Where’s the silver lining?

Ruchira Darda

Yesterday, Baby A cried. He cried because he couldn’t see how he would fulfill his ambition of becoming a member of the Indian cricket team sitting at home. The frustration of the new normal has finally reached him. He sat in my cabin screaming I am the most unlucky child. I sat their watching him express his disappointment and annoyance. The sweet baby of mine who is always fired up with enthusiasm and positivity, was giving up. Just like so many of us. I know how he feels, and am sure you know it too. 2019 had started with the promise of grand festivities and right before it could take off, all the plans were soiled right then and there. Today, almost 2 years later things are yet to pick up. Be it a restaurant owner or the man behind the counter in a shop, all are at the brink of their patience. Each one trying harder to bring things back to the way they were. How much ever work we put in, the results aren’t as rewarding. What must we do?

After letting Baby A cry and whine for about an hour, I sent him to the other room and wrote him an email. “Play your favourite song as loud as you want.” Fortunately, he trusted me enough to play along.

“Done,” I received an email back from him.

“Write down in bold what is your goal in life,” I emailed back. He did.

“Now, write down how many years it will take you to get there,” one last mail.

He dragged me to come to his room and read what he had written. At that moment I said, today is just a day in the 8 years it's going to take you to get there. While I said that to him, and left him to think about it, it made me think too. I came back into my cabin and wrote down my end goal and how many years it is going to take me to get there. I realised I had got so stuck in the spiral of negative thoughts that I wasn't able to see that all goals don't need to be fulfilled right this instant. Some need time, and others can be done better by using the time we have in hand today to develop new skills that can support them. Baby A and I walked back home, slightly content and more hopeful. We both learnt that our dreams will come true, we need to keep working toward them and simply learn to wait too.

(The writer is Mindfullness coach/Motivational speaker).