No Life Without Strife

Never forget that the greatest of all wisdoms,
the Bhagavad Gita, was revealed on the battlefield.

"You are not judged by the height you have risen, but from the depth you have climbed." ~ Frederick Douglass

When times get hard in life, we too often fold our hand and withdraw ourselves from the game. But in reality, that is our opportunity to shine. Think about every great person who has a book written about them or a movie depicting their life. Now take away the difficulties from their life and remove all the challenges. What remains is nothing.

There is little to learn from the life of comfort and success. It is when you are pushed to the limit that you learn to dig deeper. It is when you get thrown to the ground that your true potential is actualized. The strife we face is what brings out the best in us.

Hence, we need a paradigm shift. Rather than measuring ourselves by the money we earn or the recognition we get, we ought to assess our life by the battles we have fought and the victories scored in them. That is the true test of our character, the true proof of our greatness.

If Goliath had not been his opponent,
David would have hardly been a legendary hero.

And then on those days when I fall asleep without having ventured into any darkness, without having withstood any heat, let me ask myself, "Did I truly live today?" For if I have not struggled one bit this day, chances are I have also not grown in any way. 

When the Wise Arise

"The difference between rising at five and seven o’clock in the morning, for forty years, supposing a man to go to bed at the same hour at night, is nearly equivalent to the addition of ten years to a man’s life." ~ Philip Doddridge

There was a time when nearly all human beings arose at or near the time of sunrise. Today, we think of that time as being nomadic or uncivilized. Sleeping in has become synonymous with the "good life", or the life of leisure. When was the last time one of your friends boasted about waking up at 4 AM? But I am sure you've heard someone declare proudly that they woke up in the afternoon. 

So why do I write about waking up? Because it is a virtue, a value worth striving for, something lost in modern times. Our generation has been deprived of it entirely, and because of it, we pay a price in the quantity of our life, and more importantly, the quality. 

"Lose an hour in the morning, and you will be all day hunting for it."  ~ Richard Whately

Think about the last few mornings in your life. When did you last have time to shower peacefully and eat a hearty breakfast? When did you last have time to read the newspaper, check your email or go for a walk before you left home? When did you last have time to sit peacefully, pray and meditate? Such a time may hardly be retrievable by our brains.

The morning is when the mind is fresh and vibrant. One arises liberated from worries and ever hopeful. It is a time of creativity, and also a time of peace. It is a new beginning blessed with the serenity of nature. Dawn has been given a divine significance in nearly every civilization. By arising early, one opens up infinite possibilities. It is the time when our bodies, rejuvenated from a night's sleep, have highest productivity and our minds their highest creativity. 

Practically, it gives us an opportunity to plan our day and get countless tasks out of the way. This, in turn, reduces stress by minimizing the checklist of "to-dos" that bear down heavily upon us all day. It also creates time for us to do all the things we want to do -- reading, exercise, meditation, cooking, and even hobbies. If we take the time to cook a lunch, we'll save money and our health. For students, there's nothing else going on in the morning and distractions are hardly present -- no one is online to chat with, no one is writing on your wall, no one is texting your phone. You can engage with your books single-mindedly and finish up your reading, leaving the rest of your day free to enjoy.

There is really a lot one could say but since Vivekananda first says to arise, it was only appropriate to start with that. The wise arise early in the morning, and doing so can only make our lives better! And by the way, in case you're doing the math, it's not quite 10 years, and more like 3.33 years (yes, I did the math -- [(2*365*40)/24]/365 = 3.33). Nonetheless, Mr.Doddridge's point remains valid because in those 3.33 extra years, we can easily achieve what an extra 10 years of life might do for us. 

If time truly is money, those who arise early are the wealthiest of all. 

Time to Arise, Awake and Get Back to Writing...

After a long long hiatus, it is only fitting to return to writing on the birthday of the man who said the words that make the title of this blog: Swami Vivekananda.

Sure New Years was 12 days ago, but it was on this day in 1863 that the lion of all men was born. So in remembrance of him, I thought it was appropriate to take some inspiration from him and bring some of his words to life. 

"Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached." -- Swami Vivekananda

Hearing these words of that great wandering monk of the East, inspiration permeates my body. Looking at the radiant face of that young man standing confidently with his hands folded striking that famous pose, one can only begin to feel a sense of enthusiasm and positive attitude.

His life was brief--only 39 years. But his thoughts are immortal. His message of can-do attitude and incessant pursuit of higher aims speak volumes to today's youth who are quick to accept the status quo and be satisfied by mediocrity. He traveled all across America and spoke of lofty ideals and virtues, far beyond what the people could comprehend. Yet, it was not a dreamy idealism. 

He believed that each human being was full of potential and could reach the pinnacle of life -- self-realization. His own life was a living example of it and it was this message that he delivered to humanity, wherever he went. Faced with the countless political, social and economic challenges of our time, that bold gaze of his speaks volumes to us. Do not run away from struggles and hardships, it says. Instead, stare them down eye-to-eye and just like that, they'll disappear.

On this 149th birth anniversary of Vivekananda, his inspiring thoughts speak directly to our generation. They are a call to action. We have enjoyed the fruits of the previous generations' efforts and we rode the coattails of our forefathers as far as we could. Now we must arise from our slumber. It is an election year, and it is hardly the time to sit idle. Our problems are real--growing economic inequalities, a crumbling education system, an insurmountable debt, and the list goes on... the goal is clear: America's return to glory and prosperity, and the time is now. So I say to my fellow brothers and sisters--and also to myself--what this powerful man once told the world, "Arise, awake and stop not till the goal is reached."