11 things Ranga quietly taught me

The difference between a dog and a human is that the latter thinks he has figured out the former, when the exact opposite is true.

It’s in our DNA to feel like the whole world is against us, that we are the ‘good ones’ and the rest of them are the ‘rotten ones’. Which explains, to a large extent, why we are prone to using words like misfortune/unlucky/damn more often than fortunate/lucky/mercy. This consistent battle between you and the others defines what kind of a person you are becoming—you never become anything; you are always becoming—and the person you could have become. Most of us fail, as human beings, because we attach too much importance to ourselves, our thoughts and assumptions, our belief systems, stuff we can have as well as the stuff we can never have.

We suck at looking at the bigger picture and we don’t know how to stay in the moment. It’s pathetic but extremely natural too.

Humans are cursed perhaps.

Dogs, on the other hand, are free from all these clutches. They know how to live and how to love. Two of the most essential skills one can ask for.

To those who don’t know, we’ve got an old dog named Ranga. Must be around 8 and he has been with for about seven years now. One of the calmest souls I am personally aware of, he is the only dog I know who is afraid of a rolling ball. In a lot of his manners, he tries to tell me that he is a cat trapped inside a canine body. Why else would he lick himself like that all day long?

I digressed as usual.

Well, the purpose of this blogpost was to share some unique lessons I’ve absorbed from this furry companion of mine. So, without further bow-wow, let’s get to the point(ers) –

Don’t try to impress others. There is no stoppage to it. Once you impress, they would expect you to impress them again and again and again, until you reach a phase where nothing is left of you. Avoid carrying this unnecessary crown.

Lean in but lie down. If you are running, walk. If you are walking, stand. If you are standing, sit. If you are sitting, lean. If you are leaning, lie down. If you are lying down, fall asleep. If you have fallen asleep, dream of beating the shit out of that bully.

When in doubt, bark. When something bothers you, speak your heart out. Don’t keep it inside. Marinating in your own soup of pity will wash you in and fade you out. Better to express your angst than to turn into a cocoon of cynicism.

Run with the wind. All your issues shall appear tiny to you the moment you come face-to-face with the truth that you are longer the child you were once upon a time. You used to run. Now, your heartbeat is jacked due to bad lifestyle, not excitement.

Women are kinder. Always trust the fairer sex to be fairer in general. If a lot more ladies were running this world, we’d be living in a different reality altogether. Ranga instantly warms up to women and remains suspicious of those we call strange men.

Being lonely is a choice. What matters is your present and how you deal with it. The future is uncertain and if you believe that you are going to be lonely, most probably, you will. But the antidote is to make the most of the company you’ve got today.

Always, always survive. Your story is valid provided you have the autonomy over it. So, the trick here is to prolong your story as much as possible. Dying is not an option. Do whatever is necessary to make it up from the fabled street onto the mantlepiece.

Manipulate, if need be. Those heartwarming pair of eyes are there on your face for a reason. Make them count. Of all the things humans see, eyes belonging to fellow human beings must feature in the top-5 chart without a fight. Speak to them, marbles.

Learn to let grow. Yes, it’s hard but start practising it. Being attached to anything is bound to make you suffer. Although Ranga doesn’t know who Buddha was, he knows what would keep him sane. Growing as a person is more important than anything else.

Show love, get love. Displaying affection is one of the oldest currencies of all time. Got love? Show it. Even if they are in the middle of their boring office calls. Demand it. Attention is priceless in the market of time.

Once a rebel, stay a rebel. You don’t have to be a rabble-rouser to be a rebel. Ranga never bothered to learn what “sit” or “shake hands” mean simply because he didn’t care about foreign languages without subtitles. Too cool for our species.

Thanks for attending Ranga’s sed talk.