The Colours of Life

Does life have a colour?

Or is it colourless?

Or is it full of shades?

It is said that life does have colour.

If so, what colour does life actually have?

I see life as a painter’s canvas where we paint joy, sorrow, hope and countless emotions.

Physical colours emerge when light passes through the lens. But in life, time replaces the lens.

That means we live a life of many colours over time, where life’s colour represents human emotions, moments and experiences.

Over time, we go through success and failure, happiness and sorrow, ease and hardship, as well as bright and challenging days.

This means anyone’s life is a colourful diary of human emotions.

Even when they are unseen, they are deeply felt.

We laugh, we cry, and we are often overwhelmed by grief.

Our lives are shaped by empathy, generosity and compassion.

At times, we unexpectedly reveal our greed, desires or attraction to goodness and beauty.

We also respond with courage to confront hatred and humiliation.

To temper our anger and sadness, we need calmness and patience.

Happiness, in turn, blooms through laughter and joy.

Sometimes I go back to my photo album and look at images from my past.

I often pause at the photos taken during my PhD defence party — one of the happiest moments of my life.

In those pictures, I am struck by the glow on my face, a quiet reflection of pride, relief and fulfilment.

I have also attended many other PhD parties and noticed the same kind of glow on the faces of the candidates.

Perhaps it comes from the sudden release of years of stress, uncertainty, and accumulated emotional weight.

We know that pursuing a PhD is like jumping into the sea of intense stress.

It demands tireless dedication and involves constant uncertainty along with occasional disagreements with supervisors.

At times, you also may have to face financial challenges.

On the day of the defence, you are suddenly free from all these burdens, if only for a brief moment.

I intend to point to a beautiful moment in life. Such moments differ from person to person.

For you, it might be an engagement, a wedding, a book launch, or another meaningful milestone.

I have also gone through some gloomy days in my youth. I remained deeply heartbroken, feeling helpless, betrayed, filled with anger and demeaned.

I can imagine that many of us have gone through similar moments — surely so.

Life is a process, always in transition. Good days follow bad ones, and bad days return after the good, just as bright, sunny days are followed by dark and cold nights.

This proves life is not one colour, but a blend of many shifting shades.

So if you are facing difficult days, stay calm and be patient. These moments are temporary.

Better days are waiting for you. Keep moving forward, and one day you will find yourself bathed in the warm, brighter rays of light.

In the eastern literature, life is understood through nine fundamental emotions known as navarasa, where ‘nava’ means ‘nine’ and ‘rasa’ means ‘juice’ (or essence). These include ‘Shringara’ (love, beauty and attraction), considered the most decorative emotion, ‘hashya’ (laughter), ‘karuna’ (compassion), ‘raudra’ (anger), ‘veera’ (courage), ‘bhayanak’ (fear), ‘bibhatsa’ (disgust), and ‘shanta (peace).

I consider them the essential essences that give life its colours.

Laughter comforts pain, while compassion allows us to experience the true depth of empathy.

Anger rises with the heat to respond to injustice, and courage is needed to push forward with strength.

Uncertainty often generates fear, while disgust helps us reject what is harmful.

Wonder ignites curiosity, and peace enables us to face life’s difficulties with calm and balance.

Similarly, in Surrounded by Idiots, Thomas Erikson introduces four colour personalities based on how people communicate.

His red personalities are goal-oriented and driven by purpose and momentum, reflecting courage and action (Veera-rasa).

Yellow aligns with hasya and adbhuta (laughter and wonder), which bring joy, creativity, and social warmth.

We may observe karuna and shanta (compassion and peace) in green, as it values harmony, relationship and emotional safety.

Blue resonates with shanta and bibhatsa, as it seeks clarity, truth and structure. Blues like to question, analyze and avoid chaos.

You may not control the journey of your life; it has its own course.

The constantly shifting shades give life its colour, and a colourful life is, indeed, a beautiful life.

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(This story was originally published on Medium.com)