The pursuit of self – on the route of awareness

by Paroma Raychaudhuri

By nature, you experience many stages throughout life. As you undergo the process of metamorphosis, the value of life changes, especially as you get closer to break free of the cocoon and turn into a butterfly. This is the period in life where you leave your comfort zone, almost forced to become independent.

Children see the world as an opportunity, an adventure: they wish to “seize the moment”, whatever this moment may be. Whether it’s playing with toys or building a Lego castle or watching Arthur on TvoKids.

As a child, when posed the question: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” an expected response would be: superman, princess, fire fighter, bus driver, dentist, teacher, doctor etc. There is something they all have in common: The Hero, of course.

Unfortunately, as children grow and become pre-teen, factors such as celebrities, reality TV shows, and stereotypical personas become the norm. The current image of women in the spotlight, for instance, portrays sexuality and promiscuous experimentation; this is the example for girls to follow. These images might affect the perceptions and identifications of females, as well as anticipate sexual expectations from males. In the same respect, boys are given the image of what’s cool and what’s not. When a kid tries to imitate the TV, he becomes nothing more than a hollow persona. How many children will grow up to realize a persona can only take them so far? How many will breakdown within themselves, realizing they’re not fooling anyone?

How I view life:

Personally, I view life as a journey: A type of novel just waiting to be published. Books and life possess the same structure. You must first have a hero – you choose yourself as your hero or heroine. Then, the hero must have his eyes set on a destination. In many cases, you are reaching several destinations at the same time: the grocery store, first job, university, career, etc. But like everything else, it is not always as you originally intended. Both books and life have an underlined purpose. After undergoing several paths with trial and error, the intent of your quest is revealed: Self Awareness.

In life, you may realize many things: your purpose, desires, likes, dislikes, and personal tolerance. You may acknowledge control, not only on your own life, but also the impact this control has on others. If you do, you have a better understanding of your character and it’s easier to deal with actions and reactions of others. Only when you’re willing to accept your reflections without any make up will you truly understand and appreciate yourself: loving and living life to it’s fullest – happy, content, and eager to experience all you can.

If you learn from your emotions you will be able to channel them, choose how to act and react, and become stronger than the person you were the day before. There is no particular age for this awareness to happen, if it happens at all. It depends on the person.

People can be divided into three groups – those who make things happen, those who watch things happen and those who wonder what happened.

– Nicholas Murray Butler

To understand which group you belong to you must feel – not physically, but emotionally. What type of person are you: a leader, follower or a wonderer?

The way you carry yourself determines which group you fall under. How will you react to a problem? Will you challenge and defy expectations set on you, believing you are more than you appear? Will you look at the situation rationally and compromise? Or will you remain ignorant, conforming to any idea presented to you?

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.

– Martin Luther King Jr.

It is your passions that let you make a difference, thereby making you a leader.

You believe there is a bright light in a dark tunnel and demonstrate your passion by proving to those around you that miracles can be man made. You strive to conquer, leaving competition defeated, challenge possibilities presented at a fork in the road by making a path for others to follow. You are the leader of today and tomorrow. You choose to make the difference.

Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be.

– George Sheehan

It is with hollow faiths and trusts of a better tomorrow that you become a follower.

As a follower, you witness different changes going about without voicing personal opinion. You accept the very things that made your lives grand or tragic, knowing you took no part in its success or in its defence. Living life thinking everything will fall according to plan makes living pointless, doesn’t it? Why live to eventually die with the same satisfaction you’ve had all your life – none.

Courage is … the judgment that something else is more important than fear. The brave may not live forever but the cautious do not live at all.

– Meg Cabot

It is blissful ignorance that only lets you comprehend conformity which will forever shape your tomorrows. You deny the chance to live by your own rules, thereby making you a wonderer. You have the choice to conform to society: by letting the opinions of others have control over your beliefs you lose identity. It’s a shame people allow their minds to be manipulated, whether in regards to clothing, music, or lifestyle. Living a life under someone else’s rules is merely playing the role of a puppet; every action determined by the pull of a string.

What do you look for? What do you wish to accomplish? These are questions that dominate everyday life. If you are able to answer confidently then you truly know yourself. It’s not enough to simply accept the face reflected from a mirror. Valuing the reflection before you, bearing no cover-up, will only happen once you have achieved self-awareness. It is then that you have faced your demons and come to terms with who you are. It is then that you can see the deeper meaning in life and realize how beautiful our world is. It is with this awareness that you can make not only a difference in your life, but also in the lives around you.

Paroma Raychaudhuri is a first-year music student at Carleton.