Why To Do Anything At All

"What is life, if full of care

 We have no time, to stand and stare"

        ~William H. Davies


In our lives, we keep running and rushing about, fretting over things, people, relations and responsibilities. But do we ever stop to think about what, and more importantly, *why*, are we doing those things in the first place? So, for a moment, let's just stop to stand and stare.


Let's look at the life of a regular, simple, ambitious person. You wake up in the morning, freshen up, get ready for the day. Whatever goals you have, maybe getting a degree, maybe becoming a sports star; you work towards it. When you are done for the day, you unwind, rest, and repeat this in the days to follow. Well, fast forward a few years. You got the degree, and since a 9-5 isn't popular anymore (it's bashed unfairly so if you ask me), let's say you have a well funded startup. Happy investors, happy clients. Now what, you want to be the next big thing, the next Facebook maybe. Okay, you got that, then what. Now you're a Bill Gates type of a person. Unending money, power, fame etc. Now what do you do? Think about it, you're still just a regular person. Same old hunger, same old fatigue, same old bodily desires, same old sleep.


What did you do all of this for? Happiness? Well, let's assume you are happy (see? we even have to assume this), but is that it? Was this the only way to be happy? What if you never did your degree, but something else? Would you not have been happy then? Being happy is just a state of mind after all. And survival (just staying alive) in today's world isn't that tough. Get a job that can get you food and shelter, or, eat in Gurudwara langars, stay in charitable community houses. Because, isn't that enough?


Just think about another person now. He didn't get a degree. Hell, he didn't even finish school properly. His Dad had a tea stall, he worked with him. As he grew, he took over the shop and continued his Dad's stall. And that's it. Now what. Is he less happy? No, it's just a different life. How is he different from the former case? Well of course they have varying levels of convenience, but think about it, does it even matter to him.


So why do we fret so much about what we do, what we get, where we reach, when it doesn't actually matter? In the longer run, does it matter whether you lived in an AC room or just a fan ventilated room, as long as you're alive?(because post that everything is pointless). How does it even matter? Nothing will ever matter. Whether you were the popular kid or the most despised one, whether you were the richest person on the block or the poorest. It simply doesn't matter.