Casual Magic

As I have been exploring this area, only through personal thought loops and some mild research, I feel I’ve come closer to be able to point at only one rationale: the fact that a sustainable outlook opens up a huge door to being creative which gives you the boost or the necessary ‘purpose’ for being the way you are! Nothing other than this argument makes more sense to me and I think it is justified as well.

I’m sure these are overlapping (theories?) and I am trying to make the best of what I have with me at the moment. My point is simply honoring what sustainability stands for in the core of its essence and then trying to (measure?) assess happiness levels based on that. And the freedom of creativity that the realm of sustainability offers, is the only best argument I can think of or figure out!

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” : Leonardo da Vinci

Ditching the consumerist mindset, in today’s day and age, and going back to (for people my generation, starting off with) being mindful of my waste trail and my carbon and water footprint is not an easy job. Baby steps, sure, but the treacherous and distant destination can be so overwhelming it can come crashing at you. Not to mention, there will always be people around you raising eyebrows, or worse snarling things you don’t want to hear. And the fact that we are humans still, who are in the process of learning itself, it can be overbearing. If you’ve too been there, I feel you. *Hugs*

Somehow, this off balance, started me to think if I am even doing this right! I know there is no such thing as perfection, especially in how one chooses to live, yet I feel bad, more for the things that are not in my control! Sounds strange to me, even as I write it here. But the only pacifying thing I could come up with is joy I feel when I, say, not buy the off-the-shelf peanut butter but blend my own on Thursday nights and start my weekend. Or when in some boring meeting or lecture, or even otherwise, I paint in my sketchbook, or on any tattered piece of cloth or cardboard I have. Or when I pluck hibiscus flowers to make myself a mug of hair-conditioner water, and later some steaming hibiscus tea as well. Or even when I create new outfits from my existing wardrobe and give myself some surprises there!  I not just overly enjoy doing these things for they make me feel positive about how I look at things now, but they help me connect it to an overarching purpose, which is to keep experimenting new things, and keep making new habits along the way which are not just good to write about here on the blog, but are better for me and the planet over all. But let’s not go too far with this for the moment. Let’s keep things to ourselves and our feelings and happiness levels only for a while.

Mostly all cultures talk about being in the present moment. We have fika in Sweden, ukiyo in Japan, and in the Indian culture, I’m not fully aware if we have such a specific word, but meditation and prayers have been our go-to cultural practices that exemplify the ‘flow’ in doing things. Lately I have been keeping a note (mental, mostly) of the things that went out of my control and just took form and shape as I did them, that made me flow. And it had so much to do with my creativity, and ability to sync the physical and the mental state together.

No, I’ve not been in the best of mental space even after I did something that is supposedly more ‘sustainable’ than something else, so, is there a threshold? A mark that one necessarily has to live up to, or after which this does not work?

I don’t know. I have not been feeling great because of a multitude of reasons, and a very triggering one is the fact that the world is going haywire. My own little world included. But there is going to be light. If not today, tomorrow.

I rather indulge in an activity that makes me feel good about myself for the day, or even, while I am actually doing that thing. I love it when dopamine hits me, and I’m sure everybody does! Sometimes, it is when a friend surprises me with her dog in front of the house, and sometimes it’s me having toast with homemade butter, but whatever it is, it is these magical moments that are summing and literally sewing our days together. Funnily, the Festival of Lights, the juggernaut festival that stands like a mountain for us and embodies in us the hope that the good and the truth always overpowers and shines through, is right here.
And really, it’s all about doing what you love, and believing in what you do. We are all so creative beings that unless we do not love something, creativity is bound to enter and transcend our work, at least in making us feel good about our own selves. Like while I first thought about writing this article, I had qualms about not having a clear laid out plan for it or even about being so candid about this, but now, I feel good. No, not judging the quality of the article, just reaching out to my heart, and it says it feels good.

I hope you could relate to this really abrupt chain of thoughts that I tried to make some sense out of, but above all, I hope reading this makes you look up to that activity that you think is a churning back of the cycle (of life? -living or not) and makes you happy about that small win of the day, for you.

Wish you an amazing Diwali, and lots of love and light! 🙂

P.S: I know there must be so many dimensions to this, and I feel even this might not be completely cohesive in many ways. So, if you have a perspective too, and would like to share or discuss, I would be more than happy to take it up. Also, I think I would write more on this, even if slightly on my articles, if not a proper article, in the future as well. So, do reach out, if you feel like. Thanks!