There
are countless WebPages with the same title, providing free insights into life
by citing out personal examples.
This
is my personal version of the same, my look back archive and my collective
wisdom of 21 years typed out so that I don’t keep forgetting them, as always.
This
is my 21 years in review, so to say. In
no particular order.
1.
Turning
21 can be weird. Suddenly, you get to feel like an adult when honestly, you are
just an overgrown kid with an appetite for an extra pizza or a dosa in my case.
Come to think of Thalaivar’s song in Baasha “Ni Ettaam Ettuku Mela Irundhaa
Nimadhi Illa”, 1/3rd of your peaceful life is over. Only 2/3rd
is left. Make it count.
2.
We
learn more from movies about life, than from life itself. So, we better develop
a good taste for films to learn the wisest lessons and have the most fulfilling
entertainment. I have 560 movies listed in my IMDb watchlist out of which at
least 200 are pure trash. That is 28000 hours of my life I am not getting back.
Life
is too short to be wasted on bad movies. We develop a taste by making
mistakes, but we shouldn’t forget to
remember them. Watch Biographical movies, to garner free inspiration. When
in doubt, watch Christopher Nolan or Mani Ratnam films to get a hang of
artistic and imaginative film-making.
3.
All
our life, we have been reading books for passing exams; its time we read books
for passing life. There is no better company than a good book. Reading
is THE BEST habit, which eventually aids in finding your passion and helps you
connect with yourself. I have read 165 books of various genres in 2
languages and some of the best moments of my existence were my experience of
reading them. Money cannot buy bliss, but
it can sure buy books. Better now, e-books
are free to download. If you shirk from reading books, you rob yourself of an
opportunity for all-round mental development. If you are reading this, you are
a reader already. Happy Reading.
4.
Keep
a Journal. Write everything down. Keep a catalog of everything you find
significant in life. Trivial things can also be significant. Anything
not documented is lost in this immense eternity of life. The rate at which we
forget things is astonishing. To remember
things, put pen on paper and write them down. Or better, put fingers to keys
and type them down. They possess the same value as old photographs. Pictures are visual memories, Journals are
thought memories. Don’t miss out on collecting your thoughts!
5.
Be a dreamer. Your dreams are the ones that
will push you forward. ’When you deeply
desire something, the entire universe conspires for you to achieve it’ says
Coelho. I can cite a personal example. I’ve always wanted to study Sanskrit
formally, but never chose it even as a third language in school due to fear of
failure. But the desire to learn the language was burning deep down within me.
And the universe conspired for me to achieve it. In a sudden twist of fate, my
university announced a new compulsory additional language course, which had to
be a language you didn’t study in school. Call it coincidence but maybe the
universe works in a coincidental way. “You are what your deep, driving desire is. As
your desire is, so is your will. As your will is, so is your deed. As your deed
is, so is your destiny.” -Brihadaranyaka Upanishad.
6.
Find
your passion. Discover yourself. Find what makes you tick. Pursue it till you
achieve excellence. For me, Writing is a
passion. It is my inner calling. It is my way of being immortal. To
write is to be vulnerable, because you take your intimate thoughts and disclose
it to the world. Writing brings within it a risk of judgement and a
loss of personal identity. It gives room for people to judge you based on your
writing. But the way I see it, it is an occupational hazard- to open yourself
up to criticism from every nook and corner is a form of bravery. I have written
40 poems, 2 short stories, 5 plays, 6 articles and 1 short film script till
date. In Thamizh and English. Writing is my way of connecting to my self. It is
a way of touching human hearts, weaving magic through words which reverberate
in the minds of people long after you are gone.
7.
All
my life, I have had arguments, shout-outs, and debates with my peers, friends
and family on topics innumerable. Ah, the futility of it! I have never won an
argument even when I was right. I was debating personal viewpoints which were
prejudiced, or worse, I ended up hurting people’s self pride. People don’t
change their viewpoints just because you shove your facts and thoughts upon
their heads. It happens only when they are left to their own tools. Talk. Don’t
Argue. An argument is always a lose-lose scenario. If you want to win it,
remember Dale Carnegie’s wise words”There is only one way in high heaven to win
an argument, and that is to avoid it”.
8.
Build your own ethical
system with some moral boundaries, and try never to
cross that line. Personal ethics is important to maintain order in the
society. Dharma exists; Karma has a physical validity; though their workings
are shrouded in mystery. Nobody knows what is right at all circumstances. So make
an informed choice about how you would like to react in a given scenario. You
are free to choose, but you are not free of the consequences of your choice. And
that choice will determine who or what you are.
9.
