Let this play while you read
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There are several analogies of life.
And then there is this.
I believe that the life of a man is comparable to that of a matchstick.
That is a limited time, with four parts to it.
The first part is Being.
It takes a few years.
Taking shape.
Building up, bit by bit.
Shaping identity, unique.
The second is Shining.
This is youth.
Full of energy and vigour.
Fuelled by curiosity.
Driven by this desire to be accepted or revered.
This is when a man challenges himself the most.
Or he doesn’t!
The third is Burning.
Keeping the flame alive.
For as long as possible.
The glory of the past granting him ‘some’ advantage.
This is when he can bask in his laurels.
*Finally, Twilight.
Knowing that the end is near, he seeks to create a legacy.
As he nears the finish line, he passes on everything.
Endowing all his wealth, and a bit of wisdom, to the next generation.
Parting away with everything that he owns,
That which he worked so hard for.
That’s the life of a man.
Everything that he learnt, goes away with him.
.
.
.
But that is NOT ‘Life’ to me!
There is Life, beyond ‘existing’.
The life of a match stick is not for itself.
It exists not to burn, but to shine.
To enlighten everything around it.
It owes its life to its environment.
That is where it has come from.
The matchstick has a Head and the Stick.
The Head is What it Can,
The Stick is How Long it Can.
The Head is the Fire.
The Stick, the Torch.
The Head ignites, shining bright.
The Stick seeks to keep the fire alive.
A matchstick burning in a silo,
Can shine, only so bright.
It has a lot of energy,
But that is limited.
The matchstick never comes alone, though.
It comes in a box, full of matchsticks.
That, is its power, its true potential.
It can ignite in a silo.
It can burn in a silo.
It can emit light in a silo.
But, it must ignite others, at some point.
It must pass on the raging flame.
That is the essence of its life.
Together, there will be more light.
That is Thriving.
Ask somebody — ‘What is the meaning of life?’
Depending on whom you ask,
You will get a different answer.
Well, everybody is right.
For it is their life.
So, tell me — “Do You Have a Matchbox?”