Inspirational Living

Inspirational Living(SUDESHNA MAJUMDAR) INSPIRATIONAL LIVING
By Sudeshna Majumdar

You are Rich or Poor in life by- Smiles around you, Friends you make, People you are with, Ideas you have, Dreams you chase, and the love you spread….
Yes, Life has always been very generous to me. Through the ebbs and flows I have been constantly inspired and motivated, making me realize that the best in me is yet unknown, unrevealed and untouched. As it is said, “good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination,” and in this regard, I have been fortunate enough to embrace these precious treasures to cherish for a lifetime… The convivial presence of my family, friends and their adorable companions, well-wishers keeps on reminding me that I am only one; but still I am one. I cannot do everything but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do that something which I can do!! To put all in a nut shell, let me begin with this small narration which makes my living worthwhile…

Aakhreno, a 70 yr. old lady, carried on her shoulder two earthen water pots each hung on the ends of a pole. A long walk from the stream to the house continued daily for a full two years. Due to the crack in one pot, the water brought by her from the stream was delivered half full, while the one which was absolutely fine brought home a full portion of water. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, whereas, the cracked one was ashamed of its own imperfections and felt all the more miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.
After two years, the cracked pot perceived of its bitter failure, and ultimately decided to speak to the woman one day. “I am ashamed of myself because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house”. The woman smiled and said, “Did you notice there were flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side? That’s because I have always known about your flaw and so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path and every day while we walk back, you water them. For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house. Each one of us has our own unique flaws. But only those cracks and flaws which we each have make our lives interesting and rewarding.”

Well, the thing which I ponder upon is, why would anyone want perfection when growth comes from flaws? Why don’t we understand - to be acceptable is for one to ignore his weakness while knowing his strength, to cover the scar even though it's always there, however, to be impossible is for one to see his weakness as, not an adversary, but the cherry on top of his strength, to rearrange the scar so that it compliments his/her features.
This is what I have learned - you can go anywhere you want to go and do anything you want to do and buy all the things that you want to buy and meet all the people that you want to meet and learn all the things that you desire to learn and if you do all these things but are not madly in love - love with humanity, love with yourself, love with your attributes and deficits, your wisdom and follies: you have still not begun to live and grow.

Come; let us all sharpen our flaws and disappointments into daggers. It’s true that sometimes the things that are felt most are expressed over the distance and over the time where no words abide… and the best possible way is none other than such short narrations of Aakhreno, where everyone can speak and express freely, live with one another freely, without forgetting, then that there is you… you have no words for proof of reassurance, no tokens of professed love, but you have something -something worth keeping!!