Life's an examination?

I am starting to believe that life, somehow, tests each & every belief you have had in life about various things. For instance, if I love sweets, I happen to get so much sweets-eating-opportunities that at some point I might lose the craving for it. It is as if life looks at you & says "So dude, you love sweets huh? Lets see how much you can take it". Of course, craving for sweets is a relatively trivial issue but the same applies to every other belief, liking and disliking you have ever had.

In my case, my belief system is being constantly put to test through various situations appearing as a small little test. And I must add here, I am not faring very well here. Also, I wonder now how this new belief of mine is going to be tested!

Seven and a half learnings

As a student, taking up the CA course was not really a well deliberated decision for me. It would be incorrect to say that it was my dream to be a CA. In fact, far from it. The decision to take up this course was more by default than design. My elder cousin was doing this course and it was seen as a high Return on Investment course! Well, things went well and I did end up clearing the course in 2004. It has been 7 complete years (almost) since that eventful day.

The other day, in one of my many introspecting/reminiscing hours, I was wondering how life has shaped up since clearing CA. I could think of the following key learnings I have had over this period. Here they go...

1. Money is an important factor in life. To my mind, anyone who says money is not important is either lying or is ultra-rich. Financial security gives you a lot of space to do well in various aspects of life. In no way I am trying to imply that money is THE thing to chase, but having enough of it surely gives a lot of flexibility. Well, how much is enough is a totally different point altogether. Also, I feel earning a fair amount of money after being a CA has not been difficult. If you have a reasonable flair and grip on content, earning a lakh a month before you are 30 is not difficult at all.

2. Having a strong passion about something or having a genuine hobby is a very useful thing in keeping you happy in life. During phases when people and circumstances around you are being discomforting, your passion/hobby can see you through peacefully. It could be a sport, a game, an activity, travel, watching movies, reading books, music, anything. Anything that keeps your mind occupied and not idle.

3. Talking of mind, it is the most important part of our system I guess. Have a control on your mind, things are smooth. If not, it's havoc. Simple yet very difficult!

4. I have also learnt that our views and perceptions about things and people change over a period of time. What I believed 5 years back may not necessarily be my belief now. Things change. Change is the only constant. I know I know, it has been said a million times before.

5. We have a lot more time than what we think we have in life. There is enough time to live your life the way you want (assuming you know what you want!). We can afford to slow down, get off the rat race and relax sometimes. The important things will wait and the things that cannot wait may not be really important.

6. Love is an under-estimated concept. Even after thousand of movies and millions of exposures on it, it is still worth the time and efforts.

7. And finally, never say NEVER. I know I just did, but still!

These are my seven bits of wisdom for myself and for other takers. As always, for whatever it is worth :)

P.S. The final half bit of the learnings is that I am still so much a work in progress. Though I do not know how the finished product is supposed to be like, I am still closer to the start than finish.

4 years down

Nothing remarkable to write about, but I felt I owe it to the blog to mention here that the blog completed 4 years yesterday. Been 'dead' for almost a year now though, there is always hope for an eventful tomorrow. These days, I am more a 'visitor' on my own blog, coming here to read some thoughtful long comments by readers :) Keep them coming.

Reminding myself

Today's the first day of the rest of my life...

Whilst I cannot change the past, starting today I can try and avoid the stupidities I did till yesterday or I can continue to screw up things. The choice is entirely mine and the choice is available to be exercised.

Simple pleasures

Most times in life, the simple things are the most pleasant ones. In our strive towards the big, rocking, earth-shattering events, we end up missing the tiny little precious matters. Ironically, today I happened to experience a similar high.

Firstly, saw this movie Do Dooni Char, starring Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh Kapoor. It is a very simple and basic movie. Yet touched me deep. Amazing flick.

Secondly, reading this book titled Mice in Men written by Anirban Bose. It is a collection of unrelated short stories. Again, basic and simple but hard-hitting.

Must see and must read!

Old-fashioned, yet timeless

When was the last time you did something special for your loved one? When was the last time you surprised him/her with a gift? When was the last time you acknowledged their presence in your life? If you have LOVE around you, cherish it, nurture it, protect it. Not many are loved deeply. Not many can love too. Feel blessed if you are one. That is the GOD in our lives.

Priorities

Our priorities in life about people & things change dynamically over a period of time. I guess that's normal. I am not what I was two years back. I experienced some serious change of priorities in my life over the last year or so. That in itself is fair. What I must add is, the people or things that goes off your priority list should not be too off, if I could put it that way. The imbalance, so created, can be disturbing sometimes.

When do I grow up?

When I was a kid, I would think I could touch the moon someday. The belief was at the peak especially those days when the moon appeared bigger than normal, so it was like 'wow, it's coming closer'. As I grew older, my fetish for touching the moon evaporated.

What I did not realize is that am still the same little kid in many ways. Just that the moon has been replaced by many other things.

Resuming the musings

It seems like a lifetime since I have posted last. Time, as they say, is an illusion. So, though the months of blogging-gap seems few, it seems like eternity since I was here the last time. As always, I resume blogging - hoping this time it will stay!

Life has been what it is always, life. Unsteady, surprising, shocking, happy, unhappy, volatile.. all these in regular phases. I have been trying to be myself through all this, but could not always. May be it is being too harsh to expect myself to be so consistently.

In a way, I am searching for myself these days. Somehow I feel I have lost myself, if that is indeed possible. Or possibly, this new me is the actual me. How am I to know since I'm living life for the first time :)

What do I want to write about now? I am not sure yet. Too many random thoughts floating around inside my muddled, cluttered mind. But will let myself go now and write with the flow. Me wants to see where it goes!

I do want to mention something here. I am pleasantly surprised to know that there are many in this world who has been waiting to see my blog active again. Not getting into self-praise. Just feeling a little humbled that few has been 'missing' my blog. Thanks to all such super-fellows :)

Well...

...I guess I'm still around!