Are you a traveller or a drifter?


ARE YOU A TRAVELLER OR A DRIFTER?

Mario D’Couto

 Let me begin with the question as seen above, “Are you a traveller or a drifter?” A traveller is one who knows his or her destination while a drifter does not have a destination. Such a person does not know where he or she is going. A drifter is one who is just being carried away with the current of life. Sometimes a traveller may not know the way to his or her destination but he or she has the option of asking other people for directions. Some of them may know while some may not. Yet, what one needs to be careful about is to get the right direction as there is every possibility that he or she can be misled in the wrong direction. For a drifter, it would not matter at all because he or she does not know where he or she is going.

            Do you consider yourself a traveller or a drifter? Do you have a life that you aspire to and by this I don’t mean to say a life that is filled with money, wealth and riches, but a life that is well lived, a life where you can truly say that you have done your best in living a life with honour, respect and dignity? You don’t have to be super smart or you don’t have to be Einstein, you can start from where you are. Ultimately, in life, what is it that really matters? On a spiritual note, as a Christian, our end goal in life is God, irrespective of whatever way of life we choose, single or married, whichever profession we may choose or find ourselves, the call to holiness is universal. We are all called to travel along this path and I must admit the road is not easy. There will be bumps, boulders or we may get bruised along the way but time heals wounds and when seen with the eyes of wisdom, they can actually take us one step closer towards our goal. However, as we journey along, we will come across grey areas in life; there will be situations and circumstances in our lives when things just don’t make sense. We may go through frustration, despair and so on. It is in those moments that we need the support and encouragement of people who will give that. And of course, being surrounded in the company of enlightened minds, people who have gone through life or are going through a similar situation and who are genuine is always a blessing because you can be assured that you will not be misled. Getting into the wrong company only damages character and can cause you to go down the drain. Most people who encounter a mishap or a negative experience in their life turn to things that unfortunately don’t give them any lasting fulfillment. Apparently, the pleasure and satisfaction may seem to be there or they may just do it to numb the pain, but it’s only for a moment. What happens when it's gone? When such actions are repeated over a period of time, it then becomes a habit and if continued, it becomes second nature, which then becomes a bit difficult to handle later on in life. So it’s important to keep a check with whom you associate yourself with. (if you would like to know a little more on how to discern the right kind of friendships or relationships, do check out my articles/blog posts, “It is better to be alone”, “Genuine friendships” and “Friendship”).




The above video is taken from the movie “Ben Hur” (in case if you didn’t know). I have watched the movie a couple of times and whenever I come across this scene, it reminds me of how we as individuals journey along life. When we stumble and fall and have no place to go, it’s Our Blessed Lord who is there who will help us as is beautifully shown in the clipping. I’m sure this is something you can relate with (if you believe in God).

Last but not least, we are called to be travellers because human life, when understood as a whole, would be senseless if it were devoid of meaning and purpose. Why is it that there are so many people who are ‘successful’ (in a worldly sense) commit suicide? Although I have written this in a spiritual context, you can also apply the same principle in any other aspect of your life be it your finance, a particular skill that you want to master or anything that is important to you. Ultimately we find ourselves at our best when we become a source of help for others and I would like to sum up all that has been said so far in this article with a song that is written, composed and sung by me. The name of the song is “Hooked on” (for better sound quality, I would recommend listening to the song with earphones). God bless!



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