Author: Harkrishan

As it is

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Change is the only constant. I miss the days when this meant simpler things like transitioning from high school to university or finally moving out of your parents house to start a new life of your own. Such changes are so common that we’ve made our peace with them. We know that they must happen and only a handful try to resist these natural changes.

When it was my time to leave home, I made peace with the fact that it was an important change for me. I was to gain an education, learn to be independent and start my journey. Keeping all these things in mind, I went with the flow and let the waters take me where they may. I’ll admit, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows but then, change never is. We just need to accept it, the good and bad included. Now, this was an example of a change we all look forward to. I know that someday I’ll move from being a student to a working individual. I might re-locate in the course of a job. And after a few decades of service, I’ll retire. These are all changes that we can anticipate and often prepare for. And once you make those transitions, you simply be at peace with the happenings and let the waters flow as they may.

But what about those unprecedented changes we can’t see coming? A pandemic, maybe?

How is the world supposed to cope with everything that has happened? I won’t go on to list all the things that aren’t the same, but we all have some idea of what these are. These were the changes we never saw coming. But now they’re here. I can’t fly home for the summer. And it’s inconvenient and downright unfair. I have half a mind to rant and rage against everything that isn’t what it used to be. Some might even advocate to bring life back to what used to be “normal”. Somewhere in my heart, though, I know that this might be the new normal. The change has happened and our minds want us to fight the flow because it’s all new un-chartered territory.

Peace is the result of retraining your mind to process life as it is, rather than as you think it should be.

Wayne Dyer

I think it’s time we stopped resisting and waiting for things to go back to normal. I’m tired of being angry at a virus. This is what it is. Just go with the flow.

The Little Things

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Have you ever thought of the grand scheme of things? Everything that is happening around us. The expanding universe, collapsing stars, natural disasters, epidemics, population surge, dying rainforests and so much more. There is so much that goes on around us all the time. So much input into our lives. So much that affects us. So much that we must respond to. So much that we live with.

So what difference do we make? Amidst all that’s happening, what can you or I do to make a difference? So much actually. Humans have so much potential to make a difference. Right from discovering fire to inventing the wheel. From predicting the weather to predicting how the universe expands. There’s actually people planning on how to move Earth’s populous to Mars someday. As humans, we have the capacity to do great things.

But there are things that matter more than these far reaching feats of humanity. Things much simpler and within the reach of every person.

Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check. But that is not what I have found. I have found that it is the small things, everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Simple acts of kindness and love.

J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit

And that’s how you and I can make a difference. It’s the little acts. Pick up a piece of trash. Donate some clothes. Hold the door open for someone. Thank your server. Tell your loved ones what they mean to you. Be there for them.

Not all of us will be recognized by history as people who changed the world. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have the capacity to do so. We can do so much by doing so little. In my travels and experiences, I have been fortunate in meeting so many people. I have met some of my heroes. I have acquainted with fellow travellers. I have experienced different cultures. And in all my experiences, I remember the little things so well. The power of a small kind act is such that it can stay in someone’s memory for a long time. And perhaps, inspire them to carry it on.

In my mind, I know that I am not destined to be a great, well-known individual. In my heart, I am satisfied that I don’t need to be one to leave my mark on the world. It’s the little things.

Keep Going

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Lives change every day. Sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. Someone wins the lottery and someone fails to pay a loan. Someone gets into their dream school and someone is fired from a dream job. Someone welcomes new life into their family and someone unexpectedly loses one they always thought they’d have more time with. Lives change everyday.

In a world of flux, as we walk down the street we see many faces but that’s all we see. We can’t see the good or the bad someone is going through. But we all have hard times, don’t we? Times when we still wake up, brush our teeth and go about our day but also have to deal with rough hands we’ve been dealt. Because time goes on. The world doesn’t stop just because you stumbled and scraped your knee. It moves on and so must you. And in this, we are often alone. But not this time.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know how things are with COVID-19. In some way or the other, I’m sure you’ve been affected too. If you’re lucky, you get to stay home and carry on with life indoors. But there are those that are tasked with being on the front lines and are dealing with this crisis head on. And there are also those who are sick and don’t know what fate has in store for them. Lives change everyday. This time, we’ve all been chosen to go through the same trial.

In such daunting and uncertain times, I think back to a line I heard on TV sometime ago – “No matter how hard things get, the true test is how we choose to respond to the pain we suffer”

I’m going through a rough patch myself right now (not COVID related). I am also going through COVID isolation with the rest of the world. Sadly, new burdens don’t make the old ones disappear. They just add on to the weight we are tasked to carry. But try keep those words in mind. You get to choose how you respond to these times. Some will choose to close their eyes and tuck their heads in and wait for things to get better. And some will rise to the occasion and give us the strength to keep going.

I’m not asking you to not be a coward. I’m also not asking you to be a hero. I’m asking you to simply keep going. And if the road gets dark and you start to feel scared, do what I do. Sing.