The advantages of being restless...

“Why can’t you sit still? You are so clumsy.” I heard this from an irate physics teacher of mine in grade eight. I could have said, well, for one you aren’t a great physics teacher, and second, I am the restless sort. Plus, I thought you were trained to figure that out about kids!

Now this kind of repartee comes to my mind only decades later and thankfully, not in the moment.

Since school, I’ve begun to see a pattern in how others respond to me. I’ve heard that I am changeable. And put too much faith in the potency of change. Trust people first, and then distrust them if proven wrong. I put myself out there too much and risk exposing my true feelings. Stretch hope beyond reason. I dream too much and too big. I believe my good intentions will be understood. That my ambitions are unrealistic most of the times. And that I get too passionate about things – if there is such a mistake. Guilty as charged.

Am all of this and more. I am a restless soul. Not in the sense of being perturbed in my mind or changing my seat every ten minutes. Not that kind of restlessness. That is unrest. The good kind of restlessness is more to do with being dissatisfied with the status quo. It is about being wholeheartedly involved with life and asking every single day - what next! Restless people can’t be observers if a life-changing opportunity springs forth or a dazzling possibility just struck their fertile minds.

I think there is rare beauty to the quality of restlessness. Nature wired us for it. Sadly, very often we choose to suppress it, so life can be more ‘stable’ and ‘predictable’. In the bargain, we slow down to a reluctant amble, much like stooped old people in a park. We learn to be more matured and less excitable. Only kids have the license to be excited. Maybe, that’s why they are so ingenious at success or getting others involved in their goals.

Being restless is a worthy goal. It has the potential and power to set us apart from the disturbing trend of apathy and mediocrity. Digging deep for our real feelings and authentic responses can be painful. What would happen if we accepted that pain and decided against the commonplace. The pain then turns pleasurable. And restlessness becomes an ally as we conspire to get the most out of life.

Be restless. Love to change. Get ambitious to do your best. Dream more, so you can worry less. Restlessness is the cure, not the ailment.