Category: Motivation

The Little Things

Harkrishan2 Comments

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

Harkrishan3 Comments

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.

Fly with it

Harkrishan1 Comment

Have you ever loved to do something? I mean beyond a sense of “its good for me” or “it’s a popular practise”. No matter how common or rare it is. Just you. Your passion for it. And stolen moments between work and school when you dedicate time to it. I wonder what it is for you? For me, it is to speak and write.

As broad as that is, I have always loved taking inspiration from the world and writing it down and talking about it. Sadly, like most of you I lead a full life and sometimes I stray away from my passions into days of books and other baggage. But then there are periods like the current situation outside creates when I get time to go back to these interests. And that is when I truly come out of my shell. I find that we’re all not good at many things. Things we fail at miserably perhaps. You could just be terrible at a course but then do incredible workouts at the gym. You could be bad at working out at the gym but then go home and make an incredible covers for songs. I fail at both singing and working out and then I come home and write down what I learn in hopes of learning something from my days.

I learnt from reading some books over and over again that words when moulded and brought together in the right ways can touch hearts, change minds, and move worlds. And that’s what I want to do when I write or speak. I think we all try to add to the world with our passions. And it shows. When a musician puts their heart and soul into the music. When the teacher breaks down a concept to its foundations. When a doctor works a 48 hour shift. How do you do things that most people can’t unless you truly find peace and joy in the act? You don’t.

And now to why I wrote this post. I want to ask something of you. When you find this, fly with it. Don’t stay grounded with your interests. Experiment. Take risks. Look stupid. Give it time. For every post I publish, I add another five to my drafts. Simply because I like writing doesn’t make me good at it. But it does make me want to be better at it. So I try again and again. Because the day I give up on this, I lose a great part of what makes me, me.

So I ask of you. No matter what, stick with it. And fly with it.