Life is a roller coaster ride. A beautifully strange one. Where else do you find extreme polarities existing so cohesively. There are ups and downs, happiness and sadness, sorrow and joy. Sometimes we feel we are at the top of the world and sometimes we feel totally worthless.
It is in these lower extremities of life, that one looks for a shimmer of light in the darkness of his unfortunate circumstances. What happens during these times can make or break a person depending on how daunting his troubles are.
It is in these moments in life, that a person is the most vulnerable and in need of a helping hand, that sliver of light which acts as the first few steps on the path to salvation.
There were a lot of times like these in my life and even now, sometimes, they like to creep back in. Consider it my luck or just the silly way I look at reality as a whole that I was motivated to keep going, to keep pushing, through all the hardships, knowing that one day, I will lay upon the flowers of happiness.
These motivations and inspirations came from the strangest of places. I hope you can relate to some of these.
A Friend
He is no ordinary friend. A happy-go-lucky fool who enjoys every moment of life. Remember the advice that everyone gives you but nobody follows? Enjoy every moment they said, sadness will come they never said.
That is perhaps why I call him a fool. I never saw even a hint of a strain on his face. I have known him for 10 years now and sometimes I still fail to figure out if he is for real! In fact he makes fun of the hard times and laughs his way out of it.
It is not the advice that he used to give that has helped me in life but his very presence. At times I used to remember this goofy lump of a person and forget about my sorrows. A smile would ensue and I would forget all about it.
Such people are rare to come by. So thank your lucky stars if you have ever known such a person or had the fortune to befriend one and cherish them as you would a baby and let them know that they are really important in your life.
A Cartoon Character
I used to watch a lot of Dragon Ball Z in my childhood and throughout adolescence. For those of you who don’t know, it’s an anime series. This series revolves around the main character named Goku.
He is one of the strongest fighters in the universe and yet he is shown to be innocent, humble and naive who sees good in people and believes that everybody is redeemable. He is the protector of everything that is good. He is an awesome friend to everyone around him and all around inspiration.
Call me crazy but I have looked upon him several times in life as an inspiration. Yes, a cartoon character with no physical existence motivated me somehow. But then, motivation itself is an idea. Is it not? It doesn’t have a physical existence and yet look at how it affects our lives at every corner along the way.
Goku inspires anyone who looks upon him to be good and do good. To use your strengths for the betterment of people and to protect the innocents. To be kind and gentle and help everyone in need. And doing all this selflessly.
A Tree
There was this huge tree by the side of the house I grew up in. It had a magnificently large trunk and it’s branches spread like snakes stuck in mid-air. A wise man once said, “Nature is the best teacher.” He was right.
One time, on a stormy day, I was watching that tree sway in the wind. The wind was strong and it looked like some invisible large hands were shaking the tree viciously. The tree swayed from left to right, probably enjoying the ride, but the trunk remained unmoved.
Suddenly I had this inspirational moment. The only thing constant in life is, change. Change is going to come into your life like that wind. You must be rigid enough (like the trunk) to hold your ground (to not get overwhelmed by it) but flexible enough (like the branches) to adapt to change.
It is of vital importance to do it. Many a people have failed in their lives because they were too stubborn or reluctant to change. And those who adapted, are flourishing like a tree.
A Blank Page
Once I was trying to write a story as I try to do from time to time. As I was sitting there on a warm afternoon, with a notebook in front of me, trying to keep up with my own thoughts (a million of them), I noticed that I had been staring at a blank page for a few moments.
And suddenly it dawned on me. Life is a like a blank page! Life is like a story that is being unfolded as we are living it! We are the writers and we are the characters of our own story.
And as we live each day, one more page gets added to our story.
This motivated me to take more control of my life. If I am the writer of my own life, I am going to write a really beautiful story, a really meaningful one, a really inspirational one. One that served some purpose. I am going to make it an awesome story because it’s the most important one to write!
This realisation helped me grow a lot as a person. I felt more matured as time passed. I started become more and more like a planner. Planning ahead in life just as we plan ahead while writing a story. I guess the lesson here is that you are what you make yourself to be. As simple as that.
Conclusion
The person I am today, is the sum of the all the persons I was in the past. We change, we learn. Why not do it for the better? Life is full of inspirations. You just need to look. Who knows something right in front of you might inspire you to greatness. It could be a person or a place or a thing. There are infinite number of things you can learn from and develop.
Everyone wants growth in life. Personal, spiritual, financial or the many other things in life. The crux of the matter is that everything is achievable. Do not limit your thinking. Every thing is possible. We wouldn’t be flying around in cylindrical objects called planes if the Wright Brothers had limited their thinking.
One person is enough to change the course of mankind. To advance the human race a century into the future. To make everyone’s lives that much easier. To do what has never been done before. All you need is a little bit of inspiration.
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