THE GREEN MONSTER !!

The Green Monster:

Have you ever been attacked by a green monster that spits out a vile, offensive and venomous sputum, the after effects of which are untellable, leaving our inside and out burning in fire? Have you ever been able to ward off this unbearably painful strike?

Indeed these are sentiments first and then ailments that most of us experience regularly when the green obnoxious monster – JEALOUSY AND/ ENVY lick up all the goodness from our interiors. While envy and jealousy may be regarded as being two separate emotions stimulated by different causes, many a times, we may find an overlapping relationship between them. Jealousy is a milder version involving fear and anxiety of being ignored in the presence of another; it may also pertain to a low level of self-esteem and confidence and may be exhibited by people belonging to all age groups even a six month old kid as per research.   

Envy may be presumed a degree viler than jealousy as it tends to make the host desirous of robbing the other of a particular talent, skill, possession, status or relation. The affected may or may not also want to acquire that which the other possesses and in some cases may even will for the destruction of the object/individual igniting envy.    

Such emotions if contained within a reasonable frame of time and intensity may NOT be NEGATIVE at all. They may just come and go leaving us pondering over our weaknesses and our follies. Besides, they may even act as propellants for a varied sort of positive transformations. We all are born to err and supposing that we may never be affected by so and so sentiment is not only unrealistic but definitely sounds absurd.

A desire to be better than the other, to outdo, to finish first is very natural and can be carefully tended to and tamed if, from the very elementary levels of our lives we are taught the adequate ways of handling and overcoming them. Family undoubtedly stands out as the most important institution in tackling this matter followed by school, peers and eventually the society on a macro level.

How do we counter such feelings?

Let’s admit it to oneself; One way of dealing with it. Once you happen to realize the green monster releasing its venomous stench, be on your guard, identify why you harbor such a feeling and towards whom. Many a times we may be jealous or envious of someone because of our own weaknesses. Stop comparing yourself; learn to be content and thankful to God. There is this one thing called fate which undeniably masters our lives no matter what we do. Whether we like it or not, some of us may be good at something and some at others. Some might just be lucky while others may not receive the same rewards even after diligent sacrifices and efforts. Here acceptance may cure most of the illness and rid us of the ill will we possess for the other. A panoramic perspective of nature’s methods may rightly reveal that there is an equitable distribution of virtues and bounties based upon a person’s personal capabilities which only nature may be aware of. Regretting and possessing hate for the fortunate ones will only make us more vulnerable and incapable of even that which we once reveled and cherished in doing. In fact it may surely drown all the otherwise happy pieces we could have picked up on our way.

A lot of our positive traits may go waste if we become captive of this ever lurking monster. Nevertheless oceans of positive thinking and counseling can help us out of this pit. And the sooner we retrieve ourselves the better. And if you happen to come across any one infected by the bite of this ravenous monster, extending a helping hand  towards him/her would not only be a generous act on your part but would surely mend much of your own shortcomings. 

Selflessness or Self- denial:

Selflessness or Self- denial:

The ability to contribute to the well- being of a community and / the world as a whole in any form without engaging in self- glorification and or gratification of the carnal or sensual desires can be safely regarded as selflessness or altruism.

Whereas,

Neglecting ones acquired or inherited qualities, negating ones basic lawful demands, and living a life of self-effacement can be regarded as Self-denial.

While altruism may be very difficult to adopt and exhibit it often is confused with self-denial. The latter being draped in the garb of the former or vice-versa.  A very porous border sits between the two, easily transcended and thus produces much misunderstanding. 

