For many years, I struggled with dealing with the world ‘as is’. I fretted, fumed, became angsty, withdrawn, a mute spectator, and an occasional commentator—sour, critical and pessimistic. I blamed, lashed out and found excuses for not acting, notably by declaring that the world was not as I thought it should be for my play. The lingering odour was the helplessness and hopelessness of maladjustment and falling behind, defeat and failure in not being able to navigate my way with assurance. I felt that I, and indeed no one, could control the course of events or outcomes, and further, that if I could not, then why engage? This pulled me further down the road to a place that spoke aloud: ‘Why bother? Do nothing. Stay adrift and get somewhere and make do.’

I doubt that I have been able to shrug off this orientation—of being a victim of a larger context—though more recently, I think I have been able to accommodate some other perspectives that take away my sense of futility, resignation and despondency. They may not have significantly enhanced my action propensities, but they have taken away the tinge of indifference and listlessness.

Lately, I more readily embrace the view that the world is what it is. It owes me nothing, certainly no explanation or apology. It pre-dates me and will continue to exist in some manner or shape long after I am gone. The world is not flawed in any sense. Gaps, lacunae, omissions and utopias belong to my world of categories and language and are not an intrinsic feature of nature or the world at large.

There is a lot that we know about the world—the physical and the natural. There is much we understand of ourselves too. However, we are still to fathom vast mysteries about Nature, our nature. We can enquire. Indeed, we do. We exult in our breakthroughs. But, because we don’t know it all, we don’t sulk. We stay curious. We persevere, we redouble efforts. Some, deceived by conceit, think in terms of a conquest of nature, seeking to be its master, subjecting it to their whims. Push back or payback, whichever expression we prefer, is instantaneous. There is nature’s order of things, that we tamper with to our detriment. Chastened, we are led to re-examine our relationship with nature.

Considering the above, it is tempting to justify passivity and ‘going with the flow’. However, unless one is deadwood, even going with the flow involves some conscious action, if nothing else, to stay afloat, to stay alive, to rise and respond to the currents, to ride the waves, and be ready for the next set. Be ‘in the present’.

I can act, sometimes out of choice, sometimes out of habit, sometimes to pursue my wishes and at other times in response to others. The consequences of my action or inaction, intended or otherwise, are my responsibility.

From this perspective, there is no accused and no victim. The emotive world does not embrace this so easily and inevitably calls for a reset and re-anchoring, after self-reflection. As embodied thinking, relational, sense-making and meaning-framing beings, my subjective world is ever-changing, responding in part to my intents and actions, and perhaps more significantly to the dynamic engagement with that of others. It is thus that I shape ‘my’ world. The power to shape it is not bestowed. It is invoked by my deep desire, my breathing life into what I hold to be meaningful, through action.

This note was shared this week with some associates in a closed group, triggered by some sharing there. The exchanges took us to related themes of chance and choice, belief and faith. This exploration is by no means a done deal. I imagine that this theme may hold some interest for many others who have similar or other perspectives.

Photo by Mohan Ranganathan (via Twitter).