Don't bump yourself off!!! Live your life...

Suicides. Why do people commit suicide? What can we do to at least try and minimize, and maybe even eliminate the occurrences of suicide? These are the questions that came to mind when I read a newspaper article on the recent spate of suicides in Mumbai.

It’s a topic I’ve thought about, at times. But as I considered writing about suicide, I thought I needed to be a little more objective about it and I hope this post will do justice to my thoughts and views as well as to those who are driven to commit this act.

Ever heard of the proverbs - “Think before you act” or “Look before you leap”? Well, I am sure that most people who commit suicide must not have either heard or understood the meaning behind the two.

Murder is universally accepted as a heinous crime. All of us feel that the perpetrators of such a crime must be punished in the severest possible way.
If intentionally harming/killing someone is a crime, then putting an end to one’s own life is as much of a crime; there’s no escape from this truth.

People resort to suicide as a solution to their problems, or rather the end of a life ridden with obstacles. But is it truly a solution?
NEVER. No one on this earth leads a problem-free life. If we don’t face any trials and tribulations in life, then it’d be like a sugar-cane with no juice ;-)
We all face different obstacles and challenges in different stages of our lives. Life is all about how we learn to cope with these and still live happily. What value would happiness have if we are always happy? We’d lose the excitement and enthusiasm of being happy if we’re happy all the time.

Suicide is not a solution. In fact, it raises more questions than it answers. The pain, anguish and grief that the family goes through if a member commits suicide cannot be put in words. Have the people who commit suicide ever thought what would become of their bereaved family, their dearest friends? If they do think about such things, they’d never be inclined to commit suicide. It’d only steel their resolve to do better, to excel and not run away in the face of an obstacle.

If you feel suicidal, ask yourself thus - is a failed exam, stress/prejudice against you at work, a failed affair/marriage, a spurned proposal or some such situation worth my life? If your answer is “No” to at least one of these questions, then read on, otherwise this article is not for you.

If a student fails an exam, he’d b naturally disappointed, maybe even afraid of facing his/her parents. But, trust me, any parent would rather see his child fail in every exam he/she ever wrote than the body of his precious son/daughter hanging from a piece of rope or lying in a pool of blood. The best way out is to go home, apologize to your parents and resolve to work harder next time.

Some students resort to suicide even before the exams commence, especially the Std X and Std XII students. I understand that they face extreme pressure on all fronts and even if they have supportive parents, the super-competitive scenario today does not let them breathe easy even for a moment. Relax. You have your space in this world. You may not make a million dollars a month but remember you are worth more than that to a lot of people. Stay. Live for them, if not for yourself.

Workplace politics are extremely common. Everyone wants to reach the top, and fast. What can you do? Be patient and wait. Your turn to shine will come too. There’s someone up there watching us all. He’ll definitely give you what you deserve even if your boss doesn’t.

A failed relationship drives many to depression. But there are solutions/alternatives to come out of your sorry state, only if you want to ;-). Meet up with friends or go for outings with close family members, and if you want nothing but some time alone, then treat yourself – go out shopping, listen to some good music, watch good movies; do anything but keep yourself engaged, don’t brood over the relationship/accuse yourself for being the cause behind the break-up. Get over it. God’s definitely got something better in store for you.

I had a highly prejudiced view of people who committed suicide. I thought they are heartless and selfish cowards. But, while writing this post, I have earnestly tried to look into possibilities that may drive them to it as well as suggested plausible solutions. I’ve also realized that nothing is purely white or black. There’s a grey everywhere J

Live your life to the fullest when you can! Who knows, you may never get another chance to live. So, celebrate your life!

Here’s a toast to life itself!!!