Such a beautiful morning. Birds are singing so many songs that strike chords in the human soul. Leaves are waving their hands as if inviting us to embrace them. A mild smell of winter is in the air. The human mind is full of so many thoughts. Thoughts about different fears and ambitions. Thoughts about setting up the kids, buying a property, planning a vacation, or changing jobs. Thoughts about becoming and achieving. Thoughts about the past. Guilt, shame, grudges, feeling victimised, and so on. These thoughts keep pulling us into the past and future and never let us stay in the present moment to enjoy the beautiful nature just outside the window.

The stories our brains create are very gross. While reality is very subtle. We create stories about the good and the bad, right and wrong, pain and pleasure. “Gupta is to bekaar aadmi hain, apne bete ki shadi me bhi nahi aaye.” Do we ever contemplate how we define a good person and a bad person? Somebody who is useful to us is a good person. Useful too, in the sense we like. Does it mean that Gupta ji’s personality has no other aspect? He may be an avid reader, a good singer, a good worker in his office, or a very keen social worker. All these qualities mean nothing, since we desperately wanted Gupta ji and so many others to attend the wedding function, and the fact is that he is just a number. We wanted to show off that a thousand people attended the function so that people would believe that we are very reputed in society.

We never like to examine our own mental stories. Why do we want Mr Gupta and so many others to attend the function? Because we also attended their functions, and we have to repay them by feeding them dinner? Because we want to show off our social connections? Because we feel insecure and vulnerable, and the presence of so many people makes us feel psychologically secure in this insecure world? Because we want to build a social network we can use to play and expand our business? Because we want to prove that we are better than others? Because we have excess money that has no other value for us? Because we have never had any sensitivity towards the millions of children who beg on the streets, and we never thought, and do not want to think, that this money could be far better used to help those children. Because we are so empty and lonely inside, we somehow want to buy that false praise for a night. Because we are so full of frustration and stress, we somehow want to buy a few moments of happiness.

But can the mind, which is so insecure, analyse its own stories? Seems difficult. You can’t look at nature in its entirety when you are driving fast because you have to give more and more attention to other vehicles and the road. On the other hand, I think we all remember riding bicycles as children, going slowly and thinking and observing the things around us. When we walk on the footpath or in the park, we come into greater contact with nature. When we sit silently in a park, we can observe insects and flowers. We just need to slow down a bit to connect to nature. If I have a plan to go somewhere and need to get ready, I can’t sit down, observe, and write this blog. We miss “being” in a hurry to “become”.