Nonfiction | Family | Life lesson
Wish We Were Titans!
Ideas can make a difference in someone’s world
Right now, I am in front of the computer. One second earlier, I clicked the Write✍ option on medium.
The text cursor | is blinking on the clean white writing page. I am anxious. Hands are on the keyboard, slightly sweaty. It feels like I am in front of a thousand people on a podium to share my part of experiences and perspectives.
It has been already 30 minutes, and I have not even wrote a line. There is complete silence in the auditorium.
All eyes are on me. Some have already started whispering. Indeed, the world is not at my fingertips this very moment.
The text cursor seems like about to shout at me from utter annoyance.
“Come on dude, type something.”
The constant blinking is now making me feel more anxious.
“Ohh yeah, hmm..the better place ..is world..🔙[backspace]..better world..🔙[back space],” I begin to fumble.
“Yeah.”
“I used to think I was the strangest person in the world, but then I thought, there are so many people in the world, there must be someone just like me who feels bizarre and flawed in the same ways I do.
I would imagine her, and imagine that she must be out there thinking of me too. Well, I hope that if you are out there you read this and know that yes, it’s true I’m here, and I’m just as strange as you.”― Rebecca Katherine Martin
The word ‘world’ has different interpretations for different people. In one part of the world, the Sun rises and on the other, the moon shines brighter. That’s our sweet world.
The totality of entities, the whole of reality, or everything that exists is the world. Different fields conceptualize world differently, and they all agree to the ‘plurality of worlds’. In many specific contexts, the world may also have a constrained meaning associated with it.
Have you ever heard of lovers telling each other — you are world to me. Perhaps you yourself would have said so.😅
A baby says — my mom is the world to me. A mother says — my baby is my world.
Again, is it the English-speaking world or non-English speaking world — the world of science, or the world of pseudo-science; the world of religion, or the world of business; the world of crime and justice, or the world of animals/plants; the world of music, or the world of entertainment; the world of sports, or the world of atoms; the world of internet, or the word of information; the world of medium, or the inner world?
“The world doesn’t make sense, so why should I paint pictures that do?”
― Pablo Picasso
Feeling confused already? 😅
Do not worry, you will soon see the light at the end of the tunnel.
“There’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo, and it’s worth fighting for.”
― J. R. R. Tolkien
It’s like the world is made of all those small bubbles. And all those small bubbles make the big bubble called the ‘one world’. It includes bubbles of all animal family, plant family, nature, objects, and much beyond.
Whether real or digital, my world view is the view from my windows.
Let’s not get too confused on this.
How about if I simply say, our family is our world. Can we take the responsibility to help, grow and improve our family, the neighbors, and the whole street we live in?
That’s all we need to put our focus on for the time being.
We do not need to feel overwhelmed by thinking of the whole gigantic ‘one world’. There is no point in pretending to care for all mumbo-jumbo climate change, energy crisis, pollution, water shortage, brainwashing of youth, violence, politics, chronic mental illness and all, just for the sake of it.
Do we really have the capacity or competence to address such issues well!
Some really do care and bring real change, but are you sure we all can follow the same path and be equally impactful?
We are no Titans!
We do not need to be the Atlas or Hercules and hold the earth up our shoulders for eternity.
Many of us are too busy with work and family responsibilities. Weekday-grinds are so severe that sometimes we do not know when we fall asleep at night.
Therefore, it’s better to start from every one’s own family. We all know and understand how important family is. It gives us a sense of purpose, belonging, and selfless goal to live for. It is a very universal emotion that we all understand. It is our true home.
To improve our family we need to improve ourselves. Simultaneously we require to engage and enhance both our inner world and outer world sensibilities. Both are so intricately linked just like the two wheels of a bicycle.
“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”― Rumi
Let me tell you a funny yet so insightful story that I had read somewhere.
There was a king who got so annoyed with dust that he ordered his courtiers to remove all dust from his kingdom with immediate effect! So all servants and subjects of the kingdom started to get rid of dust through cleaning, and making the grounds wet, but obviously that did not work. Then one person suggested to cover the whole surface of the kingdom with carpet.
That also seemed infeasible considering the huge land mass of the kingdom. Nonetheless, it would be a death sentence for all if they could not come up with some good idea. The air all around was so tense. Interestingly, a young man came up with the idea why not cover the king’s feet with some fabric or flexible material. There happened the invention of footwear or shoes.
We are all, in a sense, indestructible bundles of energy that transform to various forms to shape and reshape our realities when we come in close proximity to other energy forms in our surrounding.
The social conditioning plays a huge part in shaping our understanding and perceptions about this world. Society and people have their inherent flaws which they intentionally or unintentionally pass on to us. It blurs our vision and throws us into the vicious cycles of depression, low self-esteem, fear, inadequacy, guilt, and other mental health issues.
Therefore, it is equally important that we heal ourselves first before healing others whether it’s our family, friends, or society. Let’s collectively grow and prosper.
“Love is made up of three unconditional properties in equal measure:
1. Acceptance; 2. Understanding; 3. Appreciation
Remove any one of the three and the triangle falls apart, which, by the way, is something highly inadvisable. Think about it — do you really want to live in a world of only two dimensions? So, for the love of a triangle, please keep love whole.”― Vera Nazarian
Although we cannot bring big changes to the world in our individual capacity, we can bring small changes that cumulatively will bring huge changes in the world. We are tiny, but not insignificant.
Do not believe me?
Alright. What if I say Desmond Tutu, Margaret Mead, and William Shakespeare have also said the same thing? I do not put myself in the league of those highly revered legends, however there is no denying that we all independently came up with the same sensibility that resonated with us.
“Do your little bit of good where you are; it’s those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” ― Desmond Tutu
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” — Margaret Mead
“How far that little candle throws his beams! So shines a good deed in a weary world.”― William Shakespeare
For example, this publication has approximately 800 participants i.e. 800 families. Each extended family would have at least 10 close contacts increasing the count to 8000 people. Each person would have known at least 10 people more to spread the awareness, multiplying it up to 80000 people itself. Considering the reach of medium, one can reach thousands of people and serve raw ideas.
Charity begins at home. Can we not make our homes more sustainable scientifically, emotionally and spiritually? How about extending it to neighbors and eventually to the whole street we live in? Let’s build the harmonious unity in plurality. Let’s reshape the world, a little at a time, each in our own corner of the world.
We can always share ideas or our wisdom to make this world a better place. Our thoughtful perspectives and rational insights may help many. Even if we may not implement those ideas, we can always write or speak about them.
Eventually, someone who is more capable will take care of the implementation part. Nonetheless, we can contribute at the ideation and awareness stage. We have it in us. We can do it.
This story is written in response to the lovely invitation from Janis. An incredible invitation. Thoroughly enjoyed the process of self reflection. Thank you.
Also please read these amazing writers. A shoutout to Diane, Laura, and Denée!
