HAKUNA MATATA
Have you wondered why you cannot be a Pumba or Timon singing Hakuna Matata in Lion King (which roughly translates into — there are no troubles/worries)? Have you ever got this feeling of why life is always hard for me? Do you feel like you are treading a path , without knowledge of where it will exactly lead?
Have you felt that that the world around you is rapidly progressing , and here you are in this dynamic and ever-changing universe, always catching up? Do you feel low in the societal hierarchies because your peers eat at pizza hut, shop at Phoenix , communicate via Apple, have a husband/wife/kid?
Do you begin and end every day with a sigh? Ha! Now you must be sighing at the number of questions I am troubling you with. But please wait for moment or two. If you choose to break this cycle here is rule no :1 from Jordan B Peterson’s famous work — 12 rules for life. (Trust me , I am no fan of these motivational speeches and the self-help genre. But this particular one did wonders in my life, as it gave psychological and biological backing with coherent and convincing arguments. It is a must read.)
Rule no: 1 — “stand up straight, with your shoulders back”
You must be thinking that I am kidding. But no.
Have you ever have craved to walk upright , against the wind. With your body experiencing the sudden or gentle embrace of nature. If you are born in a traditional Indian family , in a village , where walking upright is considered a way to rebel , you would definitely know what it is.
Ok now, let me not be biased in saying that it is a specifically rural phenomenon. If you have stood in signals , where men (and probably women too) tend to gaze at the confidence that you display in handling a vehicle, and tend to overtake as soon as the green signal is on, with a wide smile as though he/she has gotten better in societal hierarchy, you will know what I am talking about.
Being on our own, having our body upright without drooping and hunching, is the greatest threat we can pose to another individual and extrapolating further, to society.This is because standing up physically also implies standing up metaphysically. It means that you have accepted the challenges in “being” human . It means you are responsible enough to hold yourself together, whatever come may. This is also a prescription from our Tamil Poet Bharathiar.
“நிமிர்ந்த நன்னடை நேர்கொண்ட பார்வையும்,
நிலத்தில் யார்க்கும் அஞ்சாத நெறிகளும்,
திமிர்ந்த ஞானச் செருக்கும் இருப்பதால்
செம்மை மாதர் திறம்புவ தில்லையாம்”
- பாரதியார்
Peterson in his book successfully describes why we persistently feel low, anxious, unsuccessful and incompetent. This is best explained with the behaviour of lobsters.
The lobsters in the marine environment, closer to the sea floor, tend to fight with their competitors for prey and shelter. Yes, just like every species fights for its’ survival.
The lobster X which wins the fight with a lobster Y becomes the star of its Crustacean clan.X gets a lot of prey thereafter , because the other lobsters barely fight with him after having seen his brutal strength. X also enjoys a lot of female attention.
But alas! What happens to the Y lobster? It might turn out to be the last battle for him(because it is reluctant to fight anymore) or it carries its own experience and never again exercises its complete potential due to perceived inefficiency and improbability of defeating a former winner.
Either way Y buries itself just like we humans do , out of shame and disgust. I was like a lobster in this narrative after my UPSC Interview failure. We all have such incidents. Worst of all, we tend to let this temporary state of mind culminate into a viciously cyclical narrative of victimhood/aggressor.
This is best explained by Peterson using Agoraphobia. When a person is driven by fear , the more he could land up in clinical depression and anxiety. If he starts the day with fear, he is scared of driving, parking, hitting someone (haha… yes exactly like Thenali Kamala Hasan, on a lighter note). If some unfortunate instance validates his fear on road, he might never want to go out of his house for days together, fearing a less likely road accident of the same design.
But what is to be noted here is that, anxiety is not something, that one could never overcome. What we experience, the gush of Adrenaline, the unusual heaviness in our body, the uncalled for tightness and peril in our face and disproportionate emotions and outbursts are the consequence of nothing but our hormones.
Yes higher Serotonin and lower Octopamine marks a victorious Lobster. Higher Cortisol and Higher Norepinephrine characterises the anxious human beings. The Cortisol spike in Human beings could be attributed to the increased activity of AMYGDALA (conventionally known as the fear center of human brain) and decreased Hippocampal (memory center) activity.
Oh come on! Now don’t pullout your phones to check out the best psychiatrist in your city or fall prey to the big pharma’s propaganda. (if you have encountered some traumatic incidents, then you should avail yourself some help). But for others, who don’t suffer from any clinical symptoms of depression and anxiety, you are just a step away from breaking the cycle.
Yes. Your magical wand is in your hand. You just have to sleep on time. Eat on time. Try to have a proper routine. Now I am not tying to be your mommy! But it’s time we realise atleast these are the antediluvian words of wisdom that our traditions and familial structures have retained for good (not to deny other pathologies they encompass).
A good sleep is equal to a pill because all the negative emotions studied by scientists are tightly tied to the proper cyclical Circardian rhythm. Similarly the right food at the right time nourishes your body, which is why Annamaya Kosha in Yoga is a primary pillar in the exploration of the interplay between the mind, body and life force. If you still want to eat a lamb burger at 10pm, I am not going to stop you.
But this time at 10 pm, before you swiggy it, why don’t you just give a chance to your GUT BRAIN to decide rather than your frequently used brain enclosed in your cranium? Gut Brain/ Enteric Nervous System is where 95% of your serotonin (needed for your mood regulation) is stored and controlled. It is associated to your gastrointestinal health and hence your moods.
Good food , good environment and good sleep can allow your Sympathaetic nervous system (fight or flight response system) to be employed in appropriate and necessary situations. Thereby, it could enhance the activity of the Parasympathetic nervous system , resulting in deep relaxation.
If you still find yourself at a lowly status , despite of good health, it is time to dwell deeper. Nature has always had the dominance hierarchies. It is a truism of biology that evolution is conservative. Not many traits are selected by nature. The fittest thrive better.
The world’s material wealth is concentrated in the hands of few. There are not many Einsteins. There are not many Teslas. We have had only one Ambedkar and one Gandhi ( at least that is what the West says about us). The best literary classics are few. We still have an awe for Beethoven and Mozart. There are not 100s of Mozarts.
But this doesn’t also mean, that you have to drop your efforts to progress in life. Chaos and order simultaneously govern our life. This doesn’t mean, we quit for the fear of chaos. We metamorphize everyday if we realize that nature and evolution are dynamic. We could always unlock our deep potential become a beautiful butterfly someday.
But to do so, we have one last lesson to learn from Mr.Lobster. If a dominant lobster is badly defeated, it’s brain dissolves. Then it grows a new, subordinate neurochemical pathway, that is appropriate for its lowly position. Because a King cannot live like a street Dog. It’s normal for anyone who has experienced a painful transformation. Just as a lobster alters neurochemicals, we could too.
To rise up, you need to develop new Samskaras, meaning breaking of older ways and means and neural pathways and replacing them with new pathways. Neuroplasticity refers to the inherent potential of your brain to get moulded and rejuvenated. It can make an all new you!. Trust nature (as you are a product of her dynamicity ) and neurons (your biology which is the manifestation of Nature as an individualized life). Adios and till next time; Carpe diem!
