Gear Shifting

Wooden Allen said, “Life is full of miserabelness, loneliness, unhappiness and suffering, and it’s all over too quickly.” Unfortunately his words are reality for much of the human race. No matter what kind of job we possess, we all have the same 24/7, the power of will that enables us to change and accomplish anything we wish for. Yet, when we or others are in hardships or even catastrophes, as if in a coma, we pursue the toys and ploys of the outer world believing they will make us forget, believing they will fill the inner void and bring us the happiness we deserve. This is what I call gear shifting, but is it or was it the right one?

Everyday we hear and watch on all types of Media about disasters and catastrophes which have jolted others, friends and even families painfully and surprisingly. Yet, that doesn’t ignite a simple feeling in us. Forgive me if my words sounded religious, but I am not a Sheik, or a Priest or a Rabbi. To the best of my recollection, I thought, planned many things and talked about the disastrous earthquakes that have happened in Pakistan, Yemen and other countries, but eventually I stayed put; I didn’t move a leg; my words and efforts about what had happened were for the birds, and that has given me a lot of sore! What about you? Have you thought about gear shifting? Don’t you think that there is something wrong with the picture? Don’t you think that there is something wrong with the way people live and think? Forgive me if my words sounded politics, but I am not a politician and neither is anyone in my family. At what point do we get it? When do we finally realize that something has to be changed? What will take us to wake up and make positive life changes? Gear shifting which should be from numbed out to feeling life, from wavering uncertainty and indecisiveness to commitment, or from victimized-mentality and self-pity to accountability. At this point, I am doubtless that we all are thinking of affirmative gear shifting in one area or another, aren’t we?

But how? The effective gear shifting could take place at any time in any place if we become aware of the four following issues: to have the yearning, to examine the tool used, to seek out places, to realize our kinship.

To begin with, all kinds of shifting begin with a yearning for something, and if we don’t have a yearning, we can’t proceed. Merely, our thinking, our yearning, our attitude should be like how I can be of service in this or that calamity. And remember, it has been said that desperate times bring out the best and worst in people!

To keep rolling, don’t forget to examine the tool. The tool here is you. Scrutinize yourself before you gear-shift by using your inner wisdom to lead your every thought, word and deed which in turn will elevate the levels of joy you deserve to experience. Once you embrace the balancing of the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of your life, gear-shift! Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”

Moreover, seek out for places where your talent could benefit others and volunteer. Believe me, there is nothing, nothing as rewarding and legacy trigger as sharing with others what you have learned.

The last aspect of gear shifting lies in the wise words of Pema Chodron who said,
‘True compassion doesn’t come from wanting to help out those less fortunate than ourselves, but from realizing our kinship with all beings.” Simply put, she is saying if you believe in oneness, you can be the role model who makes a difference in our world.

All in all, our current beliefs and attitudes are the products of our childhood. If we want to change behavior, we have to modify certain beliefs. Does that sound familiar? Robert Frost said, “Two roads diverge in a yellow wood. Sorry, I couldn’t take both!”