24. Do We Live Our Life?

We are conditioned by people around us. We attach important to superficial, material things. No matter how rich and famous people we are, we seem to be incapable of escaping it.

A small story from Einstein's life explains this well. On his deathbed, Einstein was asked by a colleague what he would like to be born as, in his next birth. Towards the end of his life Einstein had become more of a mystic than a scientist. He had started believing in rebirth even though he was of Jewish faith.

To his colleague's question, he responded, 'I would like to be reborn as a plumber.' The colleague was surprised. Einstein told him that whatever there was to achieve in the outer world, money, name, fame, and respect, all these he had achieved. He had however missed his life. In his younger days he had wanted to be a plumber, but somehow he became a scientist. He had reached the top, but felt like dissatisfied now.

Einstein said, 'I discovered the greatest truth of the century but my life has become a lie!' As a plumber, he would not have received any recognition, he would not have achieved the lifestyle but he would have achieved the deep core of life itself.

Life gives us a deep satisfaction and fulfillment only when we do not bother about lifestyle.

Lifestyle is related to our conditioning. If we go by models or actors we see in movies and TV, then wearing jeans like them becomes our lifestyle too. If we are shown that something else is the style, we will go for that instead.

Understand! Lifestyle is a condition given to us by society. Lifestyle is societal but life is natural. Lifestyle is superficial, only skin deep, but life is the core of our being. If we keep in touch with our being, even our lifestyle will become more satisfying, we will be happy. But we always run behind lifestyle thinking that it will give us happiness. Problems in life can never be set right by changing our lifestyle.

We wonder what is wrong with lifestyle, let us also be very clear that it is a rat race. The demands of the society are endless and crazy. It doesn't allow us to rest for a few minutes or take a break. It is a thankless master.

Break away from this by looking inwards. We can bring complete awareness into our thoughts through meditation. Awareness is mediation. Let us lead our life not a lifestyle.