Prelude
Often we come across small or big events in life that ultimately change us right away. I do have a few events of this sort in my short span of life. Out of all those events, I would always cherish one story, which I have learned from an Indian Army Officer; the then Lieutenant Colonel AP Singh. The story is about the Four Cycles of Life. Well, these cycles are not necessarily to end somewhere to start another. They are more layers/ segments of life that are interwoven and co-exist.
Meet Col AP Singh
I along with my wife were guests to Col AP Singh’s residence during military training in India. Over a cup of tea, we were discussing each other’s future plans and bla bla bla. Since we both undergone the same training together and I have seen how capable he is very close, I knew he is going to make himself someone big in Army. Moreover, he topped the training we had together out of hundreds. Out of nowhere, I asked him ‘Where do you see yourself in the Army ten years from now?’. This whimsical and apparently funny question led us to a discussion that I am going to share now.
Col AP Singh’s Uncle
Col AP Singh had an uncle (I do not remember his name) in the Indian Navy who had one of the brightest careers out of thousands of his contemporary officers. He had all those laurels and jewels someone needs to climb the ladder of higher ranks including being awarded the coveted ‘Sword of Honour’ in the academy. As it is perceived he had his roller-coaster life till he rose to the rank of Captain (contemporary to Lieutenant Colonel in Army) and commanded a ship. Sooner he finished his command of the ship he had applied to voluntarily resign from the Navy.
The Captain had a lot of resistance from his family as well as from the Navy, but he had managed to free himself from the 24/7 commitment of the Navy. Col AP Singh was shocked and once he asked his uncle why did he leave his fortune for nothing. Well, uncle unraveled his story/ philosophy for which he had decided to leave the Navy and he revealed his theory of the Four Cycle of Life. I am not sure if this is mentioned in any literature, in any form in the world. However, here I am going to unveil these four cycles.
Four Cycles
Our life span is divided into four cycles. One (1/4) of the cycles is for our own self. One cycle (2/4) is for our parents, another one (3/4) is for our friends and relatives, and one (4/4) cycle is for our family. Well, these cycles are neither meant to be equally divided nor they are the formula of a happy life that one should try one after another subsequently. They are more layers/ segments of life that are interwoven and co-exist.
Cycle One (1/4)
Out of Four Cycles of Life, one is for the Own Self. In this cycle, we dedicate our time, energy, wealth to achieve our goals, to meet our aspirations, to chase our dreams, etc. Everything here is directed towards your own satisfaction. Contrarily someone may find his/ her satisfaction doing something for friends, relatives, and families also. We are here not to debate. Rather, this inclusive attitude is the ultimate efficacy.
Cycle Two (2/4)
A major part of our life is shared with our friends from schools and localities, colleagues from offices, partners from business, relatives, etc. They influence us so much that we become what we are surrounded with. Whether an angel or a devil whatever we become, we truly reflect with whom we have been raised. Therefore, both in our successes and failures they have contributions, and we must utilize every opportunity we get to say Thank You to those who deserve it.
Cycle Three (3/4)
Our parents make innumerable sacrifices in life to raise us, to be better human beings, to be successful, to be knowledgeable, etc. Despite many prejudices of many parents, the ultimate truth is every parent wants their children to be happy in life. All our religions prevailing in the world, all the ethics we learn from society, all the cultures we possess in the world have collectively emphasized taking care of parents whenever they need it. I understand it is an exaggeration to re-emphasize the topic of taking care of parents. However, in our uncle’s understanding, as well as in my understanding, we should at least spare one cycle from our ‘Four Cycles of Life’ for our parents unconditionally despite all the odds. I know how much the uncle has sacrificed and how he sheltered his parents throughout.
Cycle Four (4/4)
A man/ woman should always take care of his/her family which belongs to his/ her. Taking care of their own, friends, and parents do not exempt someone from taking responsibility for the family. We must rise above the dual prevails in many parts of the world like husband/ wife or father/ mother. We are certainly responsible to take care of our parents. Yet we must understand that we are equally responsible (sometimes more) to raise the kids we have and support our husband/ wife. A thin line between these two should exist but the line must not divide parents from families. Grandparents are treasures for the grandchildren.
Final Words
These ‘Four Cycles of Life’ we have discussed are subjective. It is evident that nobody will ever be able to define the cycles, the start of one, and the end of another. Moreover, our life is uncertain. So, the question remains ‘then why did we talk about cycles?’ The answer is ‘to realize that we must not invest all our time, energy, wealth for the gain of just ‘ME’; just like the stock market‘. We must make choices, credible choices; for which we should not repent. Investing whole life for one gain is ‘Gamble’. We must remember all gamblers do not end up winning.
