A sudden, unanticipated happening paved the way for serious thoughts. The sunny skies did not foreshadow the rains, but heavy showers greeted us last Thursday evening. It rained uncontrollably. After the sweltering heat with temperatures rising up to 96 degrees during the day, the cooldown was indeed a welcome change. I commented that the rains would be good for the grass because the lawn needed watering.
Barely ten minutes after I had spoken, we heard something as loud as an explosion. It was unmistakably the sound of lightning. The next morning, we discovered that our neighbors across the street had a big tree struck by lightning.
The magnitude of the damage was pretty large, with bark pieces flying in different directions. The saving grace was that no one was hurt and that the houses were safe. The tree, which provided very good shade, now needs to be uprooted.
To beat the drought and the heat and for the vegetation to flourish, we wish for rain. And then when it pours relentlessly and excessively, other issues surface. Have we not heard about flooding, infrastructure damage, diseases, and even the loss of human lives when it rains without a pause?
A fine lesson emerged from this episode: too much of anything is obviously not good. This truth extends beyond the vagaries of nature into the macrocosm of life. I randomly picked a few scenarios to ponder upon.
An overdose of confidence
What advice is usually given to someone to build a successful career? To reach the pinnacle of success, you need to be hardworking and confident. And this is where confidence needs to be in the right measure. Being overconfident can make one rigid and not open to accepting other people’s ideas. One could possibly turn into a narcissist as a result. He or she might develop an “I know it all” attitude and in the process might end up taking the wrong strides. Not to forget the stress and frustration that might land on the doorsteps whenever one encounters challenges and unexpected outcomes.
Working hard does not mean being a workaholic
“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy,” goes the saying. Since we talk about gender equality, let me bring in the female equivalent too. We do not want Jacqueline to be a dull girl either! Jokes apart, it is very important not to be overly obsessive about the work you are doing and be totally unaware of what is happening around you.
The march for survival needs one to toil. No way is laziness advocated, but going overboard and doing more than one can handle takes a toll. Be cognizant of the fact that you are missing out on the joys the universe has to offer.
The entitled child
Parenting has no foolproof formula, and trial and error is a part of the game. Love is the most important ingredient as you build the recipe for raising a child, but setting boundaries is essentially important. Saying “yes” to everything a child asks for does not translate into love. It is overindulgence and makes the child feel entitled. They take everything for granted and do not learn to be grateful for what has been showered upon them. And more so, children expect that sort of treatment from everyone around them.
A Final Thought
Well, I now need to call it a day and not sound like some phony philosopher imparting life lessons! Yes, too much of anything is bad, be it emotions, ego, riches, intelligence, or anything under the sun. A quote attributed to famous interior designer Dorothy Draper rightly hits the nail: “Too much of anything is the beginning of a mess”. So let’s look for a balance as we move around in the carousel of life!
rashmi writes 