The Balance – think twice nish

‘What’s your name?’

‘Nisha’

‘What’s your full name’

‘Nisha Navgire’

‘Okay, so what are you?’

This question expects a certain answer, and if it doesn’t receive it, there are high chances of the person asking it being offended. And I can definitely have a degree at offending people in this context as my answers usually don’t fit in what is expected.

And this is precisely why I avoid all social gatherings. These gatherings are highly important to my mom. An example can be the wedding of x person who is related to me in a chain which is perhaps more complicated than the political situation in this country.

The situation above is a tiny glimpse of the kind of social pressure to be boxed into a religion. If not what you believe in, the thing that satisfies such questions is what were you born into. But, if I don’t believe in the religion I was born into, what’s the point of telling it?

I believe there has to be a space, where in a person can speak up and say, I don’t understand my or any religion and I don’t wish to either. A person anywhere around this world should be given a choice to know, understand, learn and grow in a religion he or she wants to.

Twenty two or sixty two, it’s okay to not know what your religion is, what faith you belong to. I didn’t for the longest and I am still not sure if I do. It is really fine.

Just as education in this country which is ‘take it all in and please vomit it in exam’ religion is too. It is ‘take it all in from the time you are born and vomit it all over till you die.’ I envy the very few friends I know who were part of families where they could question, understand, learn and grow into the religion they were born into.

These guys are the most sorted as they completely understand what they believe in and why and also have total understanding of the ‘co-existence of various religions.’

I was only born into a religion, the latter part of knowing, understanding didn’t really happen. I was supposed to figure it out myself. I began my quest to find the ‘perfect’ religion to imbibe. Only to realize such a thing doesn’t exist.

Over twenty something years on this planet I realized there is no perfect religion as each has been at the end made by a human. And no human can be perfect, there has to be loop holes. After I figured this, I decided to take the good out of each religion I come across, over the years I live.

But the next question is does God exist? If religion at its base is made by humans, is God fictional to human minds or a reality known to few? This is where for me the word, balance comes into play.

You can be completely from the side of science and might deny the existence of God, or believe in its existence from all your heart and soul, but if you are neither, if you have related to the text above these two paragraphs then balance is the word for you.

In the flowing river, in the steady mountains, in the crawling clouds, in the flying birds, in the tiniest insect and the biggest mammal, in each of these and much more that I have witnessed of nature, is where for me God dwells in.

So for me there exists God, but I still am not sure of my religion. And question here really is why, why does one need a religion? There can be many answers to it, a general one I wish to consider here is for humans to live in a fashion which helps them last on this planet for long and in harmony.

If the above has to be considered as a base, I believe I have found my religion. My God is dwelling in nature. Main motto of my religion is humanity. And for humans to live longer on this planet, protecting it the way it has always been.

This all can make sense to you or not, point for this explanation of my frame on this subject if for you to grasp balance in this situation. Is for you to understand that in a society where on basis of religion there is violence and ever increasing intolerance I wish for you to have balance. A balance of understanding what your faith is (if there is) and what you behave in the name of this faith.

So what are you? What do you believe in?
Let’s share ideas on this, DM me on Instagram @nishanavgire

I never found myself to be a complete introvert, or completely an extrovert. But after a bit of research I found this quote and it made me feel better. “There is no such thing as a pure introvert or extrovert.” Carl Jung. He proposed that each individual has both introverted and extroverted side and it depends on what takes predominance over the other.

Jung said that there is middle and its being an Ambivert. An ambivert is a person who has a balance of the traits of an introvert and extrovert. For example, a person, who requires and enjoys time with self, such a person also rejoices time with people.

Yes, I am this personality type, I need my time and I also need time with people. I was so glad to know this. And this is one of the reasons why, I either am into a person and share everything I wish or I am not at all. Being an ambivert is why I either come out to be as introverts to some people and extroverts to few.

I am still in contact with the guide I met in Manali but I am not with ‘friends’ from school. The people I travel with know a different me than my friends from college. The bond I share with mom is similar to two of close friends. I recently connected to a person from college, outside of college. I am in touch with only two people from school and share a unique bond with both.

We all connect to different people on different levels. Each connection is special in its own way. It need not be boxed in to friends, close friends, best friends, family etc.

You just know it when you connect to someone. It can be in a train journey, in a party, in a formal meeting anywhere. It is also the other way round. You just know it when you don’t connect with someone and there is some friction. Best example can be that one friend in your entire college group you don’t talk to, share with or in my words ‘feel connected’ with.

I have lost people in my life because I stopped feeling connected to them on any level. For good or bad I don’t know, but there wasn’t a thing that made me stay in touch. I did try to on many levels but it didn’t work. This is when I started living on the word connection more than friendship.

In this fast paced life why pressure oneself and make promises of being there when you know apart from a few people you really can’t be there for all?

You be there in need for someone and that’s enough. This need can be of someone you just met in train or knew for years from school, what matters is being there at the right time, being approachable. This also helps you to be detached and not dependent.

We as a generation are growing up to be more virtual. The need to share what you are doing and with whom is becoming more important than what you actually are doing. We are at one point all guilty of some event we went to where we did nothing but update it on social media.

The important point here to be aware of what one is doing. And try to strike a balance between being in the virtual and connecting in the real world, being there for people in real and acknowledging the power of the virtual. Just like an ambivert who balances the introvert and extrovert traits, the need of the day is to balance the real and virtual.

Know when to be in real and how to use the virtual for your benefit
and life will become magical wherever you head to.

Category: The Balance

The Balance – I