Keeping Quiet

Last night, I was reading one of the poems from my high school English literature curriculum. It's a poem from a Nobel Prize winning Chilean poet, Pablo Neruda. The poem, Keeping Quiet, aims to spread a message to humanity in general, asking us to slow down and introspect. "For once on the face of earth", the poet wants us to experience silence and live in the 'exotic moment, without rush, without engines'.

I like that poem so much that I can without hesitation call it one of the bests I've ever read. I'm not good at judging poetry, but if someone who is reading this wants to have a discussion, you are most welcome.

So, I'm not writing this post to praise the poem or to discuss about it. The poem was just a catalyst/motivation for this post. What I'm about to talk on has been racing my thoughts for a long time.

When we see today's world, everyone is rushing. Everyone's a part of this virtual 'rat race' where no matter how much we achieve, we want more. Can't we just slow down a little bit? Can't we, for one moment, just stop?

I've heard quotes about people saying that life is a race...and that if you just stay still, people will get ahead of you; and for you to move ahead, you'll have to keep walking/running. And that's all just some BS for me. Let's take an example, which will eventually lead me to one of my favorite topics- what is the ultimate goal of life?

Let's say you are an entrepreneur, and you own a small company, with a moderate revenue. At this stage, your life's mission will be to increase the company's revenue and make more profit. Let's suppose you achieve that. Are you satisfied? You're not. Next, you want to increase the valuation of the company and attract large investors. Let's suppose you even achieve that. Are you satisfied? You're not. Next, you want to take the company public and achieve the status of a listed company. Let's say you even achieve that. Now are you satisfied? You're not. You'll keep trying to achieve more and more, no matter where you are in life. Let me make it very clear- I am not against ambition and goal setting. All I want to say is, experience satisfaction. Stop somewhere; stop to enjoy what you have already achieved. Here's a quote I stumbled upon on Twitter one day that might explain what I'm trying to say-

I feel like I'm constantly worrying about the next part of my life without realizing that I'm right in the middle of what I used to look forward to.

Read that again. And one more time if you want to. Let that thought sink in. Isn't it true? For everyone?

So what I want isn't for everyone to stop being ambitious and stop trying to achieve more. What I want is for people to be satisfied with what they've already achieved and let the pleasure of those achievements sink in. We're so engrossed in the rat race and trying to get ahead of one another in life that we forget to enjoy where we already are. If enjoying where you are and taking time to experience the pleasure of your achievement means slowing down your effort in the race, so be it.

Let's get back to my mention of the 'ultimate goal of life'. What is it? Is it money? Fame? Popularity? What? Here's a simple answer that according to me is the most accurate- happiness. If you think that the ultimate goal is money, or fame; Why do you want money? Why do you want fame? Because you think money or fame would guarantee happiness. Be that as it may. Whatever you think the 'goal' of your life is, the ultimate goal is to stay happy...and the ultimate reason for all our actions is to achieve one end result- happiness. Think about it.

We're so busy that we've forgotten the meaning of life. We just keep ourselves fighting for something better. Here, I would like to recommend a TEDx talk. Click here to be redirected. Now, if you just skipped the link, I request you to go back and click on it. I promise- you won't regret watching that.

So after you've watched that talk, we understand that satisfaction and happiness can come from unexpected actions. If you want money, hustling for it and working for it your entire life till you die isn't going to give you happiness. Because you don't know where to stop.

Instead of attending stressful meetings all day long, can we take out some time to sit with our friends or families? Instead of trying to improve ourselves constantly, can we start loving our current self and being satisfied? Instead of hustling through busy city streets, can we visit the forest some times and spend time with nature? These are the things that give you true happiness and satisfaction. You do not have to keep running all the time and raising the bar higher for yourself. You should know when to stop. Everything does not matter, and it's okay to fail a test, to miss a promotion, or to lose a game. All that matters is your long term happiness, no matter how you achieve it.

A person in a rural Indian village with just a 100 rupees can be happier compared to the CEO of a multinational company. A peasant traveling on his bullock cart can be happier than a millionaire with 10 luxury cars. An uneducated person can be more satisfied with himself/herself and with life than a person with an Ivy League education. Remember, happiness can be found anywhere. And you do not necessarily have to take part in the rat race and keep running to be happy and satisfied.

Learn to slow down. Learn to stop. Learn to enjoy the little things in life- the changing colors of the sunset, the sound of leaves brushing against each other, your morning coffee, a talk with your sibling, a nice movie, a pleasant walk...anything. Find beauty in the smallest of things. Don't make life complicated. And when you learn to relax and sit back, you'll automatically start enjoying life.