Once passing through an elephant camp, a man noticed the elephants in open cages. No chains, no big ropes, and open doors, what’s holding them back in those cages, the man wondered! He could only see a tiny rope tied to one of their legs; pulling the same off was no biggie for someone as mighty as a big grown elephant. Curious enough, the man went to ask the trainer about the lack of efforts from the animals to set them free. The trainer replied, “when they were small and young, we tied them with a tiny rope strong enough to hold them at that time. As the years passed, their mind was conditioned to believe that they are tied with the rope and cannot break free.”

A relatable story fact, isn’t it? We all have our brains conditioned to some notions, lifestyles, beliefs, and faiths. The process starts from the day we are born and given a name, an identity, and many relations. There are some beliefs we inherit, and some we adopt, and some we give up. For me, the last bit is really important. It is understandable to have some beliefs, a thought process that you build your life on; however, it is the ‘rigidity’ of our thoughts that can be unhealthy. Without going into something big, I’ll take a simple example.

I once had a skin rash that started from a mere sensation, and thanks to my ignorance, turned into a big lump, requiring nothing less than a small yet painful operation. The rash was fairly visible, and my friends, family frequently advised (which I then thought of as being pestered) me to see a doctor. A simple medicinal solution or cream would have done wonders. Nevertheless, my obvious and conditioned response was, “I can’t take out time, so occupied with my routine; moreover, this is nothing and will go with time.” The rash definitely didn’t go but only amplified with time. This one instance made me realize the importance of prioritization in life. And more importantly, the significance of prioritizing oneself in life.

Taking out 5 for yourself every 2 hours; understanding, accepting, and acknowledging your pain areas; working on yourself – must NOT be the things we don’t have time for! These must be the things we make time for!

It is eventually for us to decide – To live or not to live, To be happy or not be happy, To do or not to do, and To be or not to be

Avani Raj Arora