Lights at the End of Tunnels

By: Neerja Caprihan

The festivals of lights, candles and fireworks come and go. They light up lives and rekindle rare cherished moments of joy and togetherness in an otherwise hectic world. They are the silver linings to the dark clouds that we occasionally feel surrounded by. They provide a temporary refuge, reminding us of all the things that give meaning to our lives. We get to re-energize ourselves and return to face the hustle and bustle all over again 

Let’s not forget though that dark and light go hand-in-hand, that one needs the other to show up, and be noticed. Sometimes there will be tunnels, and then there will be lights at its end. But what happens when the light at the end of a tunnel… is an oncoming train, as a pessimist or a realist would quip? In the face of a situation that is physically taxing or emotionally challenging, we can choose to either deal with it, or run away from it. One could bury one’s head in the sand like the proverbial ostrich, whatever its reasons. Alternatively, the human brain sometimes skips the options of fight and flight, and moves straight to freeze mode. It is actually a defense and survival mechanism that serves to conserve one’s sanity and energy. It gives you time to calm frayed nerves, replenish low reserves, and get a clearer perspective of the problem at hand.

That’s a shutdown then. It’s what the body does when you go into a fasting mode to allow the system to detox and reset from time to time. It’s what the brain and nervous system do when they face an intensely stressful or traumatic situation. It’s what we do to our mobile phones, laptops and the likes when they malfunction. It’s what happens to buildings, or roads, or tracks when there are ongoing repair works. It’s hopefully what a government shutdown sets out to achieve while lawmakers are debating the clarity or unity of their objectives.

However, pauses are only beneficial when they:

• are undertaken with a sense of determined purpose,
• kept time-bound,
• result in a renewal of motivation that leads to action

If the above principles are not kept in mind, a shutdown can sometimes cause the body, mind, gadget, building, road, track or nation to plunge into a decline with far-reaching consequences. A shutdown then becomes self-defeating.

One cannot prevent breakages and shutdowns. But it is good to be prepared. Start early, plan well and invest wisely. And then sit back and enjoy the fairy lights.

FOOTNOTES AND SOURCES:

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