What Shall You Be if Nobody is Watching : The Little Letter Series: Delights of the Ordinary No. 53 (S2)
dreaming heaps of future hopes or doing a ‘gun-firing-stylized-fight’ with somebody.
The Little Letters is my new series where I send you tiny letters of little learnings as opposed to long-form original essays of Delights of the Ordinary. They may help you gear back or throttle up but I promise most of them will be positively wise.
Hello there,
In these last sequestered August days, when the sun slowly shows up through the hefty clouds now and then, the rainbow emerging on the horizon; amidst a granulating kind of daily grinding, I hope you are holding on to your precious grace.
The grace of who you are or what shall you do when no one is watching!
Because, the adage is that as people, we hold many different faces. For the least, one is designed for the world and another- when no one is watching!
From our birth to living this life, the world's patterns progressively collect over us like a hazy mist, and we start to hold the cobwebs of noisy, shallow goals, almost forgetting the real stories of ourselves. As Oliver Sacks, neurologist and author of the famous book, “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat,” says, “To be ourselves we must have ourselves — possess, if need be re-possess, our life-stories. We must “recollect” ourselves, recollect the inner drama, the narrative, of ourselves.”
Hence, take a kind note about who you are and what shall you do when no one is watching.
When no judging eyeballs are fixed on you; when you carelessly soak the sunlight creating your inner chlorophyll, wiggle your feet and crunch your knuckles. Tiptoe along with an inner psalm or dream heaps of future hopes.
Or inevitably maybe do a ‘gun-firing-stylized-fight’ with somebody in your head, lead an inner crusade against the power plays at your workplace or constantly try to make sense of this stomach-sinking life!
What you’d be when no one watches?
And, thus through my Delights of the Ordinary little letters, which I send you over somewhat uncoiled weekends, I want you to not forget who is the person in you. I also hope you have not overlooked both, the good and bad etched inside of you.
In us.
So, in this ‘one-wobbly-step-forward-two-step-backward’ kind of life, I cheer for you that you will be doing more good when no one is watching and fighting the bad that keeps condemning.
If you are sleepless, find ways to take a nap. Need be, millions of it. In most cases, our inner irritation comes out from a dire lack of sleep, many missed meals and needless top loading of caffeine.
It takes abundant courage, to not be tempered. To continue living and doing our best narrative even when no one is watching.
Look for beautiful things - handsome or cute- is entirely up to you, but keep on finding beauty and inspiration and stay connected to your friends.
Give yourself some grace so you can “recollect the inner drama, the narrative, of yourselves.” Even when no one is watching keep finding yourself being tremendously honest to people and relations around you.
Ending with my poetic reminder to the precious you:
“in case you have hunkered into this hollow world,
just in case you have two or more faces!
in case you have sunbathed your arrogance and try it look golden-y cool.
just in case you have sunbathed your pain and faked it for a sunshine smile!
in case you have silky skin but a heart-coarse wool…
just in case a hardy shell but a soft core…
…What shall you be when no one is watching?
See you next week.
May many bursts of sunshine enter your window, lighting up every arch and corner of your room.
- Anugrah
The Little Letter Series
Delights of the Ordinary is for us who are trapped in the world of hustle culture but are quiet at heart with an itching creative bone. This newsletter intersects culture, art, science, and philosophy with our practical 9-5 job space.
Who am I?
Hi, I am Anugrah. I write Delights of the Ordinary for us who are trapped in the world of hustle culture but are quiet at heart with an itching creative bone and love for life. My newsletter intersects culture, art, and inner health in our practical 9-5 job space. Feel free to share. You can know more about me here and here.
Delights of the Ordinary currently is a free publication. Yet it takes me many hours of effort to write and curate it. I may need lots of coffee to keep me going. You can :)
Stumbled on my publication? Explore all my previous editions here. And in case you don’t wish to spend time browsing then complement this post with The Antidote for Self-Doubt, We Imagine Because We Are Living or read about Decision Fatigue and Our Creative Life.
If you ever feel like dropping in a message or a comment, do not hesitate. We all can only thrive in people. We can be those ordinary creative beings who can change the world. You and me.
Another round of applause comes your way....fantastic....
a confirmation rather....waiting for a book and many on the way....Keep going girl!
Absolutely brilliant and such a timely reminder. In a world where we are busy posting on Instagram to tell the world all the cool things we engage in. I wonder do we take time and reflect who we are when no one is watching. Or are we have lost the "free creative child" and become a boring forced to work corporate slave, whose face is long and shoulders heavy with expectations. I know this is small letter series but it's packed with wisdom. I am praying for a book