Through Peaks and Troughs.

Hi there! Again.

Have you ever wondered what is Life without ups and downs? What would happen if we were having an absolutely contented life? Is it possible?

All the time we have with us is between the day we were born and till the day we die. So whatever we are in the intervening timespan, is what we are.

I don’t know whether we have seven lives or not. But what I know is we have this life. This one life. So shouldn’t we live it to the fullest? Living life to the fullest does not always mean living materialistically, but living with calmness and contentment. Some people realise this later and some sooner. Ask yourself, which category do you fit into?

Situations can be of two types – one, Internal i.e. within ourselves and two, external i.e. with the outside world. In the past few years, I have faced a lot of situations. All of us must have faced a lot of situations. Some good, some bad. Some with satisfaction and others with dissatisfaction.

But does that mean we stop living? We live through it, right?

Let me give two examples.

One – Have you come across the Business Cycle in the subject Economics? Then you must have understood its 4 Phases – Recovery, Prosperity, Recession and Depression. After Recovery and Prosperity, a business reaches its Peak. Similarly, after Recession and Depression, a business reaches its Trough. And the cycle continues…

Two – In a Hospital, when a patient is in a critical condition he is put on life support, you can spot an ECG machine showing electrical signals of the beating of the heart. If the heart beats, the machine shows ups and downs, it means that person is alive. If the machine shows a single horizontal line, it means that person is dead… So it is important that the heart beats…

Okay. What’s my take in all this? What is the reason behind me putting forth such rhetorical questions and examples?

All situations affect us. If something happens and it makes us happy, we feel positive. On the other hand, if something happens which makes us weep and feel sad or angry, we immediately brand it as negativity. But isn’t this what life throws at us?

Agreed that every person faces and copes with situations differently. Not every person will face the same situation. And since every situation is different, the problems faced are different, each person will have their own way of dealing with it uniquely.

Remember, every situation is a test. If we sail through it, we feel we have achieved victory. But if we do not and get stuck in between, it does not mean that we should succumb to it, it just means that we are a little farther away from reaching the shore. We are ultimately going to reach the shore, yes, but in this journey, we gain a lot of experience. Someone once told me, when I was at a deep low regarding not being able to pursue my career in the way I had charted out for myself, that it is the effort that matters and not the result.

So, Life is not life if it doesn’t have its share of peaks and troughs. Learn to live with contentment (and not pride) during your peaks and sail without taking stress during the troughs.

Easy to say, but try this! It helps me in my darkest hour and I am sure it will help you too!

P.S.: I’m a mental health survivor and am only sharing my experiences with a view to create awareness about mental health. Please don’t take this amiss. I hope to make this world a better place to be in with my views and experiences. If all goes well, I’ll continue sharing my experiences with all of you through my blog. Thanks.