The 5 elements of Life!

Hello friends....

Hey Shruti, thanx for that cool comment but somehow, I still feel that friends should be few and good. My argument is that when you have fewer friends, you are able to give each of them individual attention and let them know what they mean to you. And like I said, I'm not against being friendly with everyone but I somehow feel that to be able to connect on a warm and personal level, you can do better with fewer people. And you know I'm a very private person.....i don't open up to everybody...for me, I prefer having a couple of friends who know me inside out than a whole army people who claim to know me better than myself!!!!! And also, I feel lost in a huge group.....for me, a few good friends make life worth living! But like you said, its all a matter of perspective!!! So, its your opinion and I respect that!!! Thanx!

Now, all my friends, put your seatbelts on for another philosophical rundown!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Here we go!

The 5 Elements of Life

Traditionally, the 5 essential elements of life are Air, Water, Fire, Earth and Space. But when I gave it a thought, I came to believe that these are not elements in themselves, but are symbolic of the qualities and essentials of a successful human being. The equivalent of these elements as I have seen them are not necessarily qualities that are existent in all individuals; they are traits that SHOULD be imbibed and inculcated by one and all. Let me explain.

For convenience purposes, I ask to begin from the last one, i.e. Space. Having said that let me assert that the order is only for convenience and not even one of the elements is any less important than any of the others. They are all incomplete singularly and each one of the 5 elements has its own irreplaceable role to discharge.

Space is often mistaken for emptiness. On the contrary, it refers to completeness and purity. My equivalent of Space is the human character. Character is common to all, yet each one gives their own individualistic definition and touch to it. Human character should be strong and assertive. Nothing that anyone says or does should be capable of staining one’s character, as it is the most valuable of all human possessions. It is something that cannot be alienated from the person and is a barometer of his or her goodness as well as greatness.

Earth is the basest of the elements because if it was not for our dear Mother Earth, it’s hard to fathom where I’d be typing this from or where you’ll be reading it!! Jokes apart, Earth, in my opinion, represents Education and Common Sense which sustains humans in today’s world of cut-throat competition. Education builds a strong foundation on which we base our entire life. Our values, thoughts, actions and generally the way in which we conduct ourselves in society, are all indicative of the kind and level of education that we’ve undergone in our formative years.

Fire, the double-edged sword that can cook our food and also burn our skin, that force which can keep the fireflies away and keep you safe at night, but also that which can bring down your house! Yes, Fire can be a good slave, but a very bad master. So also, our mind. The Human Mind is what I perceive as fire. If you don’t control it, it will control you – the number of criminals and psychopaths in jails and mental hospitals is sufficient proof of what your mind can make of you if you don’t use it judiciously! So the mind should warm hearts and not burn hands!!

Water is what keeps you alive. What better equivalent than Health? Health is highly invaluable and without being healthy, it’s almost impossible to be happily alive for long. Bad health is the biggest worry of all humans as it makes one dependent on others. On the other hand, a healthy person is a happy person. Just as water relieves us on a swelteringly hot day, good health relieves our worries all through our life. Just like water is clear and transparent, our Health should be clear and free from illness.

Air, it’s all around you. You can’t see it and sometimes, you can’t even feel it. But you know it’s there. The parallel emotion or quality is nothing but Love and compassion towards all and sundry. Not just that, but also the radiance that one is able to emit. What I mean to say by radiance is the impact you have on those and that around you. It is the ability to make a positive impact in the world. Just as it is not possible to breathe in the absence of air, it is impossible to live in the absence of love and positive energy in the cosmos.

Thus, each of the 5 elements that have ruled the world from time immemorial signifies a human trait which ought to find its way into the life of each one of us. To sum up, Our Character should be as pure as Space. Our Education should build a foundation as strong as the Earth. Our Mind should be the Fire which warms everyone’s hearts. Our Health should be in sound enough condition for us to live the life that we do happily and be clear of illness just like Water is clear of parasites! Lastly, we should spread Love and Joy in the world and our radiance should be strong enough to encompass the world, just like Air, of which there is sufficient and more for everyone and still enough left! If these traits become a part of you, then there is no stopping you on the path of success, because, if you are a good human, you will find success at your feet!!!!! Good Luck!

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Disclaimer: This is one of my earlier articles which even got published in a magazine......I'm damn proud of it and hence, decided to publish it on my blog! Hope you like it.......I'd love to have your views on this one as I want to know what you people consider the 5 most essential elements of life!!! Lemme know!!!!!!!!

That's for today........more food for thought...but tomorrow!!!!

Have fun buddies and keep freaking out!

Tally-ho!