When We Forget How to Let Life Be

THE MORE WE AGE, the more stubborn we seem to become.

- By Srinath Sridharan

Not just in opinions, but in how we hold on to every little irritation that life throws at us.

Some of us mellow, yes. We soften around the edges. We begin to see the futility of friction. We make peace with the world and with ourselves. But they are the rarer kind. The rest of us? We dig in our heels, tighten our jaws, and prepare to wrestle with life every single day.

We Find Fault in Everything

It’s strange how we seem to think that life and others around us owe us a perfectly paved road. We argue with anyone who crosses our path. We fight over how things should be done, how people should behave, how the world should bend to our will. We find fault in everything – the weather, the news, the traffic, the neighbour's dog, the boss’s tone. We start to see a grand conspiracy of unfairness all around us. Every delay feels like disrespect. Every differing opinion feels like an attack.

We've Turned Stress into a Status Symbol

And then we wonder why we are tired all the time. Why peace feels so far away. Why every self-help book or counsellor keeps telling us to “let go” – as if letting go was a luxury we can’t afford. We seek out stress management courses, meditation retreats, and therapy sessions, not realising that much of our suffering comes from how fiercely we hold on to the trivial. We've forgotten how to let life just be.