Life Needs Both: Sunshine and Rain

You can’t claim the ownership of your thought process completely. For the hidden effect of those is radiating from each other all the time. Don’t we catch attitudes from each other, and when many people are made to think along one line what is called mass psychology is created?

When a stream of thought becomes characteristic and stationary it establishes a trait of character. Firmly fixed typescripts and inclinations make up a character, and that means a destiny. Character matters more in life than even situation or abilities. Have you not seen a man of character overcomes an unfortunate situation, and a man of great abilities makes nothing of those for lack of character? But character is not a random gift of God. We developed it in the same way as we developed our abilities by action in the past. Character grows by courageous and truthful confrontation of life. If we shirk the lessons of life, leave decisions and responsibilities to others, we must not be surprised if we do not evolve a "strong character". If we don’t develop strong character, then life teaches us its lessons empathy by the mysterious road of pain, that everyone faces some or the other time.

A soul is like a flower. It needs both the sunshine and the rain. The sunshine of human happiness makes it expand and put forth its powers; the rain of tears should purify and make it selfless, understanding and empathetic. What sort of a person would we be if we never suffered any sorrow or disappointment?

Thomas Campbell wrote some wonderful words:

“The more we live, more brief appear

Our life’s succeeding stages:

A day to childhood seems a year,

And years like passing ages.

The gladsome current of our youth,

Ere passion yet disorders,

Steals lingering like a river smooth

Along its grassy borders.

But as the careworn cheek grows wan,

And sorrow’s shafts fly thicker,

Ye Stars, that measure life to man,

Why seem your courses quicker?

When joys have lost their bloom and breath

And life itself is vapid,

Why, as we reach the Falls of Death,

Feel us its tide more rapid?”

To conclude, we should focus on building a resilient character and we should be open to all kinds of experiences in life. We should embrace happiness with open arms, we should take criticism with a pinch of salt and sorrows with a broaden mind and strongly we should fight with problems and come out with flying colors.

DR. SHRADDHA KULKARNI

        HOD HR