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There's no reason for Why


Prologue: I've been trying to write a blog for the last several months but I wasn't able to go through with it. All throughout this time the intent of the blog post stayed the same but the content changed dramatically with the evolving global scenario. This is a tricky time for all of us, the world as we knew and life as we understood have probably been changed forever by COVID-19. Nothing might ever be the same again but my belief in human spirit and its ability to conquer insurmountable odds remains unshaken.

***

It all began with a Pangolin. As luck would have it my walk this year at KBR park brought me face to face with a pangolin, the prime suspect in the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Little did I know then that there was a little mystery brewing behind those scales that would shakeup the entire world. Over the next several months I chanced upon several things which I never thought I would see in my lifetime.    

Pangolin at KBR Park
A Pangolin in better times


Tennis Court closed due to COVID-19
A tennis court closed due to COVID-19
Around me I saw shambles of once proud nations coming to terms with their own frailties

Around me I saw scores of friends lose their jobs with no hope of being rehired anytime soon 

Around me I saw people move heaven and earth just to catch one glimpse of their departed kin 

Around me I saw associates stare down debt after investing well all their life 

Around me I saw uncertainty plague people like no other time in recent history

Around me I saw superpowers going to war over barren landscapes

Around me I saw protests for freedom breakthrough the restrictions of the lockdowns.

Around me I saw people come down with a mysterious virus and then battle hard to get well.


Even though it was impossible to tie-in my pangolin encounter with the miseries at large in this world I couldn't help but be bothered by a number of questions which were swirling in my mind since COVID-19 took center-stage.

Why is this happening?

Where is the ray of hope in all of this?

What do we learn from this?

I didn't have answers to any of those questions and there wasn't much analysis I could do in the darkness that seemed to be all pervasive. Darkness my dear friends doesn't leave us with too many options. You either withstand it or succumb to it. I have always chosen the former approach, coz there's no reason for why victory is not possible provided we persevere. Just as I had thought that, I was confronted by another essential question.

How do we withstand this darkness (COVID-19)?

This time around, I did have an answer for the question. Although the answer wasn't too glamorous, I had faith in its effectiveness. According to me, the only way to withstand this darkness (pandemic) was to stay safe and to get on with life (even if it is in a small way). This was easier said than done because all of us have a tendency to use up our free time in lamenting the current situation and in the analysis of 'Why' something is happening to us. A significant portion of our life is spent in dissecting this very 'Why'. This quintessential 'Why' pops some troublesome questions on us time and again.

Why didn't I get that job?

Why didn't she love me?

Why does life stay the same after all these years?

Why is this (pandemic) happening? 
(This was my first question)

Answering a question about handling the darkness has brought me back to the very question which I raised at the beginning of this blog. This time around I seemed to have the perfect answer for this question. I reviewed my thoughts on this issue and realized that an analysis of 'Why' is only important if it leads to:
  • A dispassionate personal evaluation
  • Assuming personal responsibility for what happened
  • Taking stock of what needs to be done next in order to rectify or improve the current situation
  • Understanding what mistakes should not be repeated in the future
  • Accepting that there are certain things that can never be changed 
The key takeaway from all of the above points is acceptance. Acceptance has nothing to do with resigning oneself to fate and believing that nothing might change forever. Acceptance is all about letting bygones be bygones in order to move forward in our life. None of us have the luxury of finding all the reasons behind every ailment that bothers us and neither do we have the luxury of stalling our life forever in order to find these reasons. Acceptance has nothing to do with a defeatist mentality, it's in fact a practical method to time-bound one's own analysis of the past and the present. Laying off on the analysis helps us to not only spring up from the past but also helps us gain a grip on what needs to be done next. Thus it became clear and apparent to me that acceptance is the key for getting over the "Why is this happening?" bump. 

So, Ladies and Gentlemen a lot has happened in 2020 which is beyond our comprehension. A lot is happening right now in 2020 which is beyond our wildest imagination. There's no reason for Why any of this is happening and it absolutely makes no sense whatsoever to believe that this phase will go on forever. There will be light at the end of this tunnel and we can get there provided we stop thinking beyond what matters now.  
  • Let's carefully get through each day as it comes
  • Let's avoid overburdening ourselves about the future
  • Let's accept what we cannot control 
  • Let's utilize this time to train and lay out a plan for the future and 
  • Let's save up some confidence to replenish the faith in our near and dear
As for the questions in my mind they are done. I am diligently trying to replicate my office routine at home and am also taking out some time for my workouts just as I used to do at the gym (during the regular days). The time that was spent travelling last year is now being utilized to read up on some advanced technology concepts. The battle to regain the balance shall continue and hopefully bring me to the day that I get to see my pangolin friend in much happier times. 

Until Next Time,

Yours Thoughtfully,
Chaitanya J.J.




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