LIFE: A Perspective

Life is the time available or time spent between birth and death. In biographic sense it is the period from birth to death and a way of living the life.

Definition of life includes the quality that distinguishes a vital and functional being from a dead body. Life as a living matter has certain attributes that include responsiveness, growth, metabolism, energy transformation, and reproduction. The sequence of physical and mental experiences make up the existence of an individual.

Life is the aspect of existence that processes, acts, reacts, evaluates, and evolves through growth. The crucial difference between life and non-life is that life uses energy for physical and conscious development. Life is anything that grows and eventually dies.

Life can be studied from the point of view of various biological, or “life,” sciences including anatomy, ultrastructure, physiology, molecular biology and biochemistry, and ecology etc. Life can also be seen from the metabolic, physiological, biochemical, genetic, thermodynamic and chemistry perspective. Life can also be seen from sociological or philosophical point of view or perspective.

Life means differently to different people. For some, it is a burden, for others it may be a challenge and for some others it is an opportunity.

Life is multi-dimensional.

Let us talk of the three dimensions; Time, Space and the Individual.

Put it differently Vertical, Horizontal and Human Being.

Let us see the role of an individual in the context of Time and Space or Vertical and Horizontal dimensions.

Talking of Time or Vertical dimension; we are born and brought to this world by our parents. We owe our existence to them. Hence, it is our first and foremost duty to take care of those persons because of whom we are in this world. Love of parents for their children is unconditional. Likewise, duty of men and women, towards their parents, to take care of them, especially when they are old, is unquestionable. The duty and responsibility is not alone towards previous generation but to the next generation as well. Individuals, as father and mother, owe it to their children to give them proper and good upbringing. It is the duty of the parents to groom their children to become nice human beings.

In the case of Space or Horizontal dimension; it is like a huge playground and individual is free to play as much and as he or she may like to play with. One is free to decide the course of one’s life and actions during major part of one’s life. Individual is largely free to choose the education, friends, travel, hobbies and other engagements including marriage and sometimes even nationalities. It is the vision and courage apart from one’s own circumstances which decide the course of life of an individual. There are people who live five or six lives in one life and there are also individuals who do not live even half their lives in terms of actions and activities. Dr. Seuss said “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.”

Vertical dimension may include time specific and time bound duties and responsibilities but horizontal dimension in terms of space offers huge set of opportunities to grow, compete, collaborate, enjoy and contribute in a myriad ways. One may explore the beauty and variety of life in terms of places and people. To enrich one’s own life and to contribute to the well-being of others through thoughts and actions is the greatest opportunity life gives to all.

“Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.” So said George Bernard Shaw.

Life is what we make it. It has always been that way and it shall always be like that. In order to make life meaningful - Do all the good you can, for all the people you can, in all the ways you can, as long as you can.

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