Life is a set of Experiences. Each experience has a beginning and an end. And each experience comes for a purpose. The way we respond determines the nature of future experiences, thus putting the quality of our life in our own hands.

The problem arises when we attach the emotion of good and bad with each experience. This classification in our mind is singularly responsible for the stress, anxiety and unhappiness in our lives. When certain types of experiences come our way, we are happy, only to become unhappy when the experience ends. We live our lives trying to cling onto some experiences and running away from others.

In both cases we forget the fundamental principle – every experience has a beginning and an end and it has come for a purpose. If we understand and accept this fact, we will then focus on our performance through different experiences and situations. And In the end we will evaluate how well we did and what could we have done better next time around. 

An actor on stage could be the victor or the vanquished. And yet he enjoys playing both roles because he is rewarded for the performance. Even though that’s fictional, there’s a learning in it for us. We too are cast in different roles in our lives. And on this world stage, we keep playing our part. Not all stories will be the way we want, but we can still give breath-taking performances. 

Like the man who was kicked off the train because of the colour of his skin and stood up to an empire, armed with Truth and Non-Violence. Or the woman who cared for wounded soldiers and gave us the concept of modern nursing. Or the man who was defeated in elections seven times, was a failure in business, had a nervous breakdown and went on to enact measures to abolish slavery when he became President.

When we live through our experiences with balance and treat each day as a learning, with an opportunity to grow, we have developed the art of living. Being alive is a privilege. It is up to us to make it a wonderful Experience.