THE SECRET TO LIVING WELL AND LONGER!

“THE SECRET TO LIVING WELL AND LONGER IS: EAT HALF, WALK DOUBLE, LAUGH TRIPLE AND LOVE WITHOUT MEASURE.” (TIBETAN PROVERB)

Our lifestyles show that we have reversed this order in our lives. The outcome is humanity has lost the charm of a qualitative life! We make our lives miserable and also the lives of other creatures around!!

We eat without measure! There is saying in Malayalam: “oru neram bhakshikkunnavan yogi, randu neram bhakshikkunna-van rogi, moonu neram bhakshikkunnavan drohi” which means “one who eats once a day is an ascetic, twice a day is a sick person and thrice a day is a person who harms or oppresses”. More people die of over eating than of hunger!

We love our body triple! It seems that we spend most of our resources to keep ourselves ‘healthy’ and ‘charming’ - for food, for cosmetics, vitamin replacements etc., etc... We ignore our mind and soul in the pursuit of happiness! But all the above make us sicker.

We have forgotten to laugh! Smiling faces are becoming rare – even the smaller children are tensed and are not enjoying what is going around. The ultimate result is that we are sick – real as well as pseudo-sicknesses. Present day medical admits the fact that manifestations of many sicknesses are pseudo. They can be cured through modification of the pattern of living. Laughter has a miraculous power that can take away our tensions and depressive feelings! A rise of Laughter Clubs is a proof for this. What have taken away our laughs from us?

Above all, pure love has become the rarest! We are most miserly to love [We expect to be loved unconditionally, but very reluctant to love]. As many of us may know, there are different words in Greek to denote various kind of love: ‘eros’, ‘phileo’, ‘storge’ and ‘agape’. While ‘agape’ is ideal and is to be practiced, we have reversed and various ways of ‘eros’ has become the order of the day!  We read in the newspapers instances of parents throwing their children in the dustbins, parents being cruelly treated by their children or thrown out of their homes, siblings fighting for the heritance (to which they have not put even a single penny!). I am aware that there are many who do not come in the above category; but, I am also aware that these trends are increasing.

Let us enter and live through 2017 with full optimism and with the proverb as our goal!  We have to keep the rabbit and tortoise race in our minds. It is not the potential, but focus that matters.

Beware; it is not an easy path. But determination along with the appreciation of the result – though very minimal -shall take us there. Make small term and specific plans. By the end of 2017, we can be achievers!

MAY I WISH MY READERS

A FOCUSED AND BLESSED NEW YEAR!!!