I WAS INNOCENT ONCE...!!!



“I might have some character traits that some might see as innocence or naive. That's because I discovered peace and happiness in my soul. And with this knowledge, I also see the beauty of human life.” – Tobey Maguire 

 Innocence, purity, and carefree living are some common terms synonymous with childhood. And I wonder, am I being too idealistic, to expect the same in adulthood? 

The thought first crept into my mind after watching “Highway”.Strangely, I was able to connect with the emotional journey of the female protagonist desperately wanting to be free from the bondages of the world, carve out a niche for herself, and live a life that’s pure and utopian, and far away from the adulterated mundane existence. 

All of us go through such a phase in our lives, where all we seek is “inner peace” or “contentment” or “pure bliss” or in Maslow’s words, “self-actualization”. There are various ways in which we try to attain the state. Some find solace in music, and some, in reading. Some find it in traveling, and some, in art. And there are others who find it either in their work or in spending time with a loved one. 

How is it that the elements like music or art or love,constitute the path to inner peace and contentment? There are a couple of things. Firstly, we are engaged in something we love. It’s something we would love to do more often, if we had the choice or the time or the resources, or any other constraint that’s preventing us from doing that now. 

There’s another more important reason. Before I get to that, I would request each of you to remember five most memorable moments from your childhood. Now try to think more about each moment. I am sure that most of you would remember the process that led to the moment or the expression of the jubilation on your parents’ faces, more vividly than the actual achievement that you may have thought of. While I have not undertaken any experiment to validate this, I am fairly confident of my hypothesis. 

Before I get to my point, I have a question for you to contemplate upon. Why or when did we lose the innocence or the purity or the inner peace that our childhood provided? Was it when we got entangled in our professional aspirations and goals, commonly known as the “rat race”? Or was it when we were forced to shun our protected environments of our homes or colleges, and were thrust into the challenges of the real world? Or was it when society expected us to be independent, responsible, and matured?The answer is none of the above. Being ambitious is not wrong but a way of life. Having ambitions and aspirations are pre-requisites to success, be it professionally or personally. Being independent and matured is a necessity, for that’s how we will be able to guide the ones younger to us, and that’s how cultures and civilizations will grow. 

If the answer isn’t this, then what is it? The hint lies in the dialogue from the movie “Highway” where the female protagonist exclaims “Where I have come from doesn’t matter; where I will finally be taken to, is irrelevant. What matters is this road, this journey.” We lost our innocence and purity, when we began focusing on the outcome, rather than the process or the journey that will lead to the outcome. 

Let’s rewind to the question I asked earlier, “How is it that the elements like music or art or love, constitute the path to inner peace and contentment?” Let’s take the example of someone finding inner peace in a book. While reading a good book, the person gets so engrossed in the plot, and the whole journey that the character is going through, that he feels like reading on and on. Yes, one has preferences on how the ending should be, but the reading experience doesn’t solely depend on the ending. The same logic is applicable to any form of art as well. For someone seeking inner peace through art, the journey of creating a masterpiece is dearer, than the masterpiece itself. 

Why can’t we adopt the same for every single facet of our life? Why can’t we approach our jobs the same way? Why can’t we approach our relationships the same way?These are some questions we need to consciously ask ourselves. And then we need to follow just two simple rules – be passionate about what we do, and live in the present. And if we enjoy the journey, the destination will take care of itself. Trust me, it’s not that complicated, really!

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