Anatomy of life

Given to us unasked, yet hard to part with, what is this thing called ‘Life’? It is a difficult question, one that in the hustle and bustle of making a living, many of us do not pause to consider.

One interesting interpretation tells us that three-fourths of life is a lie. Notice that taking out ‘f’ from ‘life’ makes it a ‘lie’. Others point out to the word ‘if’ in the middle and say that life is full of ‘ifs’.

Clever arguments, but like the words picked out, the ideas behind them are also partial truths. Life cannot be looked at in bits and pieces. It is a comprehensive whole and what determines its meaning are the values we hold and practise.

However, we can, by attaching ideals to each of the four letters it comprises, invest it with meaning and purpose. Looked at in this way, L could stand for Learning, I for Inspiration, F for Faith and E for Evolution.

No individual can lead a successful life without learning and the process is seen to start from the very moment of birth. We have to learn to feed, to sit, to stand and to walk.
Here we are aided by instinctive urges, but higher learning that soon follows, requires conscious effort. This is what shapes our relationships, our careers and our mental attitudes. Parents and teachers provide us with a lot of help but there is no doubt that the best teacher lies within us.

Inspiration lies at the heart of all achievements. It is the good examples set by good and great people down the ages that help us on our chosen paths.

At important junctures in life, and especially when injustice and deceit stare us in our face, it is strengthening and inspiring to remind ourselves of the deeds and ideals of those who work for the betterment of society and the welfare of all.

The third letter ‘F, stands for Faith which lies at the heart of all achievements. Faith, which is sometimes described as blind belief, is really the power of positive thinking. Helen Keller, struck blind, deaf and dumb at a tender age, not only learned to speak as well as the average person but also authored seven books.

‘Optimism’, she wrote, ‘is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.’

Lastly, we come to ‘E’, which denotes ‘Evolution’. To evolve is to grow. No two people ever go through the same experiences, but these are what widen our understanding and make us stronger in spirit.  Some call for right action, others are opportunities for reflection and contemplation.

It is only the short sighted who view life as full of lies and ifs. If we look at life in its totality, we will see it as a means towards personal fulfillment. ‘It does not matter what we expect from life; what matters is what life expects from us’.

It is not what happens to us, but the importance we assign to it which gives Life its meaning.