Change the Glasses….

I don’t know why, but rain comes into my head the minute I think of my childhood- Dhanush                  

It was evening and like any other day, Manish was standing on his balcony after his office work. It has been his daily routine for the last few months. After his office, he sat in open. The pandemic had drained out the jobs of many people in his friend circle, but he was lucky that it did not impact him in any way. Rather he was busier than before. Coordinating clients online was an added work pressure. Manish is employed in a high-profile marketing job and had to travel often. Pre pandemic, his bags were always packed. The outbreak of first wave of pandemics gave him a much-needed break from his fast-paced life. It made him introspect more about himself, a self-care time that he always ignored in chasing his career goals. A sudden lockdown was like a paid vacation that relaxed his adrenalin rush. He felt peaceful and calm in that period. But now the extended second break due to this deadly virus was weighing heavy on him both physically and mentally. Even after working for long hours, he felt anxious. The anxiety, sadness, monotony all was now overpowering him. Nothing could solace him. Ever since it all started, Manish followed the daily ritual of exercise, yoga, and a healthy diet. He was a self-disciplined person. but this time it was different. He was feeling low energy and stressed. The hot summer days seemed too long and tiring. All his gadgets in the evening made him feel sick. Though he knew that they were his only companions in present times.

He aimlessly sat on the balcony chair and had no energy even to prepare a snack for himself. There were innumerable racing thoughts, which he wanted to stop. He closed his eyes tightly to turn them away, but the tussle was making him more uneasy. Suddenly, a thud sound broke the cycle of thoughts and the water glass on the table. He looked around to find the culprit, and there he got it…. a ball. Manish was slightly annoyed as his cleaning work increased, which was tiresome, but the knock at the door abruptly stopped his train of thoughts. Two small kids stood at the door and as soon as they saw him, they pulled their ears to express apology for the mischief and requesting for their ball. Manish found their action so cute that he burst out laughing, a sudden reaction. He invited the little culprits cum guest now inside and spent around half an hour with them. It was a real delightful moment for him after a long time. Their innocent talk and naughty smile floored him. He felt their presence like a breeze of cold air in that hot summer evening. They made him travel back to the time when just like them he also smiled and laughed with an open heart and his dictionary was full of happy words. There were no predefined criteria for happiness as it was  spontaneous, any small mischief or thing could amuse and trigger the giggle.

Most of us as kids were like those little ones chirpy and bubbly. The real fun is blowing balloon out of a bubble gums, sharing the chits or playing outdoors. The most amazing moments and memories cherished forever. However, as we climb the ladder of age, our chuckles and belly laugh lose their sheen. They become more cultured and machinated. Our priorities change, transforming our natural self into a more polished one, thereby masking the real feelings. The giggles and bursts of laughter are replaced by a formal smile. The focus shifts from pranks and laughter to comparing and looking for the things that we lack. Eventually leading to a feeling of being dissatisfied and unhappy. The joys of small things and happiness become conditional. But the beauty is that children find miracles in mundane; and the grownups look for miss outs in miracles.

There is complete shift in the mindset, the simplicity of life turns into responsibility and expectation oriented, making us feel anxious and sad. The pandemic has bought big lessons for us to learn from. It has given a pause to our fast-paced life and grounded us back to our roots of simplicity. Let us learn the secret of carefree smile from our kids and adopt it to reframe and restructure our thought process and to create a life that is more fulfilling and happier and close to nature. The sparkling smile, energy, mindfulness, and simplicity are the qualities we all need to refresh in our mind map. We all should consciously try to be happy even in the little things like kids. Their incredible clear mind and proactive tenacity make them confident and open to the new experience of life. Manish felt it instantly. We all can experience it. At present we all are sailing in the same boat of uncertainty. The shot of hope is the shift in  perspective, living every moment of life with a playful smile and energy, like a child. It is rightly said that “child is the father of man.”

The feeling of joy and cheerfulness all are available in abundance, it is just that we need to have an eye for it. Let us include our smiles and laughter in the daily menu of a healthy diet and take this time as an opportunity to do a workout with our mental and physical health. Our mental health is the asset that will help us to be resilient in rough terrains of life. Let us be more self-compassionate and redefine the meaning of happiness in simple things and be more mindful and grateful and grab every opportunity to smile and laugh, a natural remedy that can unburden the heaviness and give a jab of hope and courage.

“Smile is the electricity and life is a battery. Whenever you smile the battery gets charged and a beautiful day is activated, so keep SMILING.”