I heard a very intriguing story recently. It somewhat goes like this.:
A man was sitting on a bench early morning in a park - enjoying sunshine and reading his newspaper. One soldier came and sit next to man blocking man's sunlight. Man, still in his own self, shifted slightly on a bench to get sunshine. Soldier shifted too. Man went to sit onto another empty bench and soldier followed , this time standing
in front of the man. Man calmly requested soldier to move. Solider stayed steadfast. Man got upset and started walking away from this heavy built soldier. Solider blocked him. This time Man was angry and confronted solider. Solider pushed man down to ground and stepped on his foot. Angry and surprised at the same time, Man started shouting for help. He looked around and was in a shock. There were lot of people in the park. Each accompanied by his or her own solider. However, nobody showed distress like our Man. Some were passively sitting on a bench, some were sitting with handcuffs and face down and some were laying on the ground like our Man in pain. But no-one uttered a word. Surprisingly, most people were looking at our Man with a disapproved look.
I think the actual story ends there- making us free for our own interpretations. Psychologist Anodea Judith has dwelled into her own psychological interpretation beautifully. I don't remember exactly what she said . However, what I will tell you is what I remembered/ interpreted from her interpretation for myself
So, back to story- What will you do in this case if you are that Man?-
1. will you sit quietly on the bench and be a part of a coop just like others.
2. Will you rebel
3. Will you get accustom and disapprove others if they tried to call for help in the future.
4. Will you try to form allies in the park and form your own group with same vision of freedom as yours
5. will you work on some kind of peaceful and constructive action to change the environment around you.
-where will you stand?
Now imagine if I tell you that that soldier is no one else but a very part of you- A world view that is created for you from your childhood by your parents, your family, your society with expectations and cultural norms , expectations from others ( about fame, money, education, how life should be) etc.. and any deviation from prescribed path is getting questioned.
And you - that Man-is your soul who has come to fulfill its purpose in this life. Purpose you feel most aligned to and is action driven. You may have come across it multiple times in life. May it be creative, worldly, spiritual or materialistic. . Whatever gives you inner strength.
Where you feel you don't have to "prove" anything to anyone. There is no shame or guilt blocking your energy. Something that truly give you enthusiasm and positive vibe- where you are learning and growing in your own pace.
How will you interpret the story now?
Are you one of the lucky ones who have found your soul's purpose in life and enjoying your path towards your own growth. You love the struggle and at same time enjoy your journey. You don't compare yourself with others and you find happiness in others happiness. You are comfortable with what you are so you don’t feel need to exert power over others.
Or are you one of those "sitting passively on the bench" - ether feeling like failure or measuring success with the bucket of materialism and societal expectations.
Or are you one of those-gossiping , mocking or disapproving others who are different. What if there way is not aligned with yours? Will you be able to surpass your barriers which are limiting your potential to understand others point of views. What if those with different life views are your own children? Will you shame them? Will you put guilt in them if they tend to differ? Or Will you support them - give them unconditional love - to let them grow towards their own sunshine.
And what if you are somewhere in the middle- little confused yet driven -trying to find your path with help from like minded people - supporting each other in ups and downs - trying to figure it all out ..
Beautiful story- feel free to interpret for yourself .
Praj101
