'After years of rigorous research,scientists have finally found the key to happiness.
Its called Being Yourself .'I read this on a social site recently and how I loved it!
In our life time we have to deal with people at all walks of life and while doing so we tend to try and appease everyone.We are afraid to hurt the feelings of others or do or say something that may be disliked by the rest.The seeds of doing what others want us to do is sowed right from our childhood.I am not saying that it is a wrong thing to obey our parents,they do know what is best for us.
Later on it is our friends who influence how we think and what we do.At school too, our classmates are a growing influence on us during our wonder years as we want to belong to the group and do not want to be taunted or ridiculed for not behaving like the in - crowd. Sadly,throughout our growing years we are taught what to think instead of being taught how to think.
We are taught not to question and to accept everything told to us without putting forth our viewpoints on the same.This continues throughout our life and we become mere followers and not trend setters.We flow with the crowd and lose ourselves in the crowd thus failing to carve a niche for our self identity and realizing our true self. We fail to speak out our mind,we fail to do as we want to,we fail to go where we want to......... We fail to be ourselves.
The sadder part is that while we become a part of the milling crowd,we start opposing anyone who refuses to be a part of the same crowd.We detest and try to pull down anyone who is trying to be his/her own self and is trying to create an identity of his/her own.If this continues very soon we will have only clones who blindly follow others without thinking.
Thankfully this is not to be.There are so many thinking people out there who,in spite of all the hurdles they face,walk down the untrodden ways.These are the people who think and reason and use their minds and thinking skills without accepting the thoughts of others blindly.I salute and admire the guts of such people who are the main reason why there is a change for the better in our society.They are the ones who question the unwanted beliefs and traditions that hamper our growth as a society.They face a lot of flak and have to suffer great ridicule and sometimes even pay with their lives.The most recent case in point being the one where Dr. Dabholkar , a social activist who was fighting for the Bill against black magic and superstition was shot dead at Pune.
It is not only about superstitious beliefs or traditions,even our mundane life is under the shadow of the disgruntled folk.They expect us to speak in a particular manner,dress in a particular manner and behave in a particular manner.Recently, I told one of my colleagues that I have never ever fasted in my life. She proudly told me how she was fasting since her childhood.She told me about all the many occasions when she kept her fasts. Not only that, she made fun of me and said "You don't fast,are you an adivasi?"I did not get the connection.I have no problems with her fasting so why should she have any issue with me not fasting???
People not only have their own beliefs but also expect others to have the very same beliefs.If there are people who do not share their beliefs they are labelled as rebels,non-believers and atheists.
Why do our actions have to be dictated by someone else???Why can't we decide for ourselves how we should speak,dress or behave???
I really hope there are more people who believe in themselves and are themselves instead of clones.
May their tribe increase!
Let us learn to follow our hearts instead of trying to fit in the crowd.
Let us teach our younger ones how to think instead of what to think.
Let us become more respectful towards our differences instead of expecting everyone to be like us.
Try it yourself- Just be yourself and see how happy it makes you feel.
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