There are infinite possibilities for growth and exploration in this world for everybody. However, we keep denying these possibilities to ourselves. A few lessons from an airplane may be helpful. An airplane needs three things to fly: A structure, engine, and fuel. We too need three things to explore and grow: a growth mindset, capacity building, and resources. In most cases, we miss on either one or more of these elements and therefore settle for a sub-standard life, a routine life.
The first thing an airplane needs is the structure. A Ferrari may have the same engine as that of an airplane. It may run on the road as fast as an airplane but it can't take off because it lacks the wings. There are so many people in this world who have immense capacity to work but their framework of life is quite materialistic. They use their capacities to achieve their worldly goals and do it beautifully. However, when it comes to shifting the frame, they are clueless. They have never imagined their existence beyond the field of gravity of the Earth. Since they have never thought of that, they have not been able to add wings to their Ferrari, and throughout their lives, they kept running Ferrari on the surface.
It is not about adding wings to Ferrari and few people try by joining different so-called spiritual organizations. It is about the entire structure of the airplane. The designing of the cockpit to the control panel. Similarly, it's about the mindset. How do we see life, what is the purpose of life, what is the hierarchy of goals we have, how do we see death, how do we see the relationship between self and others. There are so many questions that need to be enquired and answered to frame the growth and exploration mindset. As we grow up, society starts telling us all the stories it has been believing in for ages. All these stories get stored in our unconscious mind and we accumulate a huge mass in the unconscious mind which gets pulled down towards materiality by the gravity of this material world. As we enquire and observe, we get to examine the heavy unconscious mind and slowly and gradually the heavy metal of our framework gets replaced with the lighter material that has the capacity to fly.
The next important element is the capacity. We may have the best of the mindset and have all the philosophical ideas. But we may not have the capacity to fly because we do not have an engine. In that case, we will be like the body of an airplane lying in some museum. We may have all the ideas in our minds and yet may not be able to live accordingly. Our incapacity to lead a life following our mental framework may make us confined and limited. That is what happens to many people who have all these ideas but do not have the capacity or courage to live life accordingly and these ideas remain just as a hollow philosophy in their lives just limited to some evening discussions.
The next thing is the fuel. An airplane may have the framework as well as the engine and yet may not be able to fly due to the absence of fuel. There is a need for resources to work on any project in this world. When Rama decided to fight the battle against Ravana, he too needed the resources of Sugriva. When Pandavas decided to fight the battle against Kauravas, they too needed an army to fight. When Gandhi decided to fight against the British, he too needed resources. The most important resource in the process is the courage and conviction. If we are convinced of a cause, people having similar convictions will collaborate and we will get the resources as and when required. there is no dearth of people with a similar mindset who are ready to support the cause. Probably what we lack is our conviction in the cause.
We have been given this precious life to explore and grow. We are all born with the most plastic mindset which is conditioned by society to live a sub-standard life by the time we become capable of examining life. In most cases, society takes the wings off and turns an airplane into an ordinary car. Probably the most crucial role of the parents is not to allow society to do this to their kids and to give a conducive ecosystem to their kids so that they can retain their growth and exploration mindset. This just does not require much, just the right questions are to be encouraged and not to be suffocated with instant answers. Kids have to be allowed the space to search for their own answers. If their mindset is not doomed to materiality, they will develop the capacity themselves. Once they have conviction in their cause, nobody can stop them from flying. The parents can at least ensure that their unconscious mind is not filled with the rubbish stories floating in the polluted atmosphere of society and that they remain light to fly on the journey of their dreams.
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