Just Turn Around!!!

Some of my friends requested me to write about few turn around cases I have observed in my life. This article is in response to that request. I have seen 5 Levels of turning around.

1) Taking 180 degree turn of directions in life.

2) Turning situations /relations /personality 180 degrees.

3) Turning around from outside-in to inside-out.

4) Turn around as observed in galaxy.

5) Turn around during every moment of life as the way of life.

Lets me explain each level in detail for you to get a better understanding.

1)      Taking 180 degree turn of directions in life: All of us have observed this in our life. Simplest example of it is when we go for a morning / evening walk this is the time when we are likely to see one of the two. Either shadows longer than our size or beautiful inspiring colors of the sun rising /setting right in front of us. Observing one should also make us aware of the presence of others behind us. Let us apply this fact to other situations in life. When we are starting a new relationship we see inspiring beautiful future in front of our eyes. Yet this is the very time when many of our past relations are getting shadowed behind us. In reverse case when we find that most of the relations in front of us are losing its shine and sparkle this is the very time when a new relationship is rising behind us. Now the learning here is to just turn around and acknowledge both with equal grace. The sun which is rising now is going to set within few hours so is the relationship. The unit of hours may vary to weeks or months or years in case of relationships. It is interesting to note that even when a relationship is about to end it spreads similar shine and shadow in our life. Hence use this time to appreciate both shadow and the shine and start preparing for the coming noon or night.

Everybody does that even birds, animals and the entire nature. It is an irony that so called intelligent human beings is caught unprepared when they face noon or night of a relationship. Instead of taking the sunrise /sunset of our relationship for granted, it is time to appreciate this phase of relationship as natural and work towards managing the next phase naturally. And the first step we take to do this is just turn around. Eg: I know a girl who showed her back to all her relations in order to marry a boy at a very young age. Though it was beautiful and inspiring during sun rise phase of their relation slowly and gradually tempers on both sides started rising to a boiling level. After a period of 15 years the couple realized the value of their earlier relations once they went through the usual struggling phase. Relationship finally reached a tipping point where the girl decided to turn around to the resting shade of her parents. On the surface it looks like a retreat yet actually it has turned her life around. Today she lives a far better quality of life in terms of self respect and serenity.

2)      Turning situations /relations /personality 180 degrees: To understand and nurture any relationship completely we should turn it around once in a while. This is because every coin has its two sides simultaneously. 

      In every situation threats and opportunities co-exist in equal proportion. Every relation has equal potential to be helpful or harmful. In every personality virtues and vices are present with equal intensity. We need to respect BOTH AND BEHAVE ACCORDINGLY. A true companion would not only understand and value all facets of the other with equal sensitivity, but also reciprocate with complementary facets of own personality .This requires care with courage to accept and love a person in totality. 

      Eg : I have witnessed a turned around relation between a senior and a junior. The relationship started with complete obedience by the junior and encouraging support by the senior. Though the junior rose to the level of peer very fast, the senior could not accept the peer facet of their relationship fast enough. The growth of the junior was sarcastically doubted and denied by the senior to retain his sense of superiority as compared to the junior. Obsessed by superiority complex senior was missing basic fact that the junior had become master in his own area of work. Naturally soon  the relationship started becoming suffocating for the junior and the companionship ended. Soon the junior turned around and created his own work space independent of the senior. Witnessing this has taught me a lesson that we need to respect the master within every soul. Never underestimate anyone. Labelling anyone ( as senior or junior ) can limit our own learning.

3)      Turning around from outside-in to inside-out: Most common example of this kind of turned around is of a seed. Yes it is made up of many contributions from outside - in .This includes contributions from parent tree, Sun, Soil ,Water, Air and so on…yet the life starts when it sprouts from inside out. In most cases a seed sprouts only after getting totally detached from the tree and when the fruit cover is highly dried, the moisture created by rain or water is adding fuel to fire of inside the seed. 

      For human example, Lets talk about us. Yes we too are made up of contributions from many. This includes Parents, teachers, sibling, friends, relatives etc….they have given us our identity outside-in .Yet our true identity gets revealed when we start experiencing the inner glow and then allowing it to express it to the outside world. In most cases we experience our inner glow during the darkest moment of our life esp. when we are totally detached with most of our emotional defenses /diversions are highly dried up. In such times even a drizzle of positivity can add fuel to the inner fire to express ones originality beyond the barriers of old self image. That is how character is build and success stories are made. 

4)    Turn Arounds as Observed in Galaxy: 

      If we look at the Galaxy with child like curiosity we see turn arounds happening at all levels - all in harmony. Each one is rotating around its own axis and at the same time revolving around its source on its own unique path. This observation itself offers us one significant realization about life. Every person is rotating around ones own identity and revolving around the larger Self ( family, community etc..) using its own unique path- in harmony with others. These turn around are natural and essential for sustaining life. Just like earth creates day and night, seasons through its own turn around. We create our good times and dark times through our own moods and Karmic cycles. The beauty is when we are moving on our own path , we all are in harmony with each other. At times it feels like someone else is causing eclipse in our lives, but the fact is someone is just turning around on his or her path. To get out of the eclipse is all we need to do is just continue to turn around our own path. The eclipse vanishes on its own without loosing harmony with each other.

5)      Turn Around during every moment of Life as the Way of Life : What is Life ? Life is about turning around, whether it is breathing cycle, blood circulation, etc..We are living because we are turning around. Its the way of life, it gives life to our body, relations our projects and every thing. Once we realize this, turning around becomes as natural as being in the flow. For that matter cycle of water itself is a clear example of continues turning around .The theory of Karma of what you sow so shall you reap is a continues cycle of soul evolution. It indicates whether we are conscious of it or not we are turning around at every moment .Now it is up to us to choose our own cause /path /direction to turn around with full awareness of self and full responsibility for harmony with others.

Wish you enjoy your journey and happily just turn around.  

Shilpa Savant Inamdar