For most people, growing up is synonymous to getting older. But after living for almost a quarter of century, I look upon my life and realize its much more than just getting older… Its about getting more experience, getting more ideas, its about getting mature (I seem to hit upon the exact word)…
So here I am, with my life before me… So much time seems to have passed. I have lived my life as it came… played, laughed, cried, teased, run, fell, got up, hurt, got hurt, learned, unlearned, forgot, remembered… I have done it all… and I liked it… If I’d given chance to life again, I’ll still make the decisions I made, I’ll go from those paths that I went…
So what did I learn from all my life’s experiences? When I compare myself from what I was 10 years ago, I find many changes in myself. The most prominent one; becoming deliberate from being spontaneous… Now I think before I act… and I am no more impatient. I am now more content then I was 10 years ago… and I am more aggressive. Perhaps those are the signs of maturity!! I now know that maturity isn’t something you’d gain just by being old… You’ll have to interact, think, feel, act. I now know that world isn’t perfect — it was never meant to. I don’t expect perfect outcomes now… Because if you become perfect, you wont have any chance to improve — which is imperfect in its own… Over the years I feel becoming more self centered… which I think is a by product of maturity - or vice versa…
Here too I am talking about myself from the start... I now feel more confident in being honest about things I feel… which is a nice thing as I have said everything about myself without any hesitation and without any lie… Over the years I have seen people’s expectations from me growing… sometimes I find it choking me, sometimes I find it very stimulating… I have learned that if you fear something it will keep you haunting for ever, and if you face it firmly you will conquer it… Be it a memory of someone …
I stopped celebrating my birthday long ago as I don’t see the logic in people congratulating you on something to which you have no credit. I’ve been very less emotional from start and I feel birthdays are just like other days… But, I still love the surprise feeling of answering some long lost friends’ call… Hey! that’s the reason I remember all my friend’s birthdays… I don’t believe in making resolutions because I don’t need any resolution to do something…
Hmm… I wanna end this monologue now… So when I hear to my 11 year old cousin who now dreams to become a pilot, I get reminded of myself… One can draw his inspiration from anywhere… and thats why I believe that this is a continuous process… I have yet to see more… and experience and explore. Life is meant for learning… and growing up… these years will keep coming and going, what counts in the end is how you utilize the time allotted to you…
I will turn 24 tomorrow! I’d like to thank everyone, my family, my friends who are around me, makes me feel happy everyday & keep inspiring me… and special thanks goes to my friend Shahab Jafri for the similar thoughts.
"One want to find someone who not only loves him / her, but lets themselves experience love and doesn’t worry about the chances of things actually working out.
Yes, Relationships are like start-ups. If you join one because you think it will be successful, versus just joining one because its interesting, worthwhile, and its something you’re passionate about—regardless of its ultimate chance of success—then you shouldn’t be in one.
Most relationships, like most startups, don’t last forever. They’re also completely unpredictable, so you just find good people, communicate well, and do your best…"
What brand of shirt & trouser do you wear? Allen Solly, Van Heusen, Polo! Each costing you atleast a couple of thousand bucks!! How often do you go to restaurants, pubs? Once in a week, twice in week, costing atleast 500 Rs each time.
Irrespective of whether you are a young bachelor, or a young couple recently married & having one or no kids or you are a middle aged person with a high school going child, there’s no denying that the spending pattern of the Indians have changed a lot in the last few years. Everyone spends on br&ed products. The local tailors have long perished at the on-set of major apparel br&s. India is on a move. Everyone earns decent amount of money in the metros. Thousand rupees has no value today in the metros.
Have you ever thought how we react when we talk about the spend on Healthcare. My God!! His fees is 400 bucks. He just made a big hole in my budget. My goodness, this medicine costs 94 Rs. I stopped the Antibiotics because I got well in 2 tablets. You know what - each tablet costed 14 bucks. The Doctors these days just give you expensive medicine!!
Come on, I just want to ask these so called Rising Indian Middle Class. They can spend thousands on a shirt, thousands on a massage, facial, pedicure, hair cut; lakhs on a foreign trip. But when it comes to their own health, it seems they become the same old small town middle class hesitant to spend every penny they have. It is very surprisng to see people cribbing for Doctors fees, medicine cost etc when their vehicles would have guzzled up more petrol in reaching the Doctor & hospital. It’s all in the mind. Service industry is still in shambles because people don’t want to pay unless it becomes a question of life & death. Very few people buy health insurance on their own, citing reasons like their company gives them an insurance coverage already. How small is that corporate provided insurance, nobody cares.
Is it time when we start taking our health as seriously as we purchase our shirt or buy a pizza!! How many of the people over 30 actually go for a full body check up each year? How many have ever paid for it? Everyone is looking for FREE items when it comes to his/her own health. According to a survey, 90% of the young people in Bangalore have undergone health check up only because the health insurance company mandated them to get it done for free. Had it been a paid service, again, very few of these 90% would have been even insured.
Interesting to read such findings but it is time when we start allocating a certain percentage of our income. Even 2-5 Rs. per day to take care of our health coverage for life. People need to understand that health is not a one time down-payment item. It needs to be invested throughout the life time. Why become so stingy when it comes to our own health.
