A Solitude Which Culminates into Depression.

The Deceptive Facade of Happiness.

Many times, we are made to believe that loneliness depicts a situation of sad faces due to dejection. But the exact opposite could be true. That behind a facade of happy faces are deep seated experiences of pain and anguish. We never know that someone is depressed till perhaps they shoch us by doing the unthinkable.

The Unseen Struggles Behind Smiles.

We tend to admire happy looking campers and couples. But what we are seldom aware of is that their outward show of happiness could be an escapist coping mechanism resulting from deep seated unresolved issues. However, out of the glare of the public eye are tears of pain and suffering.

The Price of Preconceived Notions.

Excitement might arise from preconceived notions of a feel-good mentality or even what we possess in terms of personal accomplishments of all kinds including wealth. But our hearts might still be empty due to a void that cannot be filled by what is external to the soul.

Beyond Achievements: The Essence of Life.

That the essence of life is not determined by things external is captured by Sushant Singh Rajput a most celebrated best male actor who in 2017 during the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne said, "No matter what you achieve, what you want to aspire to be, or how famous and powerful you become, the most important thing is whether you are excited about each moment of your life because of your work and the people around you." Sadly, after uttering these words he ended up committing suicide!

Morning Reflections on Life and Death.

Following the tragic demise of Sushant Singh Rajput, we need to ask ourselves hard questions in relation to matters of existence. Although his words were inspiring, those around him did not realize that he might have felt lonely, isolated, unwanted and uncared for.

The Quandaries of Existence.

Do we feel segregated in this world and need help? If we look around us, we see the prevalence of broken hearts, shattered dreams, dismissed thoughts, or even condemned potentials due to the mindlessness of inhuman critics. This implies that there is a need to empathetically look at the plight of others from their perspective as opposed to offering biased and inhuman judgement.

Sara Hegazy's Final Messages of Desperation.

Sara Hegazy was an Egyptian LGBTQA+++ queer feminist activist whose resistance centered around a deconstruction of class power and struggle. But eventually, she committed suicide in Canada. She left behind a heart wrenching message which read, "To my siblings – I tried to find redemption and failed, forgive me, to my friends – the experience (journey) was harsh and I am too weak to resist it, forgive me, and to the world – you were cruel to a great extent, but I forgive." Her greatest lesson to the world was that she offered it forgiveness despite all the cruelty.

Restoring Peace by Being Human.

If we are to restore the much-needed peace in the world, we need to place ourselves in other people's shoes. This would make the journey of life collective as we care and tend to one another's needs as opposed to embarking on individual lonesome journeys. As the adage goes, "I thought I was unfortunate I couldn't afford shoes, till I saw someone without legs." Hence the need for a greater awareness that the world should not just revolve around our goals and passions. It should accommodate others for we are all interconnected and as none of us is an Island.

By Dr. Mohamed Bahaidar (Sociologist, Recipient of the most distinguished award in the Middle East, North Africa, and Asia, Author of The Hidden Self, The Point of Deflection, A Household of Bliss, Sparkling Hope, and Mirror Reflection).