The Lake (Another excerpt from another long story that I have written)

Sitting by the lake, along with a friend, I realized that our life, we rather, are similar to a lake. On one side we have mammoth mountains of problems, and on the other side, there is a plateau of happiness and bliss. But we are stuck in between the both, like the lake, to fill the void in between the both. Sometimes the winds of time make the water hit towards the problem-mountain, and break into million droplets of water, just as we break on the face of trials and tribulations. And sometimes the tides of time overflow the water of the lake to let it enjoy the vastness and enormity of happiness-plateau, and the water runs over it, free of any obstacles, here and there-everywhere, running around in happiness and glee. But neither the winds nor the tides stay long enough, and before we realize, we have to return back to square one- from where it all started. You can’t prevent yourself from breaking on the face of problems, and you should not prevent yourself from enjoying happiness.

Then how can you find peace? How can you find satisfaction? How can you live your life oscillating between happiness and sorrow everytime? 

The answer lies in nature itself. Without the winds or the tides, the lake stays absolutely tranquil and serene. We should also stay calm and collected- only when the right time comes, we should take up life’s challenges; and when we are blessed with happiness, we should enjoy it to the fullest. The rest of the times, we should acknowledge the fact that we are living along with happiness and problems, and no matter what, all of us will have to face them both, each at the mercy of time. You will not find peace beyond those mountains, not on the vast stretches of the plateau, but in between the both. That is why, even in nature, lakes always seem restful, because it is where peace is. Without those mountains, lake won’t exist. And the lake can’t be on a plateau. Satisfaction comes to you once you appreciate this fact that you can’t eradicate problems entirely, nor can you make your life a bed of roses.

People often confuse happiness with peace. There was a time when people, when asked about their life’s goal, would say money, fame, success, women, respect or true love as their ultimate objective. But in recent times, most people want to be happy, and live a simple and beautiful blissful life. No wonder the change in mindset is appreciated, but like money, fame, success, women, respect, true love, happiness too is objective of lesser mortals. However hard you try to be happy all the time, life will always present you with problems. And technically or otherwise, you cannot be happy during those times. Happiness is a state of heart- something that can be felt, while peace is a state of mind- something that is understood. Happiness is also a finished product of money, fame, success, women, respect, and true love. Whatever you are looking for, you are subconsciously craving for happiness. That is why, no matter what you look for and what you get, you never find peace, because peace is for the soul- and the rest are for your existing self.

If peace is the truly the purpose of life, then where do we actually find it?

Somewhere between the crowd and loneliness, love and emptiness, work and ecstasy, truth and fallacy, hope and despair, ignorance and care, limelight and in its dark-side, daily chores and Sunday snores, success and failure, home and office, facebook and workbook, friends and family, learning and un-learning, games and studies, bike-rides and hobbies, forbidden love and arranged love, surprises and shocks, music and mute, and right in the middle of all the pandemonium and mayhem, you will not find peace- peace will find you, when you are ready for it.

So what do I do now? Nothing at all? Just sit in my place, like the lake, and wait for peace to find me?

You cannot do nothing. Living is doing; doing is living. Do what your inner voice asks you to do, your inner voice is the voice of god. And do it with all your zeal and zest, do it in a way that people say you were born to do it.

Let there be peace!