THE THREE Ls OF LIFE

Once, there was a man called Ram Prakash. He was taking an early morning walk in his lavish garden. He found that there were many flowers blossoming, and felt really happy when he saw how colourful and lively the garden had become. But, he also discovered something else. Something that caught his attention. There were many bees hovering around, and they were taking their turns to sip the nectar from the flowers. He stood there and just admired the cooperation displayed by the bees. 

That got him thinking. He reflected upon his life, and thought about all those moments when we had quarreled with his wife over trivial matters like- who will get milk from the market, or who will help their child with studies. He looked at those bees once again, and saw how beautifully they were taking turns to sip at the nectar. Even though he could not look at their facial expression, their mere cooperation itself displayed empathy towards the fellow bees. He learnt a lot from that incident.

We often look at life as an abode where we are able to achieve our dreams, and are able to taste the fruits of success. But, from the short story above, we get to learn about three important Ls in our life-

1. LEARN- Perhaps, the most important value we get to learn is the very aspect of 'learning'.  It is the desire to learn that matters the most. Our environment has so much to teach us. Flowers, birds, insects, organisms and all other living creatures teach us so many wonderful life lessons. Yes, one can surely look up such processes in a book. But, the very feeling of observing and interpreting these lessons by ourselves is immensely satiating. It is upon us to try and identify what these lessons are, and try to leverage upon those. Ram Prakash compared the bees' actions with those of human beings, and finally was able to benefit from it. That is how the word 'leverage' comes in as a sub-term within this broader term 'learn'.
2. LOVE- What is love? Helen Keller, the blind and deaf author, had asked this question to her teacher, Mrs. Anne Sullivan, and her explanation was amazing. She said, "Imagine the clouds that cover the sky before a downpour. Those first drops of rain that fall down make us feel extremely happy and peaceful. Love is like those drops of water that can make anyone and everyone feel blessed and happy." Those words actually sum up the beauty of love. Love is also about having control over your mental processes, and having an optimistic frame of mind. Like the drops of water that fall from the atmosphere, love too showers upon us to quench our thirst for affection, and to spread the message of peace and harmony. Just like we all wait for the petrichor (smell of wet mud when the first rains arrive), we all wait for the beauty of love to gently fall upon us and enlighten us. Ram Kumar learnt how to have a loving attitude towards his wife from the cooperative attitude of the bees.
3. LISTEN:- This is perhaps an indirect inference from the story. Like Ram Kumar observed the actions of the bees, we all must also listen to people. What often happens is that in the process of asserting ourselves and our views, we forget that there is another person who also wishes to put a point forth. Unless we are able to listen to them, we won't be able to get a complete understanding of any issue. When we listen, we actually get more educated and informed. It is this very act that makes us more aware about our environment. Observing and listening beautifully complement each other!

These are just three, but there are many more such important terms which gain such a great significance in our lives. The book, 'The Alchemist' written by Paulo Coelho very beautifully describes how a person follows his dream, and achieves his goals in life. Simultaneously, he learns from all those intermediaries who help him along the path to finding the Treasure of life. He learns from the sand that covers the landscape of the Arabian desert. Each moment teaches him something new, and he accepts the knowledge with utmost humility. That is what ultimately leads him to achieve his goal in life. 

So, this new year, let us all pledge to listen more, love more and learn more from this beautiful life gifted to us by the Almighty!