One life to live - Part 2

 

ONE LIFE TO LIVE – PART 2

Mario D’Couto

            If you have read the article/post ‘One life to live’  (in case you have not read it, here is the link to it, https://insightsfromacommonman.blogspot.com/2021/06/one-life-to-live.html), you can say that this is like a follow up to it. I had not planned or intended to write a second part to the previous post but what you are about to read is something like a sudden insight which came to me like a flash of lightning while listening to a podcast that I felt that I had to share it.

            Every time I sit down to write, it’s like as though I am writing to myself because I know I am still a work in progress and the irony of life is such that the more I know, the more I don’t know. If this statement has tickled your brain, let that thought simmer for a while. It will become clearer as you read ahead.

            Sir C.V.  Raman once said, “Water is the elixir of life.” One of the first things we see after God created light in scripture was water. Our bodies comprise of around 60 to 70% water. Water is a good purifying agent, both in the physical and spiritual sense. Given the centrality and the importance of water for life in general, I am reminded of two quotes or statements that I came across some time back. One was from Bishop Fulton Sheen and the other was from Bruce Lee.

            Bishop Sheen once gave the comparison between stagnant and flowing water. When water is stagnant, it becomes a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other type of insects while running water always remain fresh. Bruce Lee on the other hand would speak about being like water, where water has the ability to flow (adapt) or crash. It can assume the shape of any vessel it is contained in (like a cup, bottle, teapot and so on) and yet it can have devastating effects as in the case of a flood or a deluge. When I thought about it, it reminded me of what Ed Mylett once said about growth and momentum.

           It’s been observed that our bodies have 37 trillion cells out of which 810,00 cells get replaced every second which is to say that even through we don’t feel it, we are constantly growing. Our digestive tracts replaces itself every four days, the lung tissues replaces itself every 8 days and every year 10% of the skeletal system replaces itself on an annual basis. If such a thing happens at a cellular level, it ought to be happening in our minds and our lives as well because the key to fulfilment is growth.

            In as much as we may think that the mundane moments of our lives that we go through each and every day bear no significance at all, one good way to evaluate is to see whether are we the same person that we are now as compared to what we were in the past, whether it is a couple of months, years and so on and if we have changed, is it for the better or for the worst? If we have not changed at all, that’s even more alarming but usually it is not possible because we are either growing or dying.

            The Latin phrase, ‘Memento Mori’ literally means “Remember that you must die.” This phrase has its origin in ancient Rome where it is believed that slaves accompanying generals on victory parades whispered the words as a reminder of their commander’s mortality, to prevent them from being consumed by hubris (excessive pride and self – confidence). This therefore brings me to a question, what is it that we consume or allow ourselves to be consumed by on a daily basis – what are the things we eat, how do we spend our free time, whom do we surround ourselves with or associate with and so on. All of these done on a daily basis contribute to who we are; the whole is the sum of its parts.

            Having that ‘why’ which I wrote about in my previous post/reflection provides the framework for our actions. This is not to say doing such a thing would imply that we would reach the summit of success like as though there is nothing more to be achieved. In fact, quite the opposite. When we feel like we have climbed a mountain and reached the top, we realize that there are more mountains to be climbed. Ryan Holiday explains this in his book, “The Obstacle is the Way”,

“The great law of nature is that it never stops. There is no end. Just as when you think you have successfully navigated one obstacle, another emerges. But that’s what keeps life interesting and as you’re starting to see, that’s what creates opportunities.

          Life is a process of breaking through these impediments – a series of fortified lives that we must break through. Each time you’ll learn something. Each time, you’ll develop strengths, wisdom and perspective. Each time, a little more of the competition falls away. Until all that is left is you: the best version of you.

          As the Haitian proverb puts it, “Behind mountains are more mountains”. Elysium (a place or state of ideal happiness) is a myth. One does not overcome an obstacle to enter the land of no obstacles. On the contrary, the more you accomplish, the more things will stand in your way. There are always more obstacles, bigger challenges. You’re always fighting uphill. Get use to it and train accordingly.

          Knowing that life is a marathon and not a sprint is important. Conserve your energy. Understand that each battle is only one of many and that you can use it to make the next one easier. More important, you must keep them all in real perspective.

