Sharing lightens; Listening heals...
The world, as we know, is fast shrinking due to the rapid advances in all spheres of human activity. But ironically, the price for this has been that people have started drifting apart. In the quest for self advancement and independence, men and women have started isolating themselves. Today, paradoxically, one has to 'stand out', to 'fit in'.
In order to attain social acceptance, we are forced to wear so many masks, that often we forget what our actual face looks like. Under this cloud of pretension and pressure, we may stand in a crowd and still be alone. Often we speak but do not express. And we hear but do not listen. In this crowd, spoken words abound, but emoted feelings are lost. A person is acknowledged, but a soul is ignored. The sight of wood is lost for the tree, where materialistic pursuits are defined, not by the value they add to our lives but, by their values themselves. So we are entangled in this quagmire of self-deceit and success where the more we try to escape the trappings, the deeper we find ourselves sink. The need of the hour is for man to introspect, analyse and re-invent his value system and build his world in its image rather than fashion his values around the world. And for this, man needs to express and man needs to listen. When feelings remain unaddressed, they fester like unattended wounds. Pent up emotions stretch the fabric of our civilization. And when these remain bottled up, they suddenly manifest themselves in unexpected and unpleasant ways. Our society is like a raging animal on steroids that we are hanging on to --desperate in that we do not fall off it, even while we do not enjoy the ride. We need to rebuild our society into a structure that encourages growth of an individual while promoting the progress of the community at large. And at the core of this rebuilding process is communication. When we express, we alleviate. But communication is incomplete if we only convey our thoughts but do not construe, empathise and respond to the feelings of others. For the process of sharing and healing will go a full cycle only when we mutually address our emotions. Working hands are better than praying lips –but sometimes a patient ear, a soothing tongue or a shoulder to lean on, can make a world of difference too. An open mind and an un-judging ear can be the bridge for another, between despair and hope; between the inevitable and possibilities; between death and a second chance. So it’s up to us to shake up the world, revive its core values, and open up forgotten channels of communication –not between people, but between souls. Let us speak out the stifled and listen to the unsaid. Let’s reach out to emotions. Let’s not want a reward or acclaim or a mention by posterity. Let’s make it our business and do it as our job. Let’s all work together and make the world a better place.Descending into depressive shadows,
Reeking of ignored, forsaken gloom;
He moves among the forgotten, incognito,
As one of their own in that festering room.
He offers solace of warmth, love,
That stem from personal hurt and betrayal;
Transcending pain to something nobler above. In shadows, he works, nameless,
Recognition is not for him;
The silent moon, his only witness,
The stars shine down upon him. ~From, The Altruist


Comments (0)
Leave a comment...