No. 028 Reading Time 4 minutes
A quiet secluded life in the country, with the possibility of being useful to people to whom it is easy to do good, and who are not accustomed to having it done to them; then work which one hopes may be of some use; then rest, nature, books, music, love for one's neighbor — such is my idea of happiness.
Leo Tolstoy
We moved to a remote village in the countryside to pursue this idea of happiness.
13th March, marked three years since we relocated to this village in a remote mountain forest.
Living a simple life in the countryside is a continuous journey of personal growth.
Here are 7 life lessons we learned living in the remote mountain forest.
1) Happiness lies in the simple things.
In the countryside, you can find happiness in the tiny things.
Working with your hands and helping your neighbors.
Nature nudges you to find joy in daily things.
Clouds dance to remind you to feel lighter and not take yourself seriously.
The laughing thrush wants you to laugh with them.
2) Taking the first step
You don’t need enough courage for the entire journey.You only need courage for a few seconds to overcome self-doubt,before you take the next step.
Shane Parrish
Living in the countryside we climb a mountain almost daily to reach the village.
The task or the climb will always look daunting.
The first step will have the greatest “inertia of life.”
The idea is not to focus on the goal or the mountain top.
But rather take the first step.
Then the next, moving closer to your goals.
3) Seasons teach us to embrace change.
Living in the cities the sun hides behind the tall buildings or the hazy clouds.
We never noticed the seasons changing.
Rural life is still in tune with the seasons because of agricultural practices.
Seasons change and so do you.
Autumn is the time to shed your leaves and let go.
Winter is a time to rest and slow down.
Spring is action time.
Monsoon is a time to stay indoors and reconnect with family.
4) Ganga teaches you to show up every day.
Ganga changes colors throughout the year but flows day after day.
It teaches us continuity and tenacity.
No matter how you feel, you show up daily.
For yourself and to nurture other people.
If you keep flowing you keep growing.
5) Don't take things for granted
We have to lift buckets of drinking water.
There are no Amazon deliveries.
The nearest grocery shop is 10 km away.
The hospital is 1 hour away.
The internet is always patchy.
Now when we go to the city we never take anything for granted.
Wifi, WC, and hot shower are luxuries for us.
6) Cultivating Resilience
Mountain life pushes you out of your comfort zone every day.
Problems only seem to increase.
You realize you are never in control.
We can only control how we respond.
Building resilience helps to tackle the curveballs that life throws.
7) Value of a community
Resources are abundant but scattered, creating scarcity.
Everyone has their strong opinions.
Leading to conflicts over tiny matters.
In the mountains, the community is not a choice,
it is necessary for survival.
Despite the conflicts, everyone helps each other at their weddings and,
in times of medical emergencies.
They inform each other of the whereabouts of the elephants.
Everyone is interdepdent, just like nature.
Living in the village for the last three years has made us realize we need less than what we want.
True fulfillment comes by being of service to others.
Love,
Raghav and Ansh
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