Tilak Amitava Chowdhury

We are richer than a generation before but we arecway poorer than them when it comes to living life to the fullest. We are killing ourselves worrying, for stupid things that we don't even like. Materialism is a total loser, it loses money, peace of mind and happiness. There is so much to be happy and grateful for, why are we then so unhappy as a race?

Why are we humans so miserable in our lives? Our ancestors were not obese. They were not depressed. They didnot suffer from lifestyle diseases. We the generation of abundance are actually having nothing more than abundant miseries. We are missing the Sun, sweat under the Sun and that is what is making us miserable. We were never meant to sit and consume or scroll. We were meant for hunting, farming and rigorous work that pushed out physical limits. We are living longer but it's just prolonged miseries. Not happy lives. It's time to relook at thee way we live. So we live better and die with fulfilment

As I open my Instagram, I find posts on slow living and good life flooding my timeline.  Why do these guys even exist? They are not telling us anything new! They are telling us to do painting, pottery, reading and connecting. That is how we used to be! What changed? Where did Gucci and Armani enter our lives and made our happiness a miserable luxury? Today we are chasing things no one cares about. Do you actually remember the guy or girl who was inside your dream car? Do you even care? That person spent a fortune trying to look cool but we don't care. Life is not about chasing luxuries. Life is working for the basics and then being part of a community that helps you grow and thrive so you don't wait for weekends to live. You live daily. We are worrying ourselves to death. Where is the time to live? I hope we learn something from our ancestors who were half as rich as US but twice happier. God bless! 

When I worked in advertising as a young account manager, we had the facility that we could take a cab home after 9 pm. We had some regular cabs who waited on us. I remember one guy who always asked me questions and tried to strike a conversation. It was a harmless exchange of information. He used to tell me the kind of house he has back in his village, his family, his children and his life in the city. One day, he told me that he wanted his children to be like me - educated, working for a good company having a respectable life. He was doing well in life himself, but he didn't want his children to live like him  I always wonder - what really is respect? I wear good clothes, I eat at good restaurants and I travel well thanks to my corporate position. However, these are extremely temporary but for many it is the life they dream of.  I realised then and I remember till this date that be grateful for all that I have. I'm blessed beyond imagination. God is taking care of...

We are consuming like there is no tomorrow. Resources are limited but the desires are unlimited. Fuelling climate change and pollution that's irreversible. It's time we step back and think. Live simpler lives. Else it may be too late to return from the path of our own destruction.

Young Gautam Buddha had every luxury one could dream of. He was a prince living in a loving family. But he chose to take a leap of faith. He chose uncertainty. He chose a path of hardship. And became one of the greatest humans to walk on this earth. What an amazing inspiration. How many of us can dare to be like him 🙏