Skip to main content

That One Thing...

I was heading back from office with a friend, and we were listening to Manzilien apni jagah song. And my friend started saying "What a relief Amitabh Bachchan would have had when he started to prosper in acting; a feeling of 'This is it. I am getting paid for something that I am not only good at but also enjoy doing.'” Isn't it true? I mean imagine the satisfaction he would have got when he realized that he needn't hunt for what he needs to do in life anymore. He finally knew this was where his future lied and all he had to do was focus on it.

There are some of us who believe that it's always good to keep passion away from money; because the moment you start doing it for money you will lose the interest in doing it; you will not put in your heart and soul into it. I partially agree with it. 

I love painting, but if I am asked to create a painting by end of the month,I might not do justice to that painting. I paint when I feel like painting. There are times when I go on a painting spree and paint like 4 paintings a week and sometimes I don't pick up the brush for months together. Same is the case with photography or pencil sketches or Music. I love to engage in them to give myself a break from the routine life. Well I can sell my paintings, the ones I create during my leisure time, and gain monetary benefit out of it. But all these paintings or sketches seem so precious that I cannot feel like parting with them. Each one of them have a story and a kind of attachment.

With age people tend to accept a routine life style. A job or business, an income to fulfill basic needs and then more money for better lifestyle, a family, kids, their education and so on. In today's world earning a livelihood in itself is no less than fighting a battle. So being content in life is definitely a virtue today. 

But I just cannot settle for a routine lifestyle. The sense of contempt that grows in me is intolerable at times. A guilt keeps creeping into me that I am not doing justice to my life, that I am wasting away the only opportunity that God has given me. Like I said , I have a great job, a good package, have fulfilled my responsibilities climbing up the ladder into a respectable position in the family and society. But I don't want to be lost in this crowd. This so called Perfect Life that the society treats as a standard for measurement of success; feels like a prison to me. I just want to break free from this and do something different. And the biggest part of my problem is that I am unable to figure out what that something different is. 

I always have this feeling of what the heck am I doing with my life. I feel restless, feel like doing something. I don’t know where my passion lies. I don’t know what is it that I can keep doing till my last breath and not get tired of. I am good and quite well off with my job. But this is not something that I want to do my entire life. There's something else and I just hope I find that out soon. Because I know once I figure that out ; I will never look back. I know very few lucky ones discover what they want to do and then spend their entire life on it. Some succeed, some don’t, but at least they finally did figure out what they wanted.

Anyhow, I am still keeping my eyes, ears and heart open to catch an opportunity that I would dedicate my life for. Until then, happy officing ;)

-Sarita
Dated - 24th Feb 2015

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Ahamasmi Yodha - My First Tattoo

I finally did it. It isn’t a great achievement to show off, but for me it’s one more item on my bucket list getting fulfilled. So I am very happy about it. What did I do? Oh like I said nothing great – I just got my FIRST Tattoo  :) My first Tattoo Artist I had done a lot of research on it since last couple of months. I wanted to get it done on my birthday, but it somehow dint work out.  For all the first timers, I wanted to list out my personal experience, just in case it helps :) First of all, I felt it will be very helpful if you have some friends who would have got it done already. But I dint have that privilege. So I went through lot of blogs and articles in About.com, Wikihow, YahooAnswers etc… Well Google, the new lord of knowledge :) has all that you need to know. So, in summary, what I got from all these sites were First decide on what you want to get tattooed and where. Go over it again and again, since it is permanent, you will have to live ...

Life... A Blank Page!

Whenever I open a notebook and come across the set of blank pages; my mind goes blank. For some reason, it always reminds me of my life. It forces me to start thinking about my life; about the past and the future. Being part of the age of computers and belonging to the IT industry, I hardly get an opportunity to actually pick a pen and write in the notebook. I write lot of blogs, poems etc… but I write them on the webpage or in Microsoft word in my laptop.  Once in a while I like to go back to traditional form of writing; using the actual pen and paper. And in last few years; I noticed that every time I try doing that for some reason the blank paper gets me all philosophical.         Although I never have that thought while opening the book; but whenever I see those blank pages; I just go blank. I always feel that my life is staring back at me with all those unanswered silenced questions, doubts, thoughts…forcing me to think – What does my lif...

