Life@42 and what’s next …..

From the time I read Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. which is more than 10-12 years before; I was kind of waiting to turn 42 to uncover the eventual answer of why I am doing anything and what difference does it make and to whom? For those who have not read the book – according to the book, 42 is the answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything.

From last few years I have been thinking a lot on how my second part of life on this earth should be and decided to figure out something by 42; based on my understanding of everything. Most of the first half of my life I kind of played by the typical rule book. When I was about 33 years old I decided to be on my own and now if I reflect, it was not about being a successful entrepreneur but just to break from the rule book. That may be the reason why I did not do the business, as people say it has to be done. I tried following the business rule book a few times but could not. Even after that, things have worked out well.

After starting on my own what really helped is running, which gave me time to reflect and keep going even when things are not in favour. Now I do some kind of physical activity everyday. One other hobby that I picked in the recents years is gardening, which is now grown to a small scale farming as well. Soil has some form of magic; you take care of it and rest would be taken care by it.

Since the birth of our kids (11 & 5 years), my wife has given all the required time and attention to them. Raising them right is our top most priority. We keep discussing about alternative schooling but so far could not decide on that. As a family we also try to spend less; we avoid unnecessary travel, shopping or outside food to keep the expenses in check and to leave less carbon footprints.

Now circling back to the questions which I mentioned earlier. To find the worthy answers and adjust the day to day to life accordingly, I tried reading and listening to few books but did get the satisfactory answers until I attended the Jeevan Vidya Shivir. Jeevan Vidya is proposal for living in harmony within human-human and human-nature relationships and thus realising happiness and peace. It is based on Madhyasth Darshan which is a new philosophy whose original propounder is Shri A. Nagraj(1920-2016) of Amarkantak (M. P.).

After attending the Shivir (workshop), almost everyday I am going through one or the other literature of Madhyasth Darshan and every day it is making more and more sense. Our Ex President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Ji has also mentioned about the Jeevan Vidya in his Independence Day address in 2006 . Delhi Govt. Happiness Program is based on it and few courses are also added by the AICTE (All India Council of Technical Education). So there is a lot of happening at the ground level already. The earlier we all get exposure to it, the better it is.

So with my life experience and so far understanding of Jeevan Vidya, here are answers the of my questions :-

So why I am doing anything ?

The answer is to achieve all time happy state and good health.

And what different does it make and to whom?

• Immediate Family
• Society
• Friends
• Nature, our one and only Earth
• Anyone I interact with directly or indirectly

To be happy, I would take some action and if that has any negative impact on any of the above then it would come back and become the cause of un-happiness and eventually I can not be truly happy. I can not treat them just as resources to achieve my short term happiness.

For me the next is to do study (Adhyan) for different literature of the Madhyasth Darsha and understand it better. I would also try to introduce some to its concepts to our children via the Kid’s study material on their site.

No one has to wait for 42 years to figure out answers to the questions I mentioned. They are all there. The earlier we start better it is for everyone.

Happy Journey !!!