Okay, a double update here, which is pretty darn unusual for me since I generally never make my online presence felt. So kaboom to you. If some of you who are more perceptive have probably realized, the post title is actually the name of a song. It’s one that has just recently become my anthem and I feel inexplicably linked to it.
In more recent times, I have begun to feel a sense of inadequacy and the inability to live up to the expectations I’ve set for myself. In addition to all this, the external pressure faced by an ordinary person to prosper and achieve in life has become this devil-like creature sitting on my shoulder. The monotony seems to be getting to me, and my failures which I’d earlier brushed off like crumbs have blown up to such massive proportions, that they’re sitting on me like huge purple elephants. Most days I feel like I should curl up under the quilt with a book and crisps and never see the light of day again, condemned to a life of silent existence in my very own personal cave.
Or so my mind tells me. But I guess it’s time for me to wake up and smell the peppermint (which by the way, I absolutely adore) . Life’s not over yet. Mistakes and failure are part of this enormous cycle, and obviously you cannot be Little Miss Perfect all the time. Unless you’re a fictional character, but what kind of a plot would that be, d’you think?
I was studying for my English exam today and one of the chapters in our textbook happened to be ‘The Last Letter’ by Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India and the reason behind us getting to wear colour dress to school on a designated day every year. There was this paragraph that kind of stirred some emotions inside of me, and it’s probably my favourite . So I feel I owe it to myself to share it with you.
All of us have our choice of living in the valleys below; with their unhealthy mists and fogs, but giving a measure of bodily security; or of climbing the high mountains, with risk and danger for companions, so breathe the pure air above, and take joy in the distant views, and welcome the rising sun.
And that’s not even my favourite part. What i’d like to say though, is that taking responsibility for your own life may not always be easy, because there can be a lot that strives to bring you down and bash you up into pulp and leave you hurting and broken in the dust. But it’s up to us , to you and me, to pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off and live like to the maximum. Back at one of my old school, we had a guest sermon from either the Scripture Union team or this Australian guy with a guitar and a funny song. Either way, this was their message:
“Zoe to the max”
And we didn’t really understand it. This word “Zoe” has a special meaning in the native language of perhaps the Aboriginal tribes ( I have no idea if I’m being racist here, if so, I apologize deeply and will amend it the instant you let me know) and it advises one to live life to the maximum, in the spiritual sense. For when else will we be able to do all the things we are free to do now? And I’m not saying drugs or alcohol, not even. But life’s too short to be disappointed and depressed.
In the words of one of my favourite Disney movies, Meet the Robinsons,
KEEP MOVING FORWAARD, KEEEEP MOVING FO-O-RWARD, KEEP MOVING(KEEP MOVING) KEEP MOVING (KEEP MOVING)….FORWAAAAARD!
*CUE FIREWORKS*
I thank you all for reading this post. It was a bit of a ramble and probably a one-time thing. But I honestly should recommend the titular song to you. It’s ‘Me Against the World’ by Superchick, and honestly, I think most of their songs are beautiful.
There’s probably something else I wanted to tell you, but…it slipped my mind. Anyway, it’s getting late and I’m feeling much more refreshed and positive and cheery now. Optimism is essential. It really is.
Remember: You, my friend, are amazing, and unique, and possibly crazy, but don’t let other people judge you for it because it’s fabulous ( as long as it doesn’t harm you, the society, the anti-society, the living world, and the rest of the environment)
Sincerely,
The Nerdy Snicker
My Literary Fantasia 