Zindagi Gulzar Hai - A feast to ones eyes!

Today I am here to make a much interesting comparison of our current Indian TV industry with our neighboring country’s television industry. Interesting because I never thought I would ever engage in watching any of the Pakistan TV series/movies or listening to their music. My disinterest in Pakistan entertainment was not because of the tensed relationship with the country. But I myself am not a big fan of TV serials. The kind of drama that is filled in Indian TV Channels today is just exhausting and tiring to watch. I hardly follow any Indian TV series. When I visit home on vacation, I join my family in watching the program they watch and that’s how I keep myself updated with what is trending in the TV industry. I love listening to music and I listen to all genres of music. I did start listening to Pakistani music since last few years and have admired their music. Strings, Fuzon,  Kaavish, Jal, Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Ghulam Ali, Parveen Abida, Quratulain Baloch and many ...

Celebrating the Bridge for Friends!

Just like any other bridge, this one plays a role of connecting you and me. Some are brand new, very inviting, clean and pure, presenting to be strong, yet to get exposed to the harsh reality of life. Some have weathered in many seasons, with few bars of railings missing, few broken planks, yet they stand strong, like huge metal bridges.  Some are reinforced with fresh materials every few years, so we stay connected strong and safe for entire lifetime.  Some are beyond repair, standing there rusty and broken. Not because it's impossible to fix the gap, but just waiting for equal support from the other side to mend it. Some were meant to serve one another just once. The need to cross that bridge never arose again, doesn't mean we don't remember how important that bridge was in our journey. To new and old, deep and shallow, strong and weak, connected and broken friendships, I am grateful to have known you one way or another.  Happy Friendships Day! 🍻

Uncovered, Not Exposed

After ages of procrastination, I finally decided to try formal art classes. I had always feared that rules would take the fun out of my art. Art is where I go to unwind and let my mind wander, and the idea of placing boundaries in that safe space never sat well with me. But this year, I signed up for weekend spring classes; telling myself to keep an open mind and take in only what resonated. I was intimidated - I didn't know if this would draw me deeper into art or push me away. To my surprise, it was overwhelming, but in the best possible way.  The reason for this post is however not to cover my art journey ( I have just started so I will give it some time to settle in ); but instead to capture my thoughts upon observing a profession in real life that I have only watched on screen -  Live nude models. And the quiet power of their bare form.  I spent an entire day observing nude male and female body for figure drawing, and it blew my mind in ways I had not expected. ...

SriLanka Backpacking Itinerary - 14 days - One Country - Many Experiences

Finally, I tried to put together the itinerary of the 14 days backpacking trip in SriLanka I did with a friend in December 2019.  Some general notes -  For accommodation, we used Hostelworld.com  ; Booking.com ; Airbnb.ca On an average $7 - $15 USD we get good accommodation in hostel/airbnb. Coconut water - 80 LKR (because I drank a lot of it :)) TukTuk - always suggest you check with locals on what's the average price, so you can negotiate with the drivers better. Bus & train - most preferred mode of transportation, cheap, depending on the time of the day there are chance of it being crowded, but hey - if you want to get the sense of the place and people, go for it. In the expenses I have not included accommodation or food or rides within city.  Used Splitwise app to track my daily expenses. Carry USD in cash. local banks do give good exchange rate if you don't convert everything in Colombo airport. People bank of China did not charge ...

