By Pooja Marwah
We live in a world where everyone is seeking attention. Everyone wants to master the art of storytelling, poetry or prose. Everyone wants to be heard, to be seen, to be known.
But in this, do you not believe that you would be absolutely okay if you were on the other side, actively listening to them talking, actively understanding pain through their voices or relatively seeing the person behind the masked faces! Do you not think that being a listener is actually a feeling of great empowerment; for you are the one that is actually ensuring that they are heard!
Life currently sort of feels like Mumbai local trains at rush hour. Everyone is clambering over each other to get into that compartment to reach home. Everyone has an innate sense of urgency of getting somewhere. And getting on that train, at that very moment is of paramount importance to everyone on that platform!
In this commotion, if you were to step back and busy yourself with a book or a meal; if you were to divert your attention to something else to help you tide over this time, you would eventually get to your destination, albeit in a calmer, less frenzied state of mind. Don’t you agree?
In today’s attention driven world, there is an immensely profound power that lies in being a listener. Not only does it exhibit empathy and compassion, but also plays a vital role in fostering a deep connection, personal growth and understanding. Of course, this doesn’t mean you passively absorb everything the internet has to offer. What it does is highlight the importance of discernment—understanding which direction we are headed.
Technology hasn’t taken over our lives; it has become an interesting companion that helps, teaches and understands that it will always require our presence. Similarly, attention is a wonderful feeling, an absolute high, but without our active participation, how deeply can it truly bask?
All of us are here to reach a destination that is going to be solely ours. Some call it a goal, some call it fame and some merely refer to it as life. Either way, the one thing to remember is that it will happen, albeit on its own time. It isn’t a race, it isn’t a path… all it is, is a moment. And this accumulation of moments is what you will have when you reach.
I admit there are times when frustrations peak and a part of me just wants to be on the local at that frenzied time. But what I am most grateful for is that, when the moment subsides and I see the empty deserted platform, I feel a sense of calm descend assuring me I have made the right choice.
I wouldn’t call myself a storyteller; for I am actually just a story. I know I have the ability to be seen and heard, as much as I have the ability to see and hear. So, in life, I absolutely love the fact that you empower me, just as much as I empower you.
(Pooja Poddar Marwah is an award winning author and Blogger. She writes an contemporary living and offers incisive reflections on the world around us. Her blog, Random Conversations is a go to guide to deal with the myraid stuggles we face each day.)
