Sides and Slides

 The world is a half and a half. One-half is populated by those who are fortunate enough to have a loving family, supportive friends, a nurturing upbringing, a secure place to call home, regular meals, and sufficient clothing. In stark contrast, the other half may lack some or all of these blessings or surprisingly, may possess all these material comforts, and yet remain ungrateful and discontent.

What accounts for this stark divide? In my view, it often stems from experiences of betrayal. People may have been let down by their partners, friends, colleagues, or even, tragically, by their own parents. Expectations we are born with and some that we develop when walking ahead in life and feeling betrayed when the expectations aren't fulfilled leaves you bleak and bazed. Alternatively, the feeling of having nothing to be grateful about might also be rooted in a perpetual sense of restlessness, an insatiable desire for more, or a mind entangled in its own complexities. It may be because they didn't feel at peace with what little or more they had. For them concept of gratitude might be entirely foreign, as they have yet to learn to appreciate the value of what they have. That might be so because their mind has always been cryptic. 

Imagine riding down a playground slide— while it might be a trepidatious experience for some, for some it may be a joyful ride completely benign. The determinant is our thoughts. How we perceive and react to the world is primarily shaped by our learned patterns of thinking and past experiences. While our personalities are multifaceted, the thoughts that dance in the background are often influenced by the data stored in the recesses of our brains. Our brains process this data through an algorithm taught to us or through one they built on our way. But based on this calculation, the half that stays in the cold makes further predictions and is always anxious because the results of thus made predictions always incline away from their desires.

In all these times if you are able to look at the world and list at least 5 things you are grateful for, then you belong to the sagacious half. Those in the other halves might have a much darker history or rather present. Their thoughts might be dancing in a rhythm much unknown to themselves and they surely might be in need to help.

But what does it mean to help? They require someone to lean on, someone who can simply be there for them—whether the skies are clear or storms rage. In offering help, you don't elevate yourself or diminish them; instead, you become interdependent. Caring for someone in need is also a profound blessing. To be the one who guides another out of a dark place necessitates a deep understanding of life and perhaps even a touch of spiritual insight.