इन यादों को यकीन है ||

शीशे की दरारों में फसे सूरज की किरणे फर्श पे जमी हुई कीचड़ की दाग हर चीज़ पे धूल का पर्दा बिछा हुआ जैसे ओडी हो यादों की घूँघट इन सबने || मानो जैसे हर दीवार केहती कोई कहानी है जैसे वो टूटा हुआ आइना छुपाती किसीकी जवानी है उस झूले में जैसे दबी किसीकी मुस्कराहट है सब कैद है बस इंतज़ार में एक उसके || वो सावन जब भीगते थे घंटो तक आँगन में भागते थे एक दूसरे को छेड़ते पूरे घर में अब न वो बारिश रही न वो मासूम छेड़कानी बस रह गयी है तो ये फर्श पे जमी कीचड की दाग || वो आइना जिसने निहारा उनका खूबसूरत साथ जो शर्माके नज़रे झुकाती जब वो पास उसके जाता बालो में गजरा लगाता, काजल का टिका लगाता इसे भी इंतज़ार है फिर से उस जवान महोब्बत का || वो झूला आज भी डूबते सूरज से पूछता है क्यूँ ज़ंग लगी है उसमें, क्यूँ नहीं प्यार से उसे कोई झुलाता न वो शाम रहा जब वो एक दुसरे की बाहों में घंटों तक झूलते और न वो सूरज जिस से वो एक दुसरे की नादान शिकायत करते || बस इक आहट से उनके, इस खँडहर में जान आये उनके छूने से जी उठे हर एक चीज़ हट जाये यादों क...

Reading between the lines

“ What makes you think it’s you? ” She asked cocking her head to her right giving him a studying glance. He thought he was sure, but now looking at her piercing eyes, he wasn’t so sure after all. He shifted uncomfortably in his chair and clearing his throat said “ Well, you know, you always write about broken heart. And ahem, we both know, how that happened. So.. you know, I thought that it’s written around our relationship .” “ Hmm ” she said, straightening and sipping her bourbon.  “ But now looks like I was a fool to think that? ” Now it was his turn to shot that questioning glance. “ You were always a fool. You know that right. But anyway you were my fool! ” She smiled. “ I like the sound of ‘my’ there. But I am getting a feeling there’s no place for it anymore? ” he asked with slight nervousness. “ Tell me Erhan, why are you really here? I have my assumptions but I want to hear it from you. Tell me. ” She leaned forward, throwing her full weight on the table and her full atten...

Listener of the Fallen Stars

In the far end of the world, on the land stretched with endless deserts, walks an old merchant, Mejhul, the nameless, the faceless.   The name had fallen on him, as he was an orphan raised on the streets of different cities, growing up along the caravans of traders. And eventually he had come to like his name, for he was unknown, moving from one new place to another, no home to return to, no one that he belonged to. A nomad, a wanderer, he travels with his camel, Arkadash, who was truly his friend. From the time he ventured on this journey, Arkadash was with him, for over three decades now.  Mejhul spent his life, with half the year in the world out there, around people and their unlimited stories. And the rest half of the year of winter months in these deserts, wrapped in the night sky and their eternal tales.  He was no longer nameless though, he was now known, known as the Listener of the Fallen Stars.  Sitting in front of his tent in this fairly cold winter, lean...

Combat with Mosquitoes in Delhi Airport - 15 Dead

Yeah, if I owned a news channel or newspaper; then headlines today would read exactly like this. I was in transit in Delhi Indira Gandhi Airport and I had to wait for 4 hours; and trust me it was hell. It’s been ages since I have actually fought with mosquitoes, so for a bit I felt I might lose the battle with them.  In my childhood days, during rainy season, it was a time pass for us kids, clapping hands trying to kill mosquitoes. As disgusting as it may seem; back then it definitely was a fun filled activity. It’s been over couple of decades now that I have actually dealt with such an army of healthy & fit mosquitoes. I spent first hour trying to be civilized; just shooing them away; but then I had had enough. I went from defence to offence. Within the next hour I killed roughly 15 mosquitoes;  captured in my closed fist more than 10 mosquitoes and released these war prisoners safely alive. Honestly even today, it kind of gives a sense of accomplishment to accurately ...