Life..

Life, like love, the word has always invited various reactions. Some say, life is beautiful (whether they believe it or not). Some say they are working hard so that they can be happy towards the end of their life. Some just can’t wait for it all to end. You may wonder, I often did, how one word attracts views that at times are poles apart. But then not too long ago I found the answer. Or did I? It could be that I have learnt to compromise, learnt to bury my likes and wants, or it may just be that I have become more practical. The last thing I should do with life is to crib about something I don’t have.

While growing up, I learnt quite a bit from my father. Not that I implemented all that in my day-to-day life. Sometimes I even thought that some things he said were irrelevant in today’s world. I counter-advised him to change with the times. All he did was smile. May be he could foresee that one day, I will return to him and say, “Dad, you were right!!!” Today, I do that, more often than not. His pet advice for me was – “I complained having no shoes, till I saw a man without feet”. While I was in school and dreaming to be a very rich man someday, I used to feel that my father never had any aspirations in life and that’s the reason he is so negative. I used to tell him “to achieve something in life, you must have a goal”. He would candidly reply saying, “That’s not the end of life. If you fail, rise up again. But you can do that, only when you give yourself a chance of loosing. You might have a distant goal, but while attaining it, you must not forget to enjoy life.” I would never allow him to speak further for the simple reason that it made no sense to me. Dad too, never forced his views on me as he was sure that he would have the last laugh. He wanted his son to be confident but not over-confident and would often end up saying, “When you think everything is lost, the future still remains.”

The biggest turning point in my life came when I decided to quit my first job. I just could not work with that firm any longer. And then, I started worrying about my options. It was then, when I got an advice from a very senior person in our family that he said to me, “The moment you stop running after money, money starts following you.” He asked me to do what my heart prompted. Today, I don’t regret the decision I made.

Time is the best medicine for all our wounds. May it be our studies, job or family life; we need to give our self some time and have faith. Together, they contain the power to make everything happen. Lots of self-belief and a tinge of carelessness can be the real mantra to success. What I said might sound a bit weird to you but then, that’s what I feel. And instead of basing my thoughts on somebody else’s views, I speak my mind out. Trust me. IT HELPS.

Life often leaves us at crossroads; I have “been there, done that”. You may feel that I relate everything to my own past. But then I believe that a person can understand life only with his own experiences. After I did my schooling there were plenty of guides for me. My professor thought I should go for Arts because I had a flair for history and literature. My friends always wanted me to be an Engineer because of my inquisitiveness towards mechanical devices. But to the surprise of all, I opted for Commerce. Some thought I would regret it some day. Till date, I feel that it was the best decision I made. I went by my instincts. I used to often worry about what would be the future action plan. Years went on. Worries never left my mind. From school to higher secondary, then to college and then post graduation. After all this was done, I was set to work. Today, I realize that in the process of worrying about the future, I ruined my present. I want the time to come back. I want to spend time at the Sinhgad fort in Pune. I want to stroll down the college street, one last time. But I know I can’t. The schedule, which is packed forever, doesn’t allow me to even plan a holiday in the subsequent month.

Live your life in the present. Realise the worth of everything around you, before it is TOO LATE!!!!

- Giriraj