THE POWER OF STAGNANCY

Often, I am posed with the question that does not allow most of us to sleep, or the rest of us to only do the same- “What am I doing with my life?” The simple question for which all of us had instantaneous answers in our schooling is something we never look forward to answering in our adulthood.

But why so? Maybe as a kid, we did not know how the world worked- the pros, cons, prudence, providence have shaped us into what we are today. But we had the guts and grit to dream, to aspire to make things work. The academic system should not be the passive reason for ruining them. It is reflex which makes a kid float to the top when plummeted into a pool. Similarly, at times of adversity, the natural reflex is to survive till you thrive. But as we grow up, certain natural reflexes become non-existent. It is time to blame natural selection and evolution for having an expiry date for handy reflexes. Assuming it is an optimistic conspiracy by the Universe in making a better tomorrow than an abysmal today, are we capitalizing on the dreams we had, the struggles we are posed with or the invisible opportunities that attack us daily? Juxtapose comfort and growth, the human mind cunningly manipulates to choose the former. We tend to settle down on the grass which seems greener on the same side. I get used to stagnancy- not because I like it because I got used to it. Newton’s first law comes into the picture and the inertia, for the case in point is humungous to overcome. The second checkbox after comfort is fear- of competition, the extraordinary, the unknown, the behemoth and the wimp. Moving forward to wanting networking. Everyone wants a thorough fan base but is not ready to work for the fans and through the competition. The network is a mutual fan base- a place where everyone is a fan of each other. A fan provides constructive criticism and shows the rope. Internet, you are not helping too. I expected a panacea of hope and you hurled stuff out of Pandora’s box? There is already a lot around to add on to the existential crisis, but this kind of gets on to the nerves. Diving in the deluge of resources around, we are often shocked at the kind of resources available of every kind. It takes immense skill and cheek to guess the compatible one.

With all these factors coming into play, stagnancy seems a better option for leading a life of a King, right? If only Right and Wrong were binary and not a spectrum, we will be able to arrive at the answer.

Alas, caught in the trap, we want to become a mouse to go into different confinement or stay in the same net, comfortably, accepting it as lousy fate. I believe in one thing- only if you aspire to conspire, the Universe also will do the same. If we stay in the same place, whining, and stating Instagram worthy quotes, for instance – “What is meant to be is meant to be” is an utter waste of time. Complain as much as you can, cry as much as you can well up, but the crucial part is to never give up. Evolve with the Universe, help it to conspire you, bring you up the threshold for you to float in space, populated only with stars. Take a break, introspect, retrospect, try to pursue the end goal differently. Keep no stone unturned for the eyes are always on the prize. Energize the brain and the body equally to keep the fire inside burning. Remember the amount of grit and glamour you projected to land in the first job, recollect the glory of the signing off that one project you always wanted to be a part of, reminisce the subtlety of the small yet eventful phenomena of your life, to keep it going. The inertia must be stomped on for the quick fox to jump on the lazy dog.

So, what can be done to remove stagnancy? 

What do we do to the stagnant water at home? Use suction to remove it. Similarly, have a suction around you to pull the rocks out for the verdant thoughts to shoot. The suction can be as simple as keeping the brain alive using healthy food, exercise and becoming the kid again. If you gain this momentum, nothing will stop you, just like inertia- Capitalising on the very Newton’s first law of motion to our advantage.

Everything is easier said than done. Sometimes, it is easier done than being consistent. Constraints like time, energy and circadian play a vital role in this. Consequently, recognizing the strengths, appropriate time and right resources will embellish life usurping the shallow endgame we trapped ourselves into.