Isn't Life a Fraud ?
Isn't life a fraud ? Does life not cheat on us, finally. Bewildered? Stay on the page and see for yourself what I am trying to attempt to decode over here.
Firstly a disclaimer....." We are sure when we know a little; with knowledge, doubt increases" So, the reader may exercise their discretion while deciphering their moment of truth.
Secondly, this is a question, where all answers could be correct; some more correct than the others, at any given point of time. The answer shall depend upon what age group one belongs to and what stage of life one is going through presently - a calm one or a stormy one.
Now, why this question? Whenever a celebrity, apparently in good health, breathes his last in the prime of their life, like Sh Anshu Jain, ex-co-CEO of Deutsche Bank, or famed Stock Market wizard, Sh Rakesh Jhunjhnuwala, or Sh Cyrus Mistry - Tata group icon, or any other famed personality, like bollywood actor, Sh Sushant Singh Rajput, TV actor Sh Sidharth Shukla, Kannada actor Sh Puneeth Rajkumar, Sh Sidharth of Cafe Coffee day fame etc, to name the few, this question , 'Isn't Life a fraud' crops up at every such time, like lightening, but with passage of time, it phases out, and we all go back to our normal routine, overlooking the lessons life is trying to teach us all.
If life can be snapped all of a sudden, may be in a very few cases, is it then fair that one need to work hard all through one's life, burn midnight oil, take risks, neglect health and family in the quest of name, fame, social recognition and money, and one day, all of a sudden, without any summons, you are gone, leaving all that you earned in the name of your family members ? Shouldn't that, as per our logical thinking mind, be called cheating.........life cheating on you at the end.
While we all go through our journey of life.........with our family and friends, marvel the wonders of nature, celebrate glory of professional success, fall in love with life, not to mention the time we spend and enjoy on our personal grooming, the wardrobes we take pride in, the fleet of swanky cars and SUVs we love to drive and see in our porch, gems and jewellery we boast of, and the mansions we build in different cities and countries, and all of a sudden, you breath your last and are gone?
As long as you are in the midst of activities you are associated with, and with your family and friends, this thought never occurs to you. If at all, you are conscious what twists life may play with anyone, at any point of time, you shoo it away from your focus, as there are many other tasks to be attended to. However, you get a reminder and are awakened from your slumber once such a tragedy happens in someone's life known to you, and you sit back and think about how to guard yourself/family to face such an eventuality.
None-the-less, though such events are very much unfortunate for any family who have a loss of a member, even if they are not a celebrity family, yet I believe LIFE IS WORK, and WORK IS LIFE. I can't fathom a world where we are not involved in any activity whatsoever, no matter even when it is established fact that 'Yes, Life cheats on some of us'. Therefore, one is absolutely normal in pursuing worldly dreams, live and enjoy a family life, work and run a business, appreciate beauty all around, earn medals and be recognized in society for what you are and for all your achievements, as long as they are all driven with honest intentions and fair means.
No one knows when is anyone's time up and there isn't anyway we can stop it. But just because of that one day uncertainty, one can't stop living. However, what according to me might work as an antidote, is cultivating habits and lifestyle which helps you to stay grounded under all circumstances. This includes reasonable awareness of spiritual awakening, eating healthy, staying physically active, have few non-business friends, having a periodical life balancing and life alignment (like your wheel balancing and wheel alignment in your car tyres) at regular intervals, keep your ego and BP under check (like maintaining proper air pressure in car tyres), forgive people who wronged you, and above all forgive yourself for your mistakes. These suggested realignments in lifestyle shall help you have a robust physical and emotionally strong personality to withstand the storms life sometimes brings in one's life
Whereas there can't be one-fit solution for everyone, but yes, though Life cheats on some of us, yet it's worthwhile to work and give meaning to your life, earn and provide living to your family, friends and society at large, create infrastructure and jobs, raise standard of living, enjoy bountiful nature, accept challenges life throws on us, and bask in the glory of coming over such challenging times.
This life provides us much more, singularly and collectively, and is meant to be a fulfilling one, no matter whatever may happen to any one of us at any point of time. Each one of us needs to work constructively and make this place better than we inherited, even in the face of such one-off calamities. Life can be excused for that short circuit, as and when that happens to any one of us, and one should, none-the-less, strive to live a life full of meaning, creation and value-additions.
Accidents apart, Life is a creation. It's a blessing. And the show must go on.