Running Away vs Running Towards
The Ratio That Defines Our Life:
For every individual, most events in life occur in such a way that they are always dealing with life in a certain ratio of running away versus running towards. Some people may have more of one and less of the other. Some may keep shifting between the two depending on the phase of life they are in. But if you observe closely, almost every major decision we make can be placed somewhere between these two extremes.
Whether it is a relationship, a career decision, a health challenge, a financial setback, or even a simple conversation that needs to happen, we are constantly choosing between moving away from something uncomfortable or moving towards something that demands courage. The interesting part is that most of us do not even realize this ratio is operating in the background of our lives.
Why We Begin By Running Away
As life starts unfolding, every individual finds themselves running away from something or the other. Why so? Because life throws situations at us that our parents or society never really taught us about. There is no chapter in school on heartbreak, no practical lesson on failure, no guidebook for rejection, uncertainty, betrayal, or disappointment.
Naturally, we tend to run away from situations that make us uncomfortable. We run away from things we do not like doing. We run away from people we do not understand. We run away from places where we feel unwanted. We run away from responsibilities that seem heavier than what we can carry at that moment. This is very normal during the early phases of life, especially until a person starts maturing and understanding how life actually works.
Running away often starts with fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of failure. Fear of being judged. Fear of not being enough. At times it is not even fear. Sometimes it is simply discomfort. We do not like what is happening and therefore we decide to move away from it.
When Running Away Is Actually The Right Choice
Now does this mean running away is always bad? Not really.
There are situations where walking away is one of the healthiest decisions a person can make. It could be a work environment that is slowly destroying your peace of mind. It could be a relationship where respect has stopped existing. It could be an environment that continuously drains your energy without giving anything meaningful in return.
At times the threshold gets crossed and staying causes more damage than leaving. In such moments, running away is not weakness. It is wisdom. Trust me, at times even ghosting works. Not everything in life needs to be perfectly streamlined. Not every chapter deserves a proper conclusion. Not every person deserves an explanation.
Some things remain unfinished and distorted. And that too is okay my friend😊.
The Hidden Problem With Constantly Running Away
The problem begins when running away becomes our default response to everything. When we start believing that changing jobs will solve all our problems. That leaving relationships will solve all our problems. That moving cities will solve all our problems. That avoiding difficult conversations will solve all our problems.
Because many a times the problem quietly travels with us like a shadow.
We think we are leaving the situation behind while in reality we are carrying the same patterns within ourselves. The faces change, the locations change, the circumstances change, yet somehow the same lesson keeps appearing.
That is where growth gets delayed.
If we truly want to mature, we need to slowly develop the outlook of running towards our problems instead of constantly running away from them. Not because it is easy, but because certain lessons in life can only be learned by facing them.
There's a saying in Hindi that, samundar me swim karna hai to hath per marne to sikhne padenge bhai 😊.
What Running Towards Actually Looks Like
A very basic example is human relationships.
Running away could be ghosting another individual for whatever reason. Maybe you do not like them. Maybe you do not vibe with them. Maybe you owe them an explanation and do not want to deal with the discomfort.
Running towards would be having the difficult conversation. Running towards would be accepting responsibility. Running towards would be choosing honesty even when it feels uncomfortable.
Or think about love.
Running towards is chasing that precious girl or that special boy despite knowing there will be obstacles. You know there will be misunderstandings. You know there will be sacrifices. You know things may not be easy. You know at times Abba ya Ammi nahi manenge. Yet you choose to face them and move forward.
And isn't that amazing?
Should we not have a similar outlook towards life itself?
Life Repeats What We Refuse To Learn
As stated before, life will always be a mix of running away and running towards. The ratio may keep changing. But the more we increase the proportion of running towards, the more we mature. The more we grow. And strangely enough, life starts becoming easier.
But what if you are currently at a stage where the running away ratio is much higher than the running towards ratio?
Do not worry, bud.
The beauty of life and time is that they repeat themselves. Life has a funny way of bringing back unfinished lessons. It gives us countless chances to correct mistakes. Countless chances to complete incomplete tasks. Countless chances to learn what we once avoided learning.
For a student, it could be a chapter that was left untouched because passing seemed possible without it. A few years later, that very concept may become essential.
For a batsman, it could be that one type of delivery that always creates trouble. A bouncer. A yorker. A short ball. He may avoid dealing with it for years. But eventually the game forces him to face it.
For someone working in IT, it could be that one feature or ticket that keeps getting postponed. A few weeks later, the same issue is back on the table. This time there is no escape route.
Life has a remarkable memory. What we avoid today often returns tomorrow wearing a different face. All we need to do is build that attitude to face it instead of avoiding it.
Maturity Has Nothing To Do With Age
This ratio of running away and running towards certainly becomes better as a person matures. But maturity is not necessarily linked to age.
There are people in their twenties who face life head on. There are people in their sixties who are still avoiding the same conversations, the same habits, and the same truths.
Take a person who was warned about rising blood sugar levels in their forties. The signs were there. The reports were there. The advice was there. Yet they chose to ignore it and move ahead.
If things are not fixed the easy way, life often fixes them the hard way.
What could have been handled through discipline may eventually require hospital visits, medication, and lifestyle restrictions.
Fortunately or unfortunately, life always collects its dues. Sooner or later.
The Choice We Keep Making
Whatever it may be, in the end what matters is understanding that just as humans are a package of strengths and weaknesses, courage and fear, confidence and doubt, similarly running away and running towards will always coexist within us.
Until our very last breath.
The goal is not to completely eliminate one and embrace the other. The goal is awareness. To know when it is wise to walk away and to know when it is necessary to move towards.
Because challenges will keep coming. Lessons will keep appearing. Life will continue presenting situations that demand a response. And every single time, consciously or unconsciously, we will make a choice.
To run away from it.
Or to run towards it.
On an ending note, always remember what Kishore Da said, "Ruk jana nahin tu kahin haar ke, Kaanton pe chalke, Milenge saaye bahaar ke."
This is simply amazing!! Damn, I've got a very different perspective of life today, Ankur!! Well written :)
ReplyDeleteTruly amazed by how you put exact examples to things you wanna explain keep it up.💪🤩
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