The Heavier Burden....

There has been some time since I have returned from Hyderabad after a fulfilling and enriching two months experience with men who have a deep insight into their work. My internship reminded me, as has happened through other events many times before, that the depth of the ocean can never be gauged. Knowledge has no limits and no boundaries! In one word - Magical ! The word "limit" has also churned a few thoughts here and there but that will be a separate blog later though a starter would be in this blog itself. Today, I want to share a story which I have already shared on my facebook page but was yet to share my understanding of it as it has a leeway to be interpreted in a way I would not like us youth to. Well, the story goes as --

"" In a certain village in Umbria (Italy), there lived a man who was always bewailing his lot. He was a Christian, and found the weight of his cross too heavy to bear. One night, before going to sleep, he begged God to let him change his burden. That night he had a dream; the Lord led him to a warehouse. "Go ahead and change it," he said. The man saw crosses of all sizes and shapes, with the names of their owners. He picked an average size cross – but when he saw the name of an old friend written on it, he left it aside. Finally, as God had permitted, he chose the smallest cross he could find. To his surprise, he saw his own name written on it. ""

The positive thing in the story is for us to understand that God does not give us a heavier load than what we can carry and we must be grateful for it; and we must trust him with it. Going a bit further and looking at it in a different perspective, one can wonder that if we are meant to carry just the load we are capable enough to bear, we must not be too adventurous and have a shot at loads which we are not meant to carry. There is a thin line here - the thin line between satisfaction and acceptance of actions-results.

What I wish to stress upon is that even after assigning a load, God gave the man a choice - a choice to change his load. Every man has a choice or a set of choices we may say. Some are feasible while some are not; some are distinct and visible while some shadow box their way around. The principle current is that there is a choice to switch; there is a choice to change, alter or modify. The man in the above story was already looking for an alteration or switching over to the lighter load; let us take that in the opposite direction - Men looking for the heavier load. Now why would someone look for a heavier load? The answer lies in the phrase 'passionate love'; we take risks and brave odds for what we truly and intently believe in - If we want something bad enough, we should be willing to risk everything for it. What I have stood to gain from the story is that God always assigns a load to a person depending on his/her abilities, the need of time and role the person needs to play in that time; along with this I have also understood that he gives me a choice - a choice to ask for a heavier or lighter load or accept what it is depending on how much I understand myself, understand the times I am living in and my responsibility in the times I am living in. This is a choice he gives to all - me, you and everyone else. This is the choice he has given to all those before and all those after us including great men who could change the course of history in their respective fields. Men became great when they willfully asked for a heavier load and not for the lighter one. It is said that some men become great by choice while some have greatness thrust upon them; I like to look at it in a slightly different way - every man has greatness thrust upon him (that is the choice I spoke off); what he does with it is what determines whether he integrates himself into the realm of greatness and perfection where there are no limits to the human mind or stays mediocre.

So, either we can accept our loads or seek lighter ones; or rise above it to ask for heavier ones. May that load be concerned with any faculty of life but somewhere in the back of our minds always connecting with the thought of "how can it benefit my nation and the wider society?" Fellow countrymen, my brothers and sisters - each one of us has the capability to don a new role and carry a heavier burden than what we are. We will be entrusted with it if we ask; and with difficulties on one side, there rises a power on the other to face these difficulties. I believe each one of us can bear the difficult burden and take the higher responsibility to carve out a better tomorrow; not just for ourselves, but for the wider world. To build a future for ourselves and the generations to follow. If you ask me why, I can only say that because we choose to; and why should one choose to? One should choose to because the purpose of life is to create something which will outlast it; and why is there a purpose? Without purpose, there is no difference between a corpse and live human. Even rocks, mud, grass and water have a purpose - why shouldn't we?! With warm regards, I wish all of you who are travelling on this journey of greatness that may heavier loads come your way; because each load is an expression of responsibility and every responsibility builds into the cause!

Jai Hind!