How to have your personal Unicorn
Unicorns are mythical creatures of purity, grace and luck. In the Netflix movie- Unicorn Store directed by the “marvellous” Brie Larson and having Samuel L Jackson(two people from MCU, how can this movie not be cool?!) on board as cast member, we are given a glimpse in the life of an innocent Woman-child- Kit, who is immersed in her own fantastical world; for whom Unicorns are real and someone who refuses to grow up. One day she gets an invitation from a place called the “Store” that can fulfil her childhood fantasy of having her own personal Unicorn. Though, like any seemingly incredible offer, terms and conditions apply; the manager says that she needs to create appropriate conditions in her life to have her own Unicorn!
There’s an amazing quote, source of which I do not know, but one that I have really come to admire and ponder over in my life-
“First deserve then desire”
The movie is based on this premise and I’m glad I could watch it and also be able to ponder, for what I felt was the underlying message of the art. How often have you found yourself desiring things which, if they were to materialise, you’d not have the needed know-how of handling them? Here’s a crazy stat- Almost 90% of the people who win big in lotteries in the USA, lose much of the amount in about a year’s time. Why do you think that happens? Think of it this way, you may be able to win or acquire or be gifted a Mercedes but if you are not capable of maintaining it or even have the money to get fuel, how will you drive the car? What value would it bring to you apart from causing heartburn to your neighbours? Allow me to share with you a couple of stories on the subject from our History and Popular culture.
In the Mahabharata, there is an incident wherein the son of Dronacharya, (The Guru of the Pandavas and Kauravas) Ashwastthama visits Dwarka to ask Shri Krishna for His renowned weapon, the Sudarshan Chakra which was considered to be one of the most powerful weapons of said time. Shri Krishna, a magnanimous being, gracefully grants him the request and procures his Disk- Sudarshan. But, unsurprisingly, Ashwatthama is not able to wield it. Why? Well, you needed certain capability, training and purity to be able to channelize the weapon’s energies and Ashwatthama had invested in neither.
From Mahabharata, let’s move to the Marvel Cinematic Universe and into the world of the Avengers. In the movie, “Age of Ultron”, there’s a cute scene when some of the Avengers try and lift Thor’s hammer- The Mjölnir. None could do so. Only Cap manages to move it a fraction. Although, someone apart from Thor is able to lift the hammer in Avengers: End Game(SPOILER!). And why isn’t everyone capable of lifting that Hammer? Well, deservingness is a bitch, you may say.
All of us want our Unicorn- read happiness, joy, the fulfilment of desires but a precious few are willing to work for the same. Most want a career that is fulfilling, pays well and is able to create an impact but how many are actually willing to invest the time, perseverance, and patience to be able to create that? Take the case of relationships. We all desire the partner to be truthful, loving, supportive, caring and maybe also look like a demi-god or goddess in the process, even if we aren’t willing to work on any of the desired qualities our own selves.
Unicorn store is an effort to make the viewers, in my opinion, realise that desiring is a wonderful thing if it’s backed by creating the right conditions for the desire. The Store Manager, played by our Nick Fury, Samuel L Jackson, tells Kit, that in order for her Unicorn to survive and thrive, she needs to display responsibility and create a loving environment at her place. Don’t we all? For our desires to manifest, thrive and make us fulfilled, we all need to do the necessary inner work and create the right environment.
You may be wondering, how to do that? How to create the right conditions for your own unicorn(desire) to arrive in life? Here are a few general pointers-
1. Be disciplined and willing to sacrifice
No, this doesn’t mess with your utopian idea of freedom. Any desire needs discipline and sacrifice. I cannot expect to look like Chris Hemsworth(at least face down) if I keep munching on Chocolates, candies, gulab jamuns, cookies, chips etc day in and out. Or if I am a slob. A six or whatever pack will need sacrifice on many of my favourite food items and a lot of work in the gym. Ask any friend who’s consistent with his fitness ritual and they’ll tell you, it needs a lot of effort and hard work to have a body that’s in shape. And this is just one example.
2. Focus on the inner world
Inner creates the outer. Quantum physics, neuroscience and those ancient Vedic pieces of literature say so. Invest in your own self by exercising the mental muscles to ensure life’s ups and downs have minimal effect on you. A stable and focussed mind can do wonders. One way of that is meditation.
3. Have faith
Faith in yourself, your dreams, your God, guide, Guru, whatever terminology you want to use. Faith is a positive emotion and if used correctly, it has the ability, as they say, to move mountains. Mountains of doubt, lethargy and lack of conviction towards our desires.
Thank you for reading until the end of this piece. I intend that may this inspire you to ponder over your desires in life and see how you can create the right conditions in your life for your “Unicorn” to arrive. If the post creates any value for you, please do register your appreciation by clicking on the clap button(50 times is enough) and sharing it with anyone you care about. I also recommend you to watch “Unicorn Store” on Netflix. Please do share your comments with me about what you liked(or disliked) about the blog.
May the desires that are for your highest good manifest.
Kushagra K Singh
