YOUNG MINDS 06
The Inside Story
Storytelling is
an amazing manifestation of a person’s exploration and expression of private
emotions, imagery and fantasies, and it is arguably the most interesting way to
bring out the various layers of a character, either mundane or complex. If you
think about it, very few could stand to observe a cat chasing after potential
meals all day long if that cat and the potential meal aren’t Tom
and Jerry!
Given the
exceeding self-preoccupation that people often demonstrate, it may be assumed
that there is one story that everyone cherishes and nurtures more than all
others: their own. A story of their own life crafted in a mosaic of moods,
thoughts, moments, relationships and lessons that are experienced. It has to be said that many of us would love
the supreme flattery of being immortalised through a magnificent telling of the
individuals that we are and the refreshing idiosyncratic ways in which we feel,
perceive, aspire and desire in poetry set to a tune!
Since not all of
us stand a chance of getting our incredible life stories published in print, we
can nonetheless engage in creating our own ode starting with the wonderful
enterprise of introspection. Otherwise called self-reflection, introspection
entails withdrawing into our own private worlds for a while, away from the
commotion of everyday dialogues and interactions, to take a look inwards.
Spending some time with oneself to think about the different emotional
responses, thoughts and actions you engaged in can offer you a ‘downtime’, a
space to understand the days’ events and accommodate them in your rich inner
life.
Such periods of
reflection can throw up some wonderful insights about yourself that you weren’t
aware of before. They offer an opportunity for one to shape their own principles. For instance, while deliberating
upon a scene you had with a dear friend in which you had a difference of
opinion, you may think of two things: one, difference of opinion with a close
friend can hurt, and two, friendship can withstand any number of differences as
long as there is mutual acceptance of each other as they are. You will be
surprised at how many more simple ‘mantras’ of life you can come up with on
your own terms that suits your life and relationships best because, let’s face
it, we are not going to adhere to something that comes from others’ experience
as much as we will if it is from our own.
There are
several activities that facilitate introspection such as maintaining a personal
journal, music, art, or anything else that takes your focus away from outside
and within yourself. As one goes along with the ebb and flow of a tune, paint
brush, or a dance beat, one remains self-aware and is able to express inner
conflicts, worries, happiness or even confusion in a positive manner, giving
rise to the satisfaction that one understand oneself a little better at the end
of the day. The level of self-awareness than you can enjoy through
introspection greatly improves your sense of self and emotional maturity. Once
we have figured out our preferences and ideals, controlling and mastering our
emotions becomes easier and adaptive behaviour is made possible in challenging
situations.
You don’t have
to be an aspiring spiritual leader to engage in introspection! It is easy to
lose ourselves in a world that is full of the noises of others’ opinions and
dictates. All it takes is a quiet corner and a little soul searching to find
yourself at the centre of your very own story.
SANGEETHA MADHU & JYOTHI RAVICHANDRAN,
THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS- SCHOOL EDITION
