I am 14 years old. It’s been just two hours since I read your column, and two hours is not enough time for anyone to experiment with themselves. You said: “Emotion responds to command”. Well, I tried to command myself to feel the emotion of love. I looked at our flowerpots in the balcony, and tried to feel love towards my flowers. It worked. I
started feeling good and very happy. But a minute later I got a call from my friend, then I got distracted and lost the connection.” — Trisha.
Trisha, that’s simply great. I am waiting for you guys to actually retune your heartstrings and strum up some unexpected melodies, but without distractions. Once you do that, write back to me and let’s tell the Asian Age fraternity how the magic happened.
“I know what you feel, man. I have tried it before and it really happens. When I was living in a hostel, I would usually be depressed about something, I would sometimes hear myself screaming inside, yelling ‘stop’ and it would magically work. I would quit feeling low and return to normal. But I have never tried to use that to create a positive emotion.” — Soham.
Don’t I know it, Soham? During my college days when I was in a hostel, I used to have major mood swings — from elation to depression. I spent my teens never suspecting that I could actually alter those moods at will. If I calculate the time lost in feeling low and depressed, it would amount to months and years. I am really glad you figured out a way to blow away your blues. But focus, and draw your mind towards feeling positive emotions. It will upgrade your life fantastically.
“In theory what you are saying is our moods are in our control and we can change them from sadness to joy if we really want to, right? It’s fascinating, and liberating just to know that!” — Eijaz.
Yes, Eijaz, our moods are in our control. We don’t know it so we appear helpless before them, but if you decide to gain control over them, they will yield to your command. You need to know that your mind is far more powerful than you can imagine. Spend a few minutes a day in contemplation, prayer, or just sit in calm silence and draw your mind from distractions. That will boost your self-control beautifully.
“Hey, I’m not a teen. I’m pushing thirty. But I hope you include me in your column. You said: ‘The programme of life used what it needed to use, but it never disabled our capacity to feel the emotion.’ Wow. That’s truly wow! After I got married, slowly over the years, after kids were born, my zeal for romance faded. I look at the old videos on my cellphone and feel I have grown too old for that kind of energetic love. I feel like a spent force. But your words have given me some kind of energy.” — Narender.
OK Narender. Let’s just say I understand exactly how you feel. I’m not a teen either. I still push myself to the limit every day in whatever I do, knowing that the more I push, the more energy I will get. And life is not just about romance. Love is far greater than romance. Love is about energy to live. It’s taken me years to discover the extent of my own potential, and I wasted decades in aimless wandering — but know this now — it’s never too late.
“Loved your article. Truly refreshing. I believe this kind of love is possible only if we love whatever we do and let go of our self-importance and ego.”
— Saurav.
You are right, but still being a bit philosophical, Saurav. Ego and self-importance come naturally to all of us, and we can’t let it go so easily. Only a saint or a truly wise man can shed his ego completely. Most of us need it to protect our identities, which we fear will get lost otherwise. Start by increasing the amount of love in your heart. Feel good about everything, everyone and every moment. After a while, your ego will begin to slide away because you no longer need it to protect you.
That was a great start friends, now I can sense that a lot of you have reached the summit, and like me are now unwilling to descend. Stay at the peak of experience all your life. Understand ways to use the power of love to energise the core of your being. Once you create a new You, there is no need to climb down into the old you at all. Next week, we will start a new discussion. But I will keep publishing your letters on this topic or acknowledging them. Cheers.
The writer is a film director