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Are we ready to be students of life?

 Life is one of the greatest teachers, with a unique style of teaching. While in most classrooms practical follows theory. In life's classroom practical experiences help us make our notes, write little books on them or just learn something new. But it is also important to remember that the practical is not going to be the same every time; it's like when we go for a science or psychology practical exams and we have to pick a lot to know our fate, in other words the practical we will have to perform that day. I have lived in an illusion for a while, Thinking - since I got my notes for the first few practical lessons, I was prepared for life. And guess what? life brought me back to reality. This taught me that no matter how many practicals you take, or how much you have learnt from life, you are never prepared for the next lesson life is preparing for you, at least not completely. To put it differently you are always a novice.

 I learnt that every lesson or practical is new, different in it's own way. Sometimes the lesson is the next chapter or level in a particular domain of life, other times it is to teach us a lesson we didn't learn in the first attempt. Life has both a harsh and gentle way of teaching. The key throughout is be open minded, not let rigidity set in and be aware of yourself and your surroundings. Because, Sometimes life teaches you with triggers, sometimes with examples, sometimes small events, other times events you'll never forget.






Life really decided to teach me the hard way last year when all its gentle ways and small event triggers didn't work. I had been rigid or too scared to change. So much so that life had to push me to the edge to make me realise the important lesson. Myself and many like me get comfortable or habitual to the ongoing pace of life, even when it's toxic or harmful. If we need to shift or move to a better place we need to work and change our personality, habits, ideas, and beliefs too. And change doesn't go well with any of us, even our body gets alert when faced with change, analysing if the situation is a threat or not. I still get scared when I feel life wants me to change my perspective or some aspects of my life or myself. Earlier I would act like a Chihuahua, creating a ruckus at the sniff of change. But over time i realised that there is no use of throwing tantrums at life, my own life that too. However, today I do not act like a chihuahua. I still get scared but I am able to be a learner, a student.

There have been moments when that chihuahua self of mine was about to appear or would appear. But in those moments I was able to remember the other chihuahua's I have observed and was able to try to be calm. It would be a lie if I said life was easy once I made a conscious decision to be a student of life. But it definitely becomes less tougher when you focus your energy on understanding and analysing the lesson than debating with life over your situation.




Who are you in life's exam; a chihuahua or a student?


                                                              



 - Alloysha Dias 



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Picture credit: Alloysha Dias 









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