“We have to walk by faith to possess all that is duly ours.”
― Lailah Gifty Ankita

At one point or the other, we usually ask ourselves that who governs death. How does it get decided that when a person should die? We contemplate about it. We wonder and imagine what our cause of death in future will be. There is no surety of even a second, then why do we say, ‘I’ll do that work tomorrow?’ Who gives the right to decide that tomorrow will come or not? With this thought, we come face to face with the reality that the powers that conduct the affairs of life do not seem to be under the control of any human being. The days and nights pass by, whether we want them or not. There are the seasons of the year, over which we have no say whatsoever. The blowing of the winds, the rotation of planets, and the ways of nature seem to be totally unconcerned with our feelings, our emotions, our requirements and our needs, and our little joys and sorrows seem to be merely a meaningless phenomenon before these mighty operations. Why is it that some are born poor and some rich? Why is that some have disabilities and some do not? Why are we not all equal?  We have no say in all of these matters and many more.

There are innumerable facts which even science has not been able to explain. We consciously talk about hell and heaven. Do we know that they even exist or not? Again, no answer ! The distance to which the world extends is astounding. The mind cannot even imagine how vast the universe is. We cannot conceive the distance between one star and another, though they all appear to be studded like gems in the blue sky when looked at with our naked eyes. The vastness of space is incalculable. It’s just that there is too much mystery to be solved.

What is this hidden secret? Is there nothing in life other than what is visible to the eyes from the point of view of the common understanding of the generality of mankind? Life seems to be only what is seen by the eyes, heard with the ears and sensed in some way or other by the organs of this psychophysical composition. But man is superior, they say, to the animal in a special and significant endowment with which he is blessed by providence, nature, or whatever we may call it – that endowment being the capacity to study what is implied in the experiences through which he passes, rather than merely be satisfied with the experiences only.

The logical deduction which one can make from the presence of visible existence is the capacity of only the human species. There is a logic in the human understanding, though there is a different kind of instinctive deductive capacity even in animals and in subhuman species. The special endowment of man is what distinguishes him from merely the instinctive level of existence or the biological life of plants and the vegetable world. This endowment is the speciality of human nature. What is this speciality? It is the insight which one can have into what is hidden behind the visible manifestation of life rather than merely be satisfied with the sensible forms of life in general. The animal or the plant is admittedly satisfied with the reaction it sets up to the sensations evoked by the public life of the physical atmosphere of the world, but is man also satisfied in a similar manner? Evidently not. He has the capacity to logically argue the circumstances out and to dig up the hidden treasures of meaning latent within the visible manifestations of impulsion and activity.

The most astonishing is our own body All the systems in our body work restlessly all the time for us. No one can help us ever the way we help ourselves.  We breathe in and out. Like a bellows blowing in a goldsmith’s shop, pumping is going on inside our physical mechanism. Somebody is pushing the bellows in and out. The air is pumped out and is pumped in. How this continuous work is going on in the body we do not know because we are not doing it. We are not doing anything to contribute towards this breathing process. We cannot do any service to this essential performance in our own bodies. We cannot assist the heart in its own daily operations. We can rest when we are tired, but the heart cannot rest. It has not a single day’s leave from its performance. Right from the time we became living organisms, this centrality of operation began to work which became the heart, and no one has time even to think that there is a heart inside. We are busy people, and so busy that we cannot be aware that we have a heart, that it is working restlessly, indefatigably, without any contribution from our side, the so-called ‘we’ or ‘I’, as we refer to ourselves. In every stressful situation, we work our brain out. When no one helps, our brain does! Aren’t we so blessed to have a human life, a human body?

All of us are fond of stationary. If you show a new notebook with brand new pristine pages, anyone can get attracted to it. We all are fond of stationary though the products become different with age. But here are 3 stationary items which are used by people of all ages:

List of 3 stationary items used by people of all ages:

1. Pen

From old aged men and women to a 5 year old child, pens are used by people of all ages. No matter how much new technology comes, pens are used and will always continue to get used. Lemony Snicket rightly said, “Anyone who thinks the pen is mightier than the sword has not been stabbed with both.”

2. Notebook/notepad

From a small child to middle aged people to old aged people, everyone uses notebook. The purpose of usage might be different but they are used by people of all ages. John Crowley said, “Should he make a note? He felt for the smooth shape of his pen in his pocket. ‘Theme for a novel: The contrary pull … ” No. If this notion were real, he needn’t make a note. A notion on which a note had to be made would be stillborn anyway, his notebook was a parish register of such, born and dead on the same page. Let it live if it can.”

3. Pencil

Children of small ages are usually teased by telling them that,” Oh! You write with a pencil, you are such a kid !” But the truth is that at pencils are not only used in junior schools but also in senior schools and offices as well. Shaun Hick said,“Pencil. Paper. Forget the world.”

“I am not concerned that you have fallen. I am concerned that you arise.”—Abraham Lincoln

Failure is an integral part of everyone’s life. Each one of us fails in life, one or the other time. Sometimes, the failures are big and sometimes small. When we win, we don’t examine it very much, except to congratulate ourselves. We easily, and wrongly, assume it has something to do with our rare qualities as a person. But winning only measures how hard we’ve worked and how physically talented we are; it doesn’t particularly define us beyond those characteristics. We fail in the small things: staying on a diet, running a 5k, keeping a New Year’s resolution, or controlling clutter in our homes. We fail in the larger things: overcoming an addiction, finding employment, or holding on to an important relationship. And sometimes our failures negatively impact the rest of our lives: keeping a marriage together, persuading a child to make better choices, or overcoming a lifetime of debt.

Losing something, on a great deal says a lot about how a person is. The major aspect that gets revealed in this process is whether we accept our failure or not. Losing, analyzing and getting back is what is required.

A guide to overcome failure:

1. Accept that it has happened

After a failure, whether expected or unexpected, it becomes difficult to accept that it has happened and is now a part of life. But accepting failure can help to a great extent. This could be regarded as the first step to overcome failure.

2. Recognizing that failure is common

Recognize the fact that it is common and happens with all with one or the other time.

3. Look for the cause

Understand why it happened. Accept your fault instead of putting blames on another other people or other factors. Try to understand the underlying cause and decide to improve yourself regarding it.

4. Think about your weakness

Socrates once said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” This holds true in both success and failure. When failure occurs, which it always will, the wisest of us journey inward to determine the cause and intentional steps we can take to learn from the experience. And in time, we learn to champion humility.

5. Accept that some factors are out of our control

There are a lot of things that are not in our control. There are things about which we can do nothing. Accept them. Things always can not be the way we want them to be. So, let go sometimes.

6. Learn, plan and move on

This is the most powerful step. You have got to learn from your mistakes. Make sure you won’t repeat them. Take it as a positive learning experience. Plan the next step and begin a new journey.

Set an example for someone who may fall in the similar situation. And looking you, he/she might gain courage and confidence !