Just Because

23 November 2013
463 words • 2 minutes

I refuse to give up. I refuse to let the world turn me into a cynic. I refuse to stoop to the level of the people who see fellow humans as things to be used and discarded.

Since always I have had faith in humanity; a quality which is hard to describe, but I will try. It is about caring, sharing and nurturing the people around you. It is about giving without thinking what you are getting in return. It is about being open to new ideas and experiences. It is about that feeling in your heart that might 'restore your faith in humanity'. It is about the warmth that somebody makes you feel just by being there. It is about letting yourself be swept off your feet even though logic might suggest otherwise.

Then there's another side to it. After all, we are all just animals. Living creatures, who grow up in our surroundings, interact with others in the habitat we share and make decisions based on the experiences we have. Everyone we meet is fighting a battle. As sentient beings, it is not merely about survival. As Maslow described, it is about achieving various things in different stage of life.

Sometimes I think I probably should become more of what some people call, sigh, 'practical'. As a rational and logical being I think I am practical. But this usage of the word is different. It is used to describe using someone for your purpose and moving on. My heart refuses to become that person.

People were meant to be loved and things were meant to be used; instead we started loving things and using people.

There is only one thing in life that interests me: learning and exploring. I have no interest in the riches. I think that any individual living sensibly and working hard enough can gather a big house and car. But is that all what your life is worth? A house? A car? What really matters in life is what you make of it. How much do you affect others' lives, how you make them feel, and whether you are able to make a difference, however minor it might be. At the end of it all, what matters is whether you will feel it was worth all that you put into it.

“Reconsider your definitions. We are prone to judge success by the index of our salaries or the size of our automobiles rather than by the quality of our service and relationship to mankind.” — Martin Luther King Jr.

As I recall reading, live a life where you leave the world a little better than you got it; even if it is just by making a small garden in your front yard.