The Point of Blogging

The title of the blog says it all ... trying to pen some random flights of thought process. Well what's the use ... nothing really. But writing down or rather as is the wont now a days typing out has a purgatory efffect from too much randomisation affecting clarity of thought. It is said that keeping a diary is a healthy mental practice. Lack of discipline or probably more than that the vascillation about what to write and what not to that has dissuaded me from maintaining one. The good thing is that it lets one articulate bring certain harmony to the thinking and in the process helping one understand a bit better.

To think about it, how much do we know really about ourselves, in the sense about the true reasons behind our thoughts, actions, behaviour etc etc. All the time in company with others we consciously or otherwise try to keep projecting an image, a sense of make beileve which eventually we start believing as our true self. The pressures from family, friends, peers, colleagues and the society at large imagined or otherwise in a fast changing world just makes us a twig in a swirling stream bobbing along the highs and lows. It is terrifying to think how much little control do we have on the directions of our life ... like a cosmic drama of which we are a player ... some more expendable some less. Truly life is so much full of day to day cares and owrries about existential realities that like Davies said there is "No time to stand and stare". The key is the trappings of the success we run after through our life, be in the social, professional or even spiritual sphere keep dissolving into a set of mirages so long as we igonre the key question as to why we are running after them! Possibly one should follow the cliched dictum "Do what you are passionate about or you like!" Easy to preach, hard to practice not withsitanding the plethora of self help books screaming at you about the latest cure all from Amazon or any of the traditional book stalls. Not that there is anything wrong with the remedies they peddle, but unfortnately there are no silver bullets, 10 commandments or 7 ways or whatever to escape sinking into the quagmire of chasing mirages. This is because the self itself is not immutable as the pole star, it keeps changing to external influences, pulls and pushes, pleasures and pains as we go along. These changes are inevitable, but the key is to if not control but then at least be aware of the changes and the agents causing them.

So what is the connection with maintaining a diary and this! To think about it at the end of the day to make some sense of it all a diary offers that mental space to sit back and analyse! Its like the twig in the torrent getting its monentary respite on a sand bank and amazing at the chaotic activity around it before the next wave comes crashing in on another ride. All of us through the mundane routines of the daily life get flashes of thought now and then, some profound most others banal, some which reinforce our beliefs while some which force us to question them. Hidden in these multitudes of thoughts lie nuggets which could unravel why we are the way are, but these get hidden in the layers of mental dust. It is the period of penning the thoughts that we give a chance to ourselves to unravel the happenings, to pickup the nuggets, to study the sign posts which give us a glimpse of who we are and what we could/should be. It is this realisation that will hopefully bring a sense of harmony a purpose and direction, be ever changing that may be, that will give energy to pursue and sense of fulfillment on achieving the goals. Again the devil is in the discipline required to introspect and meaningfully act upon the insights! Keeping up with the modern times blogging is an as effective tool as the old diary I suppose, what with the additional value of feedback from friends! I hope that I do keep at it, time and fickleness of mind permitting and make these blogs more than just a poor attempt at existential philosophy!