The Six Stages of Life
The last and final stage that we need to discuss is that of old age or the period before physical death.
This stage is completely dependent of the other 5 stages of life. We cannot walk back and change anything. This stage is more an effect of all the causes sown throughout one’s life. So watch out.
This is not the time to seek redress for all the mistakes committed in the previous stages. Not the time to become spiritually inclined when all that you have done till now was directly opposite. You may choose to change but do not expect miracles to happen.
Even the most extroverted person tends to philosophize and look within at this stage. It is not a change brought about by the inner personality but a change that the decaying outer personality forces upon you. The change however is potent when it comes from the other way round. The subtle inner personality should have learnt to rule the outer personality by now.
If in all the years we have learnt to do this then old age becomes a pleasure and not a burden. In fact we call ourselves young and vibrant and really do not care for the decay our body is going through. We smile at the physical inabilities and gracefully move on.
Spirituality is not a post-retirement plan, it needs to be a systematic saving right from the day one is born. This alone ensures rich returns in the last and final stage of life. This is what success in life is. A wonderful example of a life well lived would be our ex-president Dr.A.P.J. Abdul Kalam. What a glorious life and what a fitting end. He died doing what he loved best and instantly! Please do not brush this glorious event by saying he was the lucky few. When we analyse his life we come across a person who moulded himself through all the stages of life and died with his boots on!
It is not difficult to be a Kalam. Fame and name do not define success. The happiness quotient in one’s life is what determines how successful he has been in his life.
All of us have to meet finality. But how we meet it or rather how gracefully we meet it is what determines how well we have lived our life. The last stage of life is like a cherry on top of the cake. The cherry’s value is lost if the cake is not appetizing enough!
