comes from various sources. Some derive strength from their faith in God. Some from their family and close friends. But very few dare to dig deep and find the strength within themselves. As if it has been lost forever. And the strength I am talking about here is not the strength that helps you to just continue your mundane and frustrating existence. I am talking about the strength that gives you the courage and will to break free from your shackles and take life head-on. This strength never leaves us permanently. It may become less prevalent, but it’s there, no matter how deep in those dark tunnels of loneliness and misery. It surely is there. And this is where hope comes into the picture. In order to put the burden of loneliness and frustration to rest, we need to find something that gives us hope. Hope is a very tiny word… just four letters. A simple word. But carries with it so much strength that once channelized in the right direction, it can turn our lives around in ways even we cannot imagine. The challenge is to grasp the end of that vine that we can use to pull ourselves out of the quicksand that threatens to suck us into non-existence. In my view, hope is derived from faith and trust. Faith and trust in yourself, in the few people who love you, in the belief that this is YOUR life and YOU hold the reigns… in the desire to emerge from the sense of misery to a state of bliss. In our blind lurch towards things we cannot foresee, we often miss or ignore that one single thing, the most important thing…. we struggle, we gasp, but… knowingly or unknowingly, we don’t see that very close to us, someone is bending over with his or her arms outstretched and urging you to grasp it. I often say something very simple to myself… don’t blur your vision by the negativities of life… watch out for those outstretched arms… they will not only pull you out from the quicksand but will also hold you strongly as you fly high up into the clouds. All you need to do is give it a chance. Believe that you are worth it, and you deserve that chance. Be eternally hopeful that tomorrow will be a brand new day and limitless joy awaits you. Live life to the fullest. You have nothing to lose, but so much to gain.