          Passing one obstacle simply says you’re worthy of more. The world seems to keep throwing at you once it knows you can take it which is good because you get better with every attempt.”

            This is what I meant when I wrote earlier, ‘The more I know the more I don’t know’ because I have come to realize that knowledge is infinite. Only a fool would think that he knows everything that there is to know, like the stagnant water breeding mosquitoes. Just as the sponge absorbs water, so is an open mind to wisdom and wisdom can come from anywhere, if you have an open mind and a willingness to learn. When we develop this attitude, our minds not only become like the fresh running water but like water, we become more equipped to adapt to situations and act when we need to.

            From a spiritual standpoint, we can say that this is even more evident because God’s nature is infinite. Perhaps even if we were to put all the best minds in the world together, it would not match the infinite wisdom of God. There are so many places we can witness and appreciate the wisdom of God. Take our bodies for example. As much as we take it for granted it is perhaps one of the most complex creations on our planet and what’s even more interesting is that they all work in harmony. Or take the universe, how is it that the planets do not collide with each other? While science may try to give a technical explanation to it, to assume that all of it is just a random act of coincidence would be absurd. These are just a few examples but there are many more we can speak about.

            When we begin to see life this way, it creates a sense of awe and at the same time it’s a humbling experience because in as much as we may like to think that we know everything or that we are self – sufficient, we are not. In 1971, the astronaut Edgar Mitchell was launched into space. From 239,000 miles up, he stared down at the tiny marble that is our planet and felt something wash over him. It was, he said later, ‘an instant global consciousness, a people orientation, an intense dissatisfaction with the state of the world and a compulsion to do something about it.’

            So far away, the squabbles of the earth suddenly seemed petty. The difference between nations fell away and the false urgency of trivial problems disappeared. What was left was a sense of connectedness and compassion for everyone and everything.

            All Mitchell could think of, when he looked at the planet from the quiet, weightless cabin of his spaceship, was grabbing every selfish politician by the neck saying, “Look at that you s*n of a b*t*h!” Of course, Mitchell was not angry. On the contrary, he was the calmest and most serene he had ever been. He wanted them – the leaders, the people who are supposed to work on behalf of their fellow citizens – to have the same realization he was having: the realization that we are all one, that we are all in this together and that this fact is the only thing that matters.

 

           Sometime back we completed the Euro 2020 and while football or soccer is known as the beautiful game, the aftermath of the finals of the Euro 2020 (that is after Italy had won), it was anything but beautiful. Perhaps, words such as violent, chaos, or brutal would be best fit to describe what happened at Wembley after the finals of the Euro 2020.

            It would be totally absurd to think that the sport itself was the cause of it. It is just a sport. Rather, it only highlighted what goes on within. Watching the Italian fans being harassed just because their county won the tournament has proven what can happen when we allow power, success, fame, loss, failure or ego do to us when we let it go into our heads. It was not only a lack of respect but a lack of maturity. It has shown humanity at one of its lowest points and this is seen not just in the world of sports but even in political relations between countries, wars or even between ties among family members, as in Scripture we find, “There is a friend that sticks closer than a brother” (Proverbs 18:24)

            Rather than allowing our egos to get in our way, I think the only opponent we should be competing against is ourselves which is why making that extra move or going the extra mile takes us a step closer towards becoming a better version of ourselves. More importantly, in being aware that we are still works in progress, it gives us the space for God to work in our lives for s St. Paul would write, “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10) and “It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in me” (Galatians 2:20)

            Sometimes I wonder what the world would be like if each of us strived to become the best version of ourselves, without feeling the need to compete or prove but rather to learn, grow and support one another, what kind of a world would that be? We would become better human beings, more productive and contributors to society and to humanity at large. Difficult? Yes! Impossible? No!

            We all have just one life to live and more than money, time is that precious commodity that can never be brought back. For as a saying goes, “Time is what life is made up of”, if we are on the pursuit of becoming the best version of ourselves, we become like the running water, always fresh, never stale and are able to adapt and act when we need to. I do hope you have found some value from this in as much as I have for every time I sit down to write, it is a learning experience for me. God love you! Stay blessed!