Joy & Contentment ~ This week

SALT ~ This week ~ Joy

Due to my work, I have to travel a lot by air. Though I don't qualify to be a frequent flyer I do it pretty often. I am super-excited about my trips every time. There is a child-like glee on my face which refuses to go. You know the types a child has when he/she is taken to an amusement park.


Needless to say I take a window seat as I simply don't want to miss the sight outside. The runway, that speed just before the take off, the take off, the sudden feeling of being air-borne, that sight when things become smaller and smaller till they vanish out of sight, this all is so exciting for me. I feel we are such a miniscule part of such a huge creation. Words fail me to describe the exact feeling. Sometimes I see a field of fluffy clouds as if inviting me to play with them and if I am lucky I get a close up glimpse of the moon. Those few moments for me are like a mystic window which draws me closer to nature and God. I derive a sense of calm and tranquility from it, something similar to meditating.

To many of my fellow passengers my reactions seem pretty weird and they conclude that this is my first time only to be jolted when I reply in negative. Just as much I would want to I simply can't understand their behaviour [ I am sure they think the same about me!!] But on seconds thoughts I feel that's what we all have been doing till now . For us the excitement and joy is associated only for the first time or maybe till another couple of times. When it becomes a routine it suddenly loses its charm to us. There is nothing new left to be experienced. But, then what if today was your last flight? Or last day alive? Would it change your reaction? Then why not live each day like that?

Lesson Learnt :Such simple things emphasize the importance of being happy in small things and enjoying life's every little moment to the fullest. You never know which one would be your last.

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PEPPER ~ This week ~ Contentment

I interact very closely with the support staff in our office [ Office boys / peons] as I feel every individual deserves some amount of respect irrespective of the work they do. The most surprising fact I find eerily similar in all of them is their contentment. Let me clarify I am not against contentment. But this is different.

They were born in lower middle class families. They had all the options to study and get decent jobs. They choose not the study as they were not interested in it and continued the type of jobs their parents had. They have no zeal or enthusiasm to improve their of their children's future. They remind me of a story I had read in my childhood.

Once a group of frogs fell in a pit. Couple of frogs started jumping to come out of it. The others began to scream that it is of no use. So all except one stopped. After a while that one frog managed to come out of that pit because it choose to ignore what the other frogs were saying. 

Same is the case with them. However much we want to help them they just don't want to make any attempt in changing their future. They have silently resigned to their fates. And above all they choose to crib about how their fates are written so badly that they are jealous of our life style. Some contentment this is!

We human beings are truly a strange species.

Lesson Learnt : If discontentment of any form is for our better then there is nothing wrong is being discontent. We need to make an attempt in trying to change our circumstances than just lament about them.

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