Making life less complicated

A man. Water. Caves and a lesson for life

It was around 4 pm on Sunday. It was 2018, a time before the covid and I laugh at it now, but I remember like most of the other teenagers ( I assume, or maybe I was just more immature ) I thought I was going through the toughest time of life at that time. A recent heartbreak, a few lost friendships, feeling lost, comparing my life with others, thinking why life can't be simple ? thinking like I should treat others badly too, questioning who to trust, thinking like it's not worth it to be a good person, doubting my abilities, and many other things, that I got clarity on after one unexpected conversation.

5 pm was our regular time to play cricket on the ground but with those thoughts buzzing in my mind, I went half an hour early to play. No friends were there, so I was looking for a place where I could sit. As the ground wasn't built that well at that time, there were only a few benches on the side of it and it was rare to find them empty but a blessing in disguise, I was lucky enough on that day to find one.

I sat there alone for a few minutes, waiting for my friends to arrive so we could start playing and most importantly so that this noise in my mind would shut down, but suddenly instead of my friends, an old man, appeared to be around 60, wearing funky red and yellow running shoes came there.

Can I sit here? He asked me.

Yes sure, I replied ( of course you can sit, I don't own this park....what annoyed me actually thought in my mind )

Thanks. He replied with a smile.

After a few minutes of silence, he started humming a song. Some other kids were playing there, he started cheering them. He had a very positive and full-of-life kind of personality. He also knew a lot of people who came for a walk, so he waved at them and said hello.

Are you not playing? He suddenly asked me seeing I was sitting alone.

My friends are coming within a few minutes to play, I replied.

Oh good, he said and after that, he did ask me a few more questions about what I'm studying and stuff, so we talked. Meanwhile, I was still bothered by thoughts but looking at his happy nature, I couldn't control and I asked him with curiosity, You look very happy. Are you always like this? What's the secret?

Right when he heard my question, he took a deep breath before responding and I realized I made a mistake. I thought "Get ready now, a long unnecessary lecture and life stories are on your way, " but the next words that came out of his mouth surprised me. They were completely unexpected.

I get inspiration from water and caves, he said. Do you know how most of the caves or valleys are made? Especially those caves that we see in the sea areas?

What? No, I don't know. I said with a blank and surprised mind.

Okay, so in simple words...he started explaining. Caves are made by the force of water, floods that impacts or comes in contact with stones, mountains, whatever, for years⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ , and after tons of, hundreds of years, they get successful in piercing through it. Slowly they make the stone dissolve, transform a small crack into a bigger one and make a hole in those stones in the form of caves. It takes a lot of work and time for the water, but it keeps going, focuses on its purpose only, and does not think about the obstacles or anything else and become successful.

⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣Interesting, I said in my mind and just nodded because still I couldn't understand what's the connection between caves and his secret of being happy.

Just like that, I keep things simple and only focus on good regardless of what happens around me, he further added. I only focus on being me. I keep doing my work, I keep doing what makes me happy, I keep being grateful, appreciate what I have, and let life happen without taking it too seriously, no matter what happens, what someone does, or what someone says, I don't give it importance and that's how I stay happy.

I have spent most of my life, especially my 20s and 30s getting affected by what people did to me, being who I'm not, living in anger, and not giving love to those who deserved it because some people in my life hurt me but with time I realized it wasn't worth it to change myself and since then, I focus on good only.

And don't go on my happy face though. I'm not a saint, sometimes things still hurt me because people take advantage of me and break my trust, and often life gets rough but it doesn't hurt me that much. I don't think about those things much. I don't give them the importance and don't think of changing myself now or staying sad too long. I have learned to live the life that's valuable to me and started being this way.

Just like the water I mentioned, it also gets obstacles while doing its work, but doesn't stop flowing, it just changes its direction, and eventually forms caves, just like that I also make adjustments. I adjust priorities and keep enjoying everything. I keep the people a bit away who are not good for me, love them from a distance and just focus more on good ones. I focus more on love and let go of negativity, as I believe as humans, we should love more, and eventually, we can make a hole in people's hearts ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣with our love and then the love flows through them too no matter who they are, the thing is it just takes time⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣.

So yeah that's the reason I'm happy. Just be you, focus on good things, don't give importance to negativity, and let the world be without taking it personally and seriously, you'll be happy too. It will save a lot of your time, and you will enjoy life like me, he laughed while ending the conversation and getting up to leave.

To this date, I still remember that conversation vividly. Almost every word that he said made an impact on me and it never left since then.

I got the answers to the questions that I brought on the ground without asking for them. That man knew what I needed to hear at that time and he changed my perspective.

It's beyond imagination how things work sometimes.

Just keep things simple. Be like water. Just keep being you, let people be themselves, don't give importance to things that don't matter, and navigate, you will be happy.