As we live our lives, many of us may be making unfair sacrifices and stifling ourselves, denying ourselves of just justice with a proud notion of being selfless, humane and thus treading the right path; the path of the pious and righteous. However, we may not be what we think we are; Altruistic in the true sense of the word. Instead we might have unknowingly slipped into the terrain of self-denial. Unfortunately yet indisputably only the weak-spirited may choose to live such a life. It might be easy to run away in the forest and pronounce yourself a Samana following asceticism, but to bare the extremities of life and find solutions for the multitude hiccups and band-Aids for the numerous loopholes on the way is much challenging an ordeal. And history reveals that no civilization accomplished such arduous ordeals without there being several strands of selfless struggle supporting it. 

There hence erupts a very imperative need to keep ourselves constantly in check if exercising altruism. While selflessness may be healthy, self-denial may not, and can never be. If Homo sapiens have been blessed with certain   peculiar qualities and abilities, it sure is for a purpose. Fulfillment of our fundamental needs may never be lethal to a society’s well-being nor may contribute towards any catastrophe whatsoever if the methodology adopted for the fulfillment does not impinge on the safety, peace and existence of the ecosystem. And such attainment of needs will not turn us into selfish species. What should be taken into consideration is the fact that many selfless souls have indeed treaded this earth and most of what we possess today both material and immaterial is undoubtedly accredited to them. Hence altruism rightly is, the need of the hour. Had it not been for their selfless contributions the progression of human race with all its development would not have been possible.

To get recognized, to express oneself, to get identified, to outshine, to reach the summit; all this and much more is so intrinsic a part of human nature that to think of extricating these intentions from his personality may seem very unlikely. Identification, first as somebody’s someone (a daughter or son ) and then as an individual laced with particularistic capabilities  forms most part of our lives. Wanting the best life, living the best life is undeniably the epicenter, today, of our capitalist prone lifestyles. Nevertheless, proper and justified potencies of self-expression and self-actualization should not in any way be confused with selfishness as it is through these traits that we as humans may exert our rightful roles.

Challenging and befuddling, these terms may appear to be, but a modicum of the right sort of “S”expressed in the right way may work wonders; wonders that may likely change much of what we are today and wonders that may surely bring us towards a far better tomorrow.

The light!!

The light:

I heard him distinctly. I know it was him, his voice, his silhouette, my uncle from Canada. But how could it be, that he be here with us, all of a sudden? I could hear   some voices coming from the sitting room. My aunt, my mother and someone else were talking. I could discern them perfectly but despite all this rationality, I felt     helpless, helpless in a way I cannot narrate. It was a queer sense of being strangled, of being caged inside free air. My eyes, yes, something was irreparably wrong with my eyes, I could not see. Light from an unknown distant source blinded me, my eyelids seemed jammed shut. I saw myself climbing some steps. A voice coming from behind, stopped me and the paraphernalia in my arms fell over the ground. It was my Uncle, he wanted me to make him some basen (gram flour) chapatis. I realized I was on my way to the kitchen. I bent down to pick up the fallen over stuff but my eyes would not see. My Uncle was asking me something I could no longer concentrate on. With the air inside my lungs getting thinner and thinner and my sight almost fading I could barely stand, let alone move on. My limbs, my limbs were immobile!! All of this was happening too quickly for my faculties to comprehend and react. Motionless I stood, unable to see, to speak, to move, but I could still hear those sounds, sounds of people dear to me, my dear mother.  I could still sense the acerbity of the bright light stinging my face and gouging my eyes out. I was sweating like never before, drenched from head to toe in perspiration, struggling to let in puffs of air that had suddenly become foreign to me.  

The brightness became more vivid, and blindness forced my eyes open wide. I saw the sun, the blazing yellow ball of inextinguishable fire shining on my face from behind my partially open curtains. I discovered I had been sick and fallen asleep once again while trying to read my book. I breathed a breath of relief on having been dreaming and tried to shrug off the horrible lifeless sensation drowning my senses.

Ah!! Feverish dreams and the feel they accompany; conundrums incomprehensible!  

The very first thing I decided I would do after regaining my senses (lost somewhere in the dream), would be to shut the curtains and shoo away the shining star from my window. May be I just don’t need so much of light.