Tried and Tested

There’s no doubt that the pandemic has tested our resilience. Take a moment to reflect on what you endured during those long, arduous months. It wasn’t easy — from losing loved ones to facing setbacks in life. Yet, for those who were financially stable, the pandemic provided an opportunity to strengthen family bonds and create lasting memories. Of course, even they faced their share of distress.

This situation, to me, defines life. Life is not an exam where we sit in a cozy room, cracking as many questions as possible. It’s more of a path-planning mind game, where we understand our situation and strive to make things better. Everyone has a unique set of circumstances, yet we’re all confronted with the same fundamental question:

Should our life’s purpose be solely to grow ourselves, or should we also help our families, communities, and society grow?

This is where our moral values come into play. We must remain conscious of the fundamental truth that we are shaped by those who supported us—our teachers who guided us, the children on the streets who taught us humanity, and the parents who raised us with love and care. Reflecting on the impact of these people in my life gives me chills. Sadly, it’s also true that some people, despite neglecting these relationships, still manage to achieve material success. But here’s where life has its own set of twists and turns for us.

As ironic as it is, life goes far beyond being a simple path-planning journey where we merely strive to understand our situation and reach greater heights. Along the way, we often equate success—whether in terms of wealth or popularity—to the three essential meals of our day. But it’s happiness that acts as the lifeline, making those meals truly nourishing and meaningful.

So, there we go striving to be happy in life. We read books on how to be happy and make friends. And that’s when we realize it isn’t as easy as it sounds. Before long, we comprehend the temporariness of life. It’s as if we are being pranked and end up cheating ourselves.