Crayons

After a lengthy hiatus, another blog graces your screens. Wondering why the delay? Well, we needed some real-life experiences to spice things up. What kind of experiences, you ask? The kind that adds flavor to life, my friend. See, the stuff I dish out here isn't just random musings from a personal 'Make my pains go away' diary. It's a collection of real-life tales, either mine or someone else's, observed firsthand. Sometimes, I even ask my nearest and dearest about their trials and triumphs. Makes me sound like a cameraman, right? Well, guilty as charged, but hey, it's all learnings.

Now, let me break tradition and give you a peek into my writing process. It's been ages since I last opened up like this. Today's blog is a flashback to all the highs and lows of 2024. And let me tell you, the events of this year have been a rollercoaster ride – chaotic, disorganized, and brimming with surprises. There were moments when I felt like the hero of my own story, basking in love and admiration, and then there were times when I felt like I had a one-way ticket to 'Empty Mind, Devil's Playground' town. 

But enough about me, let's dive into the main event – 

why the title 'Crayons'?

Picture this: You've just bought a fresh pack of crayons, and you're brimming with artistic ambition. You sketch out something beautiful with your pencil, and then comes the moment of truth – coloring time. It's make or break. Either your masterpiece turns into a work of art like Monalisa, or it ends up dumped in the trash. Sound familiar? Our emotions work the same way. We approach life with a certain mindset, and the outcome can either exceed our wildest dreams or leave us scratch our heads in guilt, frustrations and uncontrolled emotions.

 The crayon is just like our emotions, they are in colours, shades and they can end too. The tremendous anger that once we were having on someone we truly love can vanish withing seconds the moment we meet them. The crayon has a color, and we pick it as needed for the painting. We think that if we choose the perfect color for the perfect sketch, then the painting will be amazing. But, here's the kicker:

                                                     Image credits Unsplash

Does a painting always have only one color?

Our life is the same; it needs different colors in different aspects. I can't help but wonder how someone sounds when he says he needs a particular personality type to be happy or peaceful in life. For instance, a buddy of mine was recently going on about her needing to be practical, self-loving, and logic-based to avoid problems and problematic people. Seriously? Can anyone be all that, all the time? No way! If you ask me, it's impossible to be self-loving 24×7 or to act mature all the time. And nobody can always behave like they don't care about anyone else. Let's face it, life's a mix of emotions and feelings. We feel too cared about a person, we feel to attached about one, we feel too sympathetic to someone and yet we feel really neutral about few. It's always a mix.

Why can't we stay on X-axis forever?

Everyone we're close to ends up hurting us at some point. It's not that they mean to; it's just the way things pan out sometimes. Take someone who used to adore you; now, they're irritated by every little thing you do. It's like the rainbow of crayons suddenly turned gray. But hey, life's all about adapting, right? You either repaint with the gray crayons or grab a new set. Yeah, some might argue, "Why bother? Just buy new crayons?" But think about what your sketch really needs. If gray works, go for it; if not, move on.  Some say why can't we bring back the original colours, well you probably have tried doing that most probably and you know it's complicated. But if it's possible then try your best. Make them understand. These 'made me down' things will happen all the time and will always go +Y and -Y. It's just impossible to be on X-axis.

Shades 

People often say they gave their all, loved with all their heart, tried their best, and still came up short. But here's the thing: life isn't a monochrome picture. It's full of shades and nuances. Just like a flower isn't just one shade of red, life isn't just one thing. Sometimes we take things too seriously, forgetting that some parts need a light touch. It's like painting a sunny spot with dark colors and then wondering why it looks unrealistic. Don't give too much attentions where it is not required and to whom it is not deserved.

                                                      Image credits Unsplash

Should we stop expecting from life?

Of course not! Expectations keep life interesting. But let's be real; not everything is in our control. If there's a chance, go for it with all you've got. But if it's a long shot, maybe rethink things. And if it doesn't work out, don't beat yourself up over it. It was impossible to reach but you already covered 90% path, now please don't cry for that unreached 10%. You gave it your best shot, and that's really admirable.

His crayons are cooler than mine!

We're all guilty of comparing ourselves to others. But here's the thing: everyone's journey is different. Sure, your neighbor might have something you don't, but so what? Life's not a competition. Focus on what you have and how you can make the most of it. You might not have everything now, but that doesn't mean you won't in the future. I mean, why hurry? 

                                                      Image credits Unsplash

His sketch looks better than mine.

So what? Instead of getting down about it, why not improve yours?

One question for everyone.

Why are we always comparing ourselves to others? Why not focus on our own journey and celebrate our victories, no matter how small? Life's too short to worry about what everyone else is doing. Embrace your uniqueness and enjoy the ride. Enjoy the paintings of yours and become the picasso of your own drawings, have a control over your crayons, use the colours and shades wisely. Don't waste a special colour on a painting which just doesn't deserve that colour and try to understand the colour theory of life, these crayons can teach a lot if you understand.