Carpe Diem !
PROLOGUE
"Carpe Diem, Quam Minimum Credula Postero" - Quintus Horatius Flaccus (Horace)
Which means, loosely: Set aside faraway hopes. Even as we speak, time is running away from us. So seize the day and the moment, and don’t put your faith in the future.
That tired feeling when you get up in the morning, those nagging worries, that lack of enjoyment in work or friends, that feeling of indecision, of conflicting emotions, that nail-biting, that heart that beats too fast now & then, and that sudden flush—what causes all these sub-neurotic symptoms?
Summary: Indecision fuelled by benign nervousness. A factor, which seems to somehow sap the strength from the personal and/or professional life.
“The only constant thing in life is change.” Despite knowing this very well and accepting it at some level we are still taciturn in terms of actually deciding to go for the opportunities that stare at us. Why do we tend to forget that if we didn’t veer from the preset course, we wouldn’t meet whom we met, we wouldn’t be who we are.
When it comes to personal lives and when the relationship sinks into the bowels of the infamous sea in which there are purportedly lots of other fish, it’s hard not to miss the easy comfort that comes from having truly gotten to know one another. The idea is not to look for changes in this scenario. That is until one is not being measured for the coffin which holds the past relationship and the other party refuses to bother looking to see who the person really might be.
I'm certainly not suggesting that any of this is easy, but I will say that when one puts forth the effort, knowing someone (and being known) so well certainly helps.
On the professional side the story is slightly (if not in entirety) different. It’s a complex concoction of personal goals, egos and alter-egos of different people, talks about team work whilst always trying to get the personal agendas pushed forward, the lack lustre world of competent superiors, the dull sheen of position held (or can be reached depending on T-Cubed , a terminology that I will never explain). It’s a world of compromise. It’s a state of indecision… till the gestation period is over. I take the liberty to impose a few lines from one of my poems:
“The Wait continues,
For the glowing ambers yet lack the flame,
Till they burn so high and bright,
That no longer can they be suppressed”
It’s amazing how complacent one can grow when comforted by the knowledge that we are "known." It’s not an overnight sensation, but one that can take years, and its much like learning to play an instrument. Difficult at first, hard to know where to put one's fingers in order to produce a pleasant sound, but with effort and practice, melodious tunes seem to flow freely just by wishing it to be so. For the most part, that is.
For the glowing ambers yet lack the flame,
Till they burn so high and bright,
That no longer can they be suppressed”
It’s amazing how complacent one can grow when comforted by the knowledge that we are "known." It’s not an overnight sensation, but one that can take years, and its much like learning to play an instrument. Difficult at first, hard to know where to put one's fingers in order to produce a pleasant sound, but with effort and practice, melodious tunes seem to flow freely just by wishing it to be so. For the most part, that is.
Maybe that’s why the non-musical me likes Jazz, just follow what the heart says: Carpe Diem
EPILOGUE
You’ve heard this: "Past is history, Future is Mystery, Present is a gift – that’s why its called present." - Anonymous
Present is our own personal parcel and we may need to pull off a fair few layers before we see and appreciate that gift. Carpe Diem
You haven’t heard this yet: If the past is in the present , can there be any future ?
Present is our own personal parcel and we may need to pull off a fair few layers before we see and appreciate that gift. Carpe Diem
You haven’t heard this yet: If the past is in the present , can there be any future ?
5 comments:
Worry is a sustained form of fear caused by indecision.
- Brian Tracy
Sir Nick, isn’t it uncertainty that petrifies us to such extent that we are overwhelmed with the feeling of fear at the very thought of any change looming on the horizon?
On the other hand, how can one be so sure that certainty is not only an illusion of security?
'(...) though we cannot make our sun
Stand still, yet we will make him run.'
Marvell encourages us to be Lords& Masters of our own existence....
What if we are too weak or not brave enough to take control of our lives, does it mean we are unfortunate victims of our own indecisions?
mhm....hmmmm....
"hard to know where to put one's fingers in order to produce a pleasant sound..."
I wonder, what kind of instrument Sharma-Ji had in particular in mind?:)
"The idea is not to look for changes in this scenario."
So what exactly are you offering? Stalemate? "neither side being
able to achieve a checkmate", but "where no possible
moves can be made without putting a king in check"...
I either do not understand Sharma-Ji's point here or don't agree and thus:
"A draw is an agreement between players that neither side will likely achieve checkmate,
and so they agree to end the game before a long drawn out stalemate."
I suppose it's hard to define what a checkmate is in the relationships. For some, it means
checking in the freedom (and thus continuing to live happily ever after together). For others,
it might mean the relationship itself is in the check-and-mate.
Dearest Sir Nick - I must admit that your recent thoughts for the day were extremely worrying... is crushing and overpowering pessimism the only message you wish to convey?
I recon you should bear in mind that 'No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit.'
Dearest Ms S,
At the onset let me say thanks for bothering to pay attention to the thoughts. Now to answer your specific question : I am not a pessimist .. by and large. But then as i profess and firmly believe in .. the thoughts are merely a spontaneous overflow of feelings , at times powerful, of emotions i have recollected .. and mused in tranquility. Hence they have a bearing on my thought process, mood and poignant attitude. Let's be practical here .. you cant expect to tie me to a chair and torture an optimistic expression out of me everytime .. can you ?
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