Have You Arrived in Life?

This post is by S. Srinivasan: philosopher, writer and thinker.

The search is on—search for eternal happiness, search for that elusive love, and search for something you don’t even know about.

Sometimes I feel that this search will never end and I will never arrive in life. Fortunately, these moments are few and far between—I am busy with my life otherwise. But we have to ask and question ourselves as to the real purpose of life. Is it simply living an uninteresting, vegetable-like life? Or is there a bigger, grander purpose?

I don’t believe that we are born to sell discount coupons, live our lives, and be snuffed out at some point. The conclusion I have reached is that we must live to achieve a higher purpose. The goal is to find the right balance.

Spirituality does not mean a hermit’s life

I often see people struggle to make a choice—as if it is either a life of a puritan or one of debauchery. It is either an orgy of sex or total abstinence. This is where we tend to get confused.

Why not think of life as a balancing act? You can be in the thick of things as well as remain aloof and untouched. Life will be fulfilled only if there is place for everything—love, sex, friendship, spirituality, and physical pleasures. We must not feel ashamed to enjoy life, nor should we wallow in self-pity. This is what I call a spiritual experience. There is actually no one choice you must make. You must take it as it comes, with joy and contentment and with gratitude. A hermit’s life is no better than a wasted one—it neither fulfills one’s own desires nor does it help anyone else attain happiness.

The journey is itself the destination

Discovering small  bits of happiness—catching the sparkle of morning sun on glittering waters of a  distant lake, watching the tender petals of a blooming rose—these are the fleeting moments of life which I hold in my heart. These moments occur while I sell my discount coupons. That sounds pedestrian, but it is true. I don’t want to look for these treasures in isolation. Rather, they take on a new meaning when they happen within the mundane stretch of life. We have to live, after all.

Why wait for that far destination when the journey itself is the purpose? Why rush through life just to get there? The “there” which we think about is only a mirage—it disappears once we get “there.” The search is endless. Now is the only truth—the only reality.  

When you understand this simple truth, you have actually arrived. This is your destination. Enjoy it. Live it up. Say your prayers if you think you need to, else keep your silence. Living the moment is the ultimate joy. The past is gone and the future lies beyond. The only truth is now. Let it happen.

S. Srinivasan is a philosopher, writer and thinker who likes to dwell on the other side of moon. He also writes about diets and weight loss programs that offer Savings code for Medifast diet and coupon deals for Nutrisystem.