“Lessons from an EKG” (Electrocardiogram)

   An electrocardiogram as we all know measures the electrical signals controlling our hearts rhythm. Simply put, it’s that wavy line that’s spikes and dips, which you’ve probably seen in a movie. Naturally, an EKG has everything to do with cardiology and probably has no underlying meaning to it. However, if we look closely at the electrical activity, we can use this analogy to describe the essence of life itself. Indian industrialist, Ratan Tata, is quoted to have said, “Ups and downs in life are essential to keep us going because a straight line even in an ECG means we are not alive.” He compares the activity in an EKG to the spikes and dips in life, and how it encapsulates the true meaning of life, to begin with. The real lesson to be derived from his quote is that life is well and truly a rollercoaster ride, with an array of different elements. Some days you may feel in tune with the world and feel good about your life, while other days you may feel weary. Life is quite simply a series of events that may invoke a variety of responses based on your viewpoints. The goal of every human being is to grow as individuals and maximize their happiness by doing the stuff that they want. However, these ups and downs in life can have a crippling impact on the drive that people may have in attacking each day and pushing through. Apart from being a representation of the true essence of life, an EKG also teaches us how we should be living our lives. If we analyze an EKG, we can get an insight into what approach we should have towards battling through in life.
It shows that life is bound to ruffle you up along the way. The bumps and problems are part and parcel of the challenge of life. One day you might feel on top of the world, while in the very next day you might feel like giving up entirely. When you realize the true essence of life, you tend to become stronger in your approach and problem-solving abilities. Instead of having pity for yourself and believing that you’re the victim, you dust yourself up and turn the tables over. You take the challenge of life head-on, with positivity, rather than succumbing to the incessant dips that you will face.

  This mindset gives way to a problem-solving approach towards life. If you feel bogged down by the challenges that life throws at you, you might want to take a backseat and forego many of the aspirations you may have. You might feel like the system is rigged against you; therefore the whole exercise is utterly pointless. The EKG analogy illustrates that you need to problem solve to grow as a human being and try to restrict the number of dips that you might encounter. Accepting that there may be several dips in your life, makes you fearless and approach life with a nothing to lose mindset.
It also teaches you to be patient and have perseverance with regards to your goals. It instills in you the hope that you will have your way, sooner or later and you need to prepare for such moments to make the most of them. Hope is what keeps people motivated, and when you know that a roadblock may eventually lead to a clear pathway, you're likely to develop the mental fortitude in leading a successful life. Seeing that light at the end of the tunnel is the ultimate motivator for any individual and the EKG line symbolizes this.
In addition to this, the EKG line also represents one of the critical elements for continual progress. This element involves the aspect of risk or taking chances. Taking chances keeps you young and on your heels at all times. When you take safe decisions, you tend to ignore the thrill of life. You make decisions based on security rather than pursuing what your heart truly desires. The EKG line highlights that although there may be several dips in your life, you will also feel highs that should keep you motivated through the downtime. Life is a game of pressure and risk, and that is precisely what keeps us fresh in our physical and mental self. If we become negative and avoid the potential high points that we might experience, we might as well consider ourselves a straight EKG line.

  The EKG line at its core signifies a winners mentality. To the naked eye, it seems like a pretty average graph but what it embodies is a relentless attitude and a will to win. People who are aware of the realities of life, tend to become relentless in their approach to achieving their dreams. They learn from their low points and use all the information from that period to maximize their high points. People who can achieve such a state are winners in every sense of the word and have indeed won the battle despite having a presumably subpar outing. At the core of the mental health debate, lies the understanding that life will never be consistently good to you all the time. You will go through the trials and tribulations, but these events should not perturb you from giving it the very best you have at all times.