Journey
JOURNEY
Loving My Life
We all have to walk the path chalked out for us because keeping up with the Joneses can prove to be a disaster, says Shivi Verma
There was a time when I thought that life was all
about what you get. All around me, there were toppers, achievers, and successful people who couldn’t help but flaunt how lucky, hard-working, or brilliant they were and how not everyone was in their league. In comparison, I felt small, weak, insignificant, and sidelined by destiny. I was working hard to make something out of my life but wasn’t succeeding at anything.
I loved giving and sharing but often felt like a fool when I found the very people I had helped, cheating and betraying me. I felt like a mistake of God. However, as I began my spiritual journey, my mind began to settle down, and life’s picture began to appear. I wasn’t supposed to be someone else and resent who I was. I was meant to respect my individuality because kindness and thoughtfulness dwelt in me. If giving came naturally to me, then I was supposed to give without getting concerned about reciprocity. If success wasn’t meeting me halfway, it didn’t mean that I was a failure. I was meant to go on living and doing my thing without pining for favourable results.
No two lives are the same, and each one’s trajectory is different from that of another. No two flowers bloom at the same time, but the late bloomers neither envy the early bloomers nor complain about blooming late. Receiving or getting anything is not in our control. But the power to give has been bestowed on us freely.
I learnt to give of my time, wisdom, care, effort, money, and things as much as I could. It filled me with happiness and made me feel useful. I continued to work towards my goals with perseverance and patience. I ensured that whoever came into my life, whether at my home or the workplace, always left feeling stronger, happier, and empowered.
And the Universe caught up with me soon. It began to return all that I was putting out by way of giving. I began to enjoy good luck, fortune, respect, and acceptance from others. Professional success too began to enter my life, albeit a bit late as compared to others. By this time, I had learned to trust the timing of the Universe. I had learned to enjoy my unique being and not live in comparison with others.
Secondly, I began to realise that it was important to understand the patterns of my life. A few things could not be changed. For instance, my life was filled with multiple endings and new beginnings. No matter how hard I tried to achieve stability, it was going to elude me if that was how my life was supposed to pan out.
So there was nothing to compare with others. I was supposed to live my life through its own sets of crests and troughs, and love it for how it shaped me as an individual. There were going to be losses and missed opportunities, and they would have to be accepted and then moved on from. Some milestones I will touch and some will be touched by others. What is important is whether I acted on my intuition and inner guidance or got swayed away by zillions of opinions and free bits of advice being doled out by others. For as long as I was connected with my inner Self, I wasn’t going to make regrettable mistakes.
Editor-in-Chief of Life Positive, Shivi Verma is a devotee who found all her answers in loving
God passionately. We welcome your comments and suggestions on this article. Mail us at editor@lifepositive.net