Reflections from inside the closet

It is so amazing but life really goes on. It would be so childish to think that if you hide inside the closet or conceal yourself in a dark room away from all human interactions, life would maybe not touch you and you will be spared its pain. No sir, that is not the case. Whether you live squeamishly clinging to the sidelines or go out at it in full swing , life hits you, just the same.
Going through the Famous Quotes section today, I chanced upon this quote from Eleanor Roosevelt and boy, did she give it to me full in my face. And how right she was:

"Life was meant to be lived, and curiosity must be kept alive. One must never, for whatever reason, turn his back on life." -
-- Eleanor Roosevelt

Life is meant to be lived, not lived to be wasted. Rather its lived to mean something. Alas, this is such an alien concept for so any people in our society and way of life.
Going through life one day at a time, in a rut, robot -like existence, leading empty meaningless lives, going no where. Why do we do that? What makes us forget life’s meaning?. Why are we so afraid of life’s simple pleasures?.
This brings me to the question of what is Life?. The dictionary defines life as animation, existence, manner of living, vigour , vivacity, power, force etc…
I’m not trying to be a sour loser here, but where in our culture of taboos and tradition do you see vivacity and vigour? or pursuit of happiness for the sake of happiness alone?

This brings me to a very philosophical question, are there parameters for a happy existence?. What exactly do we need to be happy?. Why are we not happy? I’m not concerned here with the material side of life, most of us will agree material goods have little or nothing to do with true happiness or true sense of fulfilment.
Why do societies die?. What makes people usurp their own rights to personal freedom? What makes us live inside the box? What holds us back?
Religion, culture, societal influences, upbringing, self-created limitations? What?

Religion does not hold us back on its own, it is our interpretation of it that closes our minds and retards us to the point of oblivion. Society, if outside religious concerns should not be the reason. Culture is man-made , can be confronted and changed to suit our needs, so this cant be an impediment either. Upbringing and the environment do have an immense influence on a growing mind, but again , as we mature and become more aware of our identities we can bring us out of their clutches. The only one thing I can think of is self-limiting belief that makes us prisoners to our own limited perceptions and conceptions. Nothing impairs the path to our own happiness and self-preservation more than our own self…