There
is no point in poisoning your body with destructive toxins like cocaine,
heroin, cigar, tobacco and other extensive forms of alcohol. Of course, you can
argue about passionately getting high and enjoying the pleasures they give. I think of these drugs like the whips
lashed on bulls to make them run faster. It does not create any new energy
in the bull, just a temporary high to drain its power quickly. These drugs do
just the same. A wise man refrains himself from being a slave to anything. You
can always choose to be unwise though. No Offense.
10.
People
do bad things because it yields them quick results. It gives them fresh opportunities
that good things sometimes cannot provide. We are all human, and we all make
mistakes, and sometimes we feel guilty for them. Apologize when you are wrong, and
accept that others are susceptible to mistakes too. When you look at
your own flaws, mistakes of others would seem trivial.
11.
Travel.
Travel
to learn. Travel to discover. Travel to experience. It gives a fresh
new perspective on life. Travel alone if you wish. But travel with people you
love, it helps you rekindle the relationship with them.
12.
Have
a hero.
A role model. It could be your family, a friend, a teacher, a sportsperson,
anyone. Because having heroes sets a higher standard which gives you something to live up to. My personal hero
is Rahul Dravid. For his unmatched dedication to the sport, elegant gameplay,
his team spirit, and unparalleled humility. Listen to his “God’s delays are not God’s Denials” speech and Bradman Oration to
know his stroke of genius.
13.
Be
a Hero for someone.
Be an inspiration for somebody. There is heroism in simple things. When you
teach a class or your peers; when you shoulder a crying friend; when you help
the bereaved; when you inspire people to write; when you recite poetry and move
people; There are innumerable ways to make the world a better place to live in.
And each one of us can play protagonist
in this unrehearsed play of life.
14.
Family
is important.
Make time for them. It is easy to forget their sacrifices. No Matter how high
you reach, they have always carried you in their shoulders through thick and
thin. Remember that, always.
15.
The
world can do with more people with an emotional intelligence. People with a good sense of
humor, people who do not complain for trivialities, people who can empathize.
Do the world a favour and be such a person. Learn to laugh at yourself; it is a
sign of maturity. Because life is too short to be taken too seriously.
16.
Be
a patriot. Be a part of representative democracy. The only way to stop
politicians and bureaucrats from misusing their power is to confront them with
electorates which are constantly aware of the mishappenings. Getting
in touch with your roots is essential for representing your identity.
Know your motherland and take pride in your
mother tongue.
17.
Be
a student of life.
Never stop learning. There’s always a whole lot you don’t know. Be ready to
accept that you don’t know something. Everyone
you meet, every situation in life can teach you something, if you permit it to.
Education is something different, something forced. Learning is what you do to
yourself, it is voluntary and it is self-enriching. Be Curious, and Learn.
18.
Stop Comparing. No, not all of us are
beautiful. Not all of us are rich. Not all of us are born in an influential
family. Not all of us have high grades. Not all of us have an athletic
physique. Not all of us possess musical or acting talent. If you don’t stop
comparing and complaining, you can never get ahead. Happiness is always a
choice, immaterial of the presence of beauty, money, power or possessions. The
most important asset that you can own is happiness and inner peace.
Last I checked, no Fortune 500 company pays you that. Only you can pay yourself
that.
19.
Life is a wonderful
privilege.
Count your blessings, for, not everyone is on an equal footing as you are. You
are privileged to have been born with perfect physical health, with a caring
family, with 3 square meals a day, with good education, nice dresses and funny
friends. With great privilege, comes great responsibility. Use this
privilege to give something in return to
the society, for we won’t be taking anything when we depart, as Thalaivar
so fondly reminds.
20.
There
is god.
Even the most ardent atheists agree that a supreme power governs life, going by
the name of nature. Come to think of it. Trillions of drifting atoms come
together in an intricate manner to create life. Why would inanimate,
unconscious atoms take so much trouble to being a part of you? Even if it were
a cosmic accident, how could these unthinking, unprogrammed, specks of matter
make up so many diverse forms of life? And what is this consciousness thingy
which constitutes an individual’s mind? If we are all collections of atomic
life forms, why don’t we all act, think and behave in unison? And what is this
death? Where is the consciousness lost to, because everything must be conserved
in the laws of nature? There is always
room for god, as science doesn’t explain everything. It doesn’t matter which god you believe in,
as long as you believe in one. Stop fighting for your god, because no matter
who this god person is, he/she/it cannot be egoistic enough to favour only
sections of people. God is a belief. I believe in god. I believe there is more
to the world than meets the eye. Just my thought.
21.
Freedom
is bliss.
The ability to choose what you do, who you meet, where you eat, and when you
sleep, that is the most basic form of freedom. And how blissful even such a primitive
freedom is. Imagine the higher forms of freedom. Being limitless. Being without the confines
of body, intellect and mind. Being without any constraints of space and time. Just….
Being free. That is the ultimate thought, the last dream and the final goal. Liberation aka Moksha.
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