Answers to life’s key questions.

“Why is there no ‘Life 101’ course taught in school?” someone lamented. “It would be so much easier to handle life then.” Maybe we need to look at this question from another angle: “Why on earth are so many ‘Life 101’ fallacies taught in school? It makes life so much more difficult to handle.”

Happiness, we are taught, is assured if an invisible life script is followed. The success of this myth is based on people forsaking control of their lives. They follow the script faithfully, devoting major portions of their lives doing what they don’t enjoy doing, despite feeling rather incomplete. They believe they must, to live the ‘good life’ – one based solely on material acquisitions. And then they propagate it to young, clean minds because this is all they know. ‘This is how it has always been,’ they say, with a knowing smile.

These narratives are propagated by those who benefit from them based on their life priorities. Isn’t it time to flip this script and start asking questions that benefit you instead? You can get there by asking the right questions at every turn in your life. We need to ask the hard questions first to get to a place where we can ask ourselves the easier ones.

“The more often a stupidity is repeated, the more it gets the appearance of wisdom.” – Voltaire

Is my time here unlimited?

Ask yourself this question every day. It is the foundation on which you can build answers to your other questions.

The great Indian epic ‘Mahabharata’ contains a question and answer session between two characters. One question is: “What is the greatest wonder on earth?” The answer: “Humans are mortal and see others dying. Yet, they think and act as if they are immortal. What can be more wonderful?”

It is estimated that more than (approximately) 100 billion people have died before us. No cure has been found for mortality. Yet here we are, living every day as if we are infinite beings, frittering away time on trivialities.

Am I spending the largest chunks of my time doing what makes me feel more complete?

If yes, you are probably self-employed or in a position where you can delegate. If not, you are likely in a place with no control over your time. Often, one task follows another without much thought. This busyness happens because we don’t recognize how precious time is. Be possessive and conscious of your time. Schedule time to learn or develop a skill you love. Keep at it until you get to a place of ‘yes’ to this question.

Either way, stagnation can grow on you if you restrict yourself to the same circle and environment. Consider ways to ‘shock’ yourself by moving out of your usual circles into places where people respect you for who you are, without expectations or preconceived notions.

Is this indispensable or irreplaceable?

When you need to make key life decisions, ask yourself ‘Is this indispensable or irreplaceable? Can I do without it?’ The answers might surprise you. No one is indispensable, including you. Humans learn to cope well without a person or with the loss of a dear one. They move on.

Your health is indispensable and irreplaceable. Prioritize it. It will empower you to attain all those very replaceable material things.

“In three words, I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life. It goes on.” – Robert Frost

Why am I not acting?

Is it fear of failure or making mistakes? Fear of the unknown? Fear of not having enough? Fear of letting go? Fear of… you get the idea. Fear is like having rigor mortis while you are alive. Face your fears. Work on ways to minimize them. Take charge of yourself.

We can use fear to motivate (even terrorize) ourselves to action. Look around and observe those who have stagnated. They are the ones who indulge in endless intellectual jargon that sounds complicated. This helps protect them from questions on the essential meaninglessness of what they speak about. They seem to have all the answers but rarely ask questions. Why should they when they already know everything? They have Life 101 worked out for you based on their priorities.

Do you fancy becoming like them? If you are considering action, probably not. When you face your next challenge, you might find it hard to open the door in front of you. Kick aside your fear and shove open it anyway. There’s so much more on the other side to learn from and experience.

What do I need to get rid of?

Would you tolerate an annoying stranger in your house? Then why do you allow toxic thoughts to dominate your mental space? Greet toxicities as they check in, acknowledge them, and check them out. Come to terms with whatever you perceive as bad or negative in life. Avoiding it will only make you feel worse. A mental cleanse is critical for mental clarity and a better life.

Once you open up your mental storage space, feel free to ask yourself: “What do I need to introduce to improve the quality of my life?” More life questions and answers will emerge – a thousand tributaries branching out from the main ones racing around in your mind.

There is no ready-made ‘Life 101’ factsheet. You need to write it based on your unique experience of life and by understanding yourself better. Life doesn’t wait for anyone. Live it fully and live it your way. But never stop asking those questions.

“Ask yourself at every moment. Is this necessary?” – Marcus Aurelius