Young mind or wise mind

 

Its been a while since I have been trying to resolve the dilemma - which one can bring more good to our life - a mind with no assumptions or a mind with memories? A combination of both could have been the best choice. Unfortunately, such state of mind is very difficult to achieve. Human being learns from experience. Memories of good and bad experiences make us mature to navigate the paths of life. But the tendency to take all possible precautions often interfere with our ability to stay vulnerable to welcome new experience with open heart. It requires delicate balance.

In younger days, I used to hear from elders that older days were better. Elder people used to describe their positive encounters with good natured people in their younger days. After spending couple of decades on this planet, I often keep thinking of my earlier days. And I also feel the same. Our next generation will feel the same when they will turn older. Does it mean the world is getting devoid of genuine people gradually? 

People across the world are now more connected now-a-days, thanks to the advancement of technology. Now quality of connection can be questioned. This quality depends on the attitude of people and options they wish to prioritize. People had less options to connect or divert before. Does it mean people were more willing to connect or people had more good intent in heart before? Humankind is a social animal. Human needs to keep interacting with the fellow beings to satisfy mental and physical needs. The kind of connections that do not stem out of such specific needs allow us to stay off guard easily. In our childhood, all our material needs are taken care of by our family. The bond we develop with fellow children in childhood are based on selfless criteria.  We make memories with fresh mind and often allow people benefit of doubt in case of conflict. Some of our long time friendships get created in childhood.  

Of course, exceptions are there. Now the heart, that knows how the love feels like, can also start recognizing how the pain feels like as we grow. With age comes wisdom. With age comes insecurities. 

I read somewhere, 'Happiness means good health and bad memory'. Hurtful memories fuel negative assumptions. This is sure shot by-product of living a life with its full potential. There comes the challenge of removing the filter to let new experiences enter our life. Tagore once said, losing faith in humanity leads to sin. It is not easy to hold onto the faith even after experiencing failure numerous times. Ramkrishna Paramhansa said, it is better to trust people and get fooled, rather than not trusting at all. Acquiring this mindset requires tremendous courage. 

Good intended people were there before on earth. They exist today as well. Good intended people are those who infuse positive changes to society.  All we need is to pause, observe and acknowledge. Psychologists say start your day with gratitude prayer to boost a positive mindset. Its about acknowledging the good we are receiving from people around us. This practice fosters our faith in the harmony of the universe. This is the first step towards attaining balance. Indian Law emphasizes on saving the innocent over punishing the criminals. If we can extrapolate this concept to our life, we can prioritize growth over security, understanding over scrutiny, learning new skills over boasting over old experiences. This will direct our energy towards nurturing our young hopeful mind instead of caressing our old wounds.

My quest for balance will continue. Wisdom and innocence can co-exist. It requires continuous practice and conscious choice of action in daily life to achieve such a state of mind.