Bismillahir Rahmanir Rahim
My last reflective blurb ended with a question: "What do you want out of life?" The difficulty in answering this is, as I see now, that the question itself is flawed entirely. Life cannot be about what we want. If it is it, then we know nothing about the pursuit of soulful submissions and struggling with ourselves to taste their sweetness.
The question must be more urgent than what we want. Wants are fanciful. Some of them we reach and others must escape our thoughts as they remain strangers to our lives. Some are purposeful and others are purposeless, almost useless. It is truly a matter of what we need.
What do we need from life?
If random people were asked, "Do you want a million dollars?" Most, I imagine, would say yes. When asked, "What would you do with that much money?" Most, I imagine, would be unsure about using most of it. A wonder, isn't it?
Ironically, it is easy to speak of wants but troublesome dealing with needs. If wants go unfulfilled, we know that we will be alright all the same. But if needs are neglected, we know that the consequences will eventually catch up with us.
We don't need to drink seven to eight glasses of water a day. But people try to do so anyway. We don't need to eat seven to eight servings of fruits and vegetables a day nor any other specifics that an official food guide might suggest. We need only eat good food, and enough of it to live or to simply stand straight. We don't need to be popular or respected, but we need to know, for ourselves, that we are honourable and dignified.
We don't need the keys to the treasures of this world, not even the simplest of them, nor do we need to adopt a facade of piety. We need to be honest with ourselves, and we need the strength to spend a moment, if only a single one, in the dark waters of true solitude and silence. And in that moment, we must force ourselves to face our realities. Who are we? Where are we? Where are we going? What do we need to get there?
Unimaginable are moments of true insight.
My last reflective blurb ended with a question: "What do you want out of life?" The difficulty in answering this is, as I see now, that the question itself is flawed entirely. Life cannot be about what we want. If it is it, then we know nothing about the pursuit of soulful submissions and struggling with ourselves to taste their sweetness.
The question must be more urgent than what we want. Wants are fanciful. Some of them we reach and others must escape our thoughts as they remain strangers to our lives. Some are purposeful and others are purposeless, almost useless. It is truly a matter of what we need.
What do we need from life?
If random people were asked, "Do you want a million dollars?" Most, I imagine, would say yes. When asked, "What would you do with that much money?" Most, I imagine, would be unsure about using most of it. A wonder, isn't it?
Ironically, it is easy to speak of wants but troublesome dealing with needs. If wants go unfulfilled, we know that we will be alright all the same. But if needs are neglected, we know that the consequences will eventually catch up with us.
We don't need to drink seven to eight glasses of water a day. But people try to do so anyway. We don't need to eat seven to eight servings of fruits and vegetables a day nor any other specifics that an official food guide might suggest. We need only eat good food, and enough of it to live or to simply stand straight. We don't need to be popular or respected, but we need to know, for ourselves, that we are honourable and dignified.
We don't need the keys to the treasures of this world, not even the simplest of them, nor do we need to adopt a facade of piety. We need to be honest with ourselves, and we need the strength to spend a moment, if only a single one, in the dark waters of true solitude and silence. And in that moment, we must force ourselves to face our realities. Who are we? Where are we? Where are we going? What do we need to get there?
Unimaginable are moments of true insight.
