Why bother? Just Chuck it.
Konkan Railway is a blessing for people living in the Konkan belt. Especially for Keralites, since earlier we had to take the Jayanti Janata express from Mumbai that went through 5 states and took almost two days to reach Kerala. There used to be a shortage of drinking water as bottled water was not seen much at that time. The most tiring part was travelling through dry barren land and rocky mountains for 1 full day, with such terrible heat. The effect of travelling was so much that even after reaching our place, we would still feel the movement of the moving train.
With the emergence of Konkan Railways in the 1990s, travel time cut down to less than 24 hours and the icing on the cake was the visual treat we had throughout the journey.
In this panoramic stretch of 736 km, there were 94 pitch dark tunnels and more than 2000 bridges spread over the lush green valleys, streams, rivers and waterfalls. By the time we come to an end of gazing at the incredible Sahyadris covered with fluffy clouds, here we enter into my most favourite place, Goa, with a view of some pristine beaches and then the rivers as you cross Mangalore.
As I enjoyed looking at the wonder outside my window, I remember getting disturbed and distracted by people checking with the pantry boys and TCs if the train is on time or running late. And if it is, a union is formed from nowhere and without realising, slowly, the ‘Blame Game’ starts.
And as they get better at the game, from blaming the government, to the railway system, to corruption; there’s nothing they miss to add spice to the conversation. You can feel their anger and irritation for the train running an hour or two late. Sometimes it can be a lot of fun to be a fly on the wall during such discussions. And I was lucky enough to witness this every time I travelled by train. Thus, watching and observing human behaviour became my favourite timepass unintentionally.
The question is if the train is late can you do anything about it? Can you do anything now to change the situation? Do you have the authority to enter into motor man’s cabin and drive it faster? The answer is a Big Fat NO. Then why bother? Why not chuck it and enjoy the journey, or the company of fellow passengers, read a book, watch a movie, or simply take a nice nap. There are so many options available to be in a happy mood. But, what do they choose? They find ways to be anxious, impatient or be in complaining mood.
To do something about it, they can either take a flight on their way back or maybe take some action by writing to the higher authorities of Railways requesting a better service. But, if you feel that nothing can be done, THEN WHY SPOIL YOUR MOOD?
Similarly, I listen to people complaining about the hot weather of Mumbai and how sweaty and humid it is. They wait for the rains. Once it’s raining, then they complain about how irritating it is to travel with an umbrella and about getting wet. Then, they desperately wait for winter and once winter arrives, the same people would complain about the smog, pollution, how difficult it is to breathe and how difficult it is to wake up because of the cold weather.
Again, the question is, what can you do about it? Can you change the weather? Do you have any control over the problem? So, why complain?
If we observe closely, every person will have a complaint about something or the other for which they have no control of. It could be our boss, our job, the government, health and so on. We just keep complaining.
And that eats up a lot of our happiness time. We allow ourselves to be disturbed and bogged down with worry or depressing thoughts. Next time if you catch yourself doing this, take a moment and ask. Do I have the power to change it? If Yes, Great! Go ahead,take action and change it.
But, if the answer is No. Then why bother?
Complaining has become an illness. So, just chuck it and reclaim your happiness, reclaim your peace and reclaim your joy!! All the best for catching yourself and being a fly on the wall for such future discussions. Save your energy and mood. Have fun!!
Enjoy life!! Be happy!!
Happiness Coach
Rajesh Rajan.
