EFML:Epiphany on Life
The title sounds a little like I'm an enlightened saint--but I'm as naive as ever.Just one of those realizations I thought I'd put into words:)
I've always prioritized work over everything else--family,friends and myself.But all these years,I had a normal life--not so stressful,not much work.Till last year,that is.All of a sudden,my workload increased monumentally.Everyday was a race to meet some deadline.
I lived six months like this.A month ago,I would have called them the worst six months of my life--but now,I think they're the best.I've learnt more in this period than my entire life put together.And I don't just mean academically.Life lessons.
I first lived like a pariah.No social life,no entertainment.Just work.Everyday I'd have a certain amount of work to do and I'd try as much as I could to finish it.Maybe I was overtly hard on myself--for the deadlines I set demanded 48 hours in a day.At the end of every day,I'd add up the balance sheets and come up with numbers in bleeding red--debts piling up,interest compounding every second.Sleep was a nightmarish affair with more deadlines and errors haunting me.
At the point one of my wise,industrious friends told me something like this:If you set for yourself four times the work you normally can do and you wind up doing only half of it,you shouldn't beat yourself up about it.Remember that you've finished twice as much as you usually do.In a life such as yours,don't think about how much you have left.Knowing that you've put in all your effort today is good enough.
Wise words these! Looking back,this could have been the beginning of the avalanche.
I soon realised that work takes up all the time you give it.That there's more to life than work.You also need to be happy.This is the first responsibility you have to yourself.This seems so obvious that you are probably wondering how I missed out on this after being alive for 23 years:P
If in addition to all the world pounding on your head,you add to it,then God save you!One of my friends used to freak out looking at me:Why are you so stressed all the time! After a while,I saw myself through her eyes and that's when I decided that it's high time to change.
Be nice to yourself.Find things that make you happy--immerse yourself as often as you can in them.Work hard, for that's important too.But never forget to stop and smell the roses.To watch the sunrise and feel as if a kindred spirit is smiling down at you.To take a walk at midnight and feel the wind caress your skin.To stare at the clouds and marvel at their intricate patterns.To listen to music that brings out so many nuances of emotion that you didn't even know existed.To talk to people---to really,really talk.To make someone happy and feel that happiness reflected onto you.Never forget these things,for they are the most important things in life.The ones that matter at the end of the day.
I'm still a workaholic--but a more balanced and sensible one now.I'm more humane:)
P.S:Thank you,life for the valuable lesson.Must have been hard teaching someone as short-sighted at me! You must have been trying to say this for decades. Remarkably persistent you are:P
I've always prioritized work over everything else--family,friends and myself.But all these years,I had a normal life--not so stressful,not much work.Till last year,that is.All of a sudden,my workload increased monumentally.Everyday was a race to meet some deadline.
I lived six months like this.A month ago,I would have called them the worst six months of my life--but now,I think they're the best.I've learnt more in this period than my entire life put together.And I don't just mean academically.Life lessons.
I first lived like a pariah.No social life,no entertainment.Just work.Everyday I'd have a certain amount of work to do and I'd try as much as I could to finish it.Maybe I was overtly hard on myself--for the deadlines I set demanded 48 hours in a day.At the end of every day,I'd add up the balance sheets and come up with numbers in bleeding red--debts piling up,interest compounding every second.Sleep was a nightmarish affair with more deadlines and errors haunting me.
At the point one of my wise,industrious friends told me something like this:If you set for yourself four times the work you normally can do and you wind up doing only half of it,you shouldn't beat yourself up about it.Remember that you've finished twice as much as you usually do.In a life such as yours,don't think about how much you have left.Knowing that you've put in all your effort today is good enough.
Wise words these! Looking back,this could have been the beginning of the avalanche.
I soon realised that work takes up all the time you give it.That there's more to life than work.You also need to be happy.This is the first responsibility you have to yourself.This seems so obvious that you are probably wondering how I missed out on this after being alive for 23 years:P
If in addition to all the world pounding on your head,you add to it,then God save you!One of my friends used to freak out looking at me:Why are you so stressed all the time! After a while,I saw myself through her eyes and that's when I decided that it's high time to change.
Be nice to yourself.Find things that make you happy--immerse yourself as often as you can in them.Work hard, for that's important too.But never forget to stop and smell the roses.To watch the sunrise and feel as if a kindred spirit is smiling down at you.To take a walk at midnight and feel the wind caress your skin.To stare at the clouds and marvel at their intricate patterns.To listen to music that brings out so many nuances of emotion that you didn't even know existed.To talk to people---to really,really talk.To make someone happy and feel that happiness reflected onto you.Never forget these things,for they are the most important things in life.The ones that matter at the end of the day.
I'm still a workaholic--but a more balanced and sensible one now.I'm more humane:)
P.S:Thank you,life for the valuable lesson.Must have been hard teaching someone as short-sighted at me! You must have been trying to say this for decades. Remarkably persistent you are:P
Sunset is as beautiful as Sunrise, and the timing is even better :) . Kudos to your friends too... (Dragon Rider is quite smart )
ReplyDeleteYeah! Don't know if you realised but you're part of the narrative:P awesome friends--agreed!
Delete