Reality Checks

KNOWING WHAT WE WANT

Most of the times in our life, we don’t know what we want. We keep heading in newer directions to search for that happiness which most of the times lie with us only.

Remember when we were kids, we just wanted to grow old as fast as we can so that we can join college and can live our own life, far away from the observing eyes of our parents. We just hated exams, school uniforms, writing “yours obediently” in our sick leave applications, admiring the fascinating college life as shown in DDLJs, Kuch Kuch Hota hai, Phool aur Kaantes of the worlds. So we reached college and found the stark opposite of what we saw. You feel like you have been made proper fool of. The engg diagrams, chemical labs, microwave labs robbed all of the thoughts of having parties, long drives, bunking classes and enjoying the canteen time. Well that was not the part of the scene in DDLJ which I saw. But still we grew (though our pocket money wouldn’t let us expand the envelope). Then the thoughts of having a job and feeling complete independence started filling the mind.

So you land up in a good job which pays well too. Now you got everything you wanted since the time you started changing you own nappies. Atleast now you should be happy, you got job, your personal room, your bike, and above all your independence. You have the ability to spend on what you want, when you want, how much you want not worrying and even figuring it why you want.

No, you still are not…..

The high paying job starts demanding its fair share of flesh. You start working late in night, reaching home by 10, flying outside city on some official tour on week ends just because you are needed back to office on Monday morning for an important meeting. You start cutting time from you personal life to account for completing that job which in any manner was not meant to be completed in the allotted time.

Now,
You have money, but no time to spend.
You have phone, but no time to call your parents/friends(even the enemies).
You have car, but no time to go for a long drive.
You have laptop, but no time to send even a casual mailto your old pals.
You can afford all types of food, but still eat pizzas, because you also got 30 minutes nahin to meeting kaun attend karega.

Suppose even amid all these chaos, you find some time for your self, then you don’t have pals to hang out with because you never kept track of their plans. So now you for shopping, not for buying because you need it, but because you were feeling very lonely at home on a Sunday evening.

I remember an old saying which goes something like, “You don’t know the wealth of water till the well is dry”.

Now you start remembering you old time when go would go out with friends not for a party/pub/disc but to a local chaat shop and enjoy pani-poori, tikki. The smell of those samosa’s were cherished much more that any Thai or continental dish which you still leave halfway. Life seemed more beautiful even in that small Pocket money than the Lacs you earning today. You miss all those times when your parents called but you couldn’t pick up the phone coz your were busy attending your client’s call. You want to go back but you can’t.

So unfair; the appreciation for a certain thing comes only when the thing is already gone; rarely does life give the chance of having something and enjoying it too under the awareness of its importance.

So why are we working like that. Everyone working hard behind a vision works fine until everyone is burnt out. I guess Google isn't old enough to know ;) I did hear that peer pressure is nothing, but it’s all hear-say. Every second in your job, you are just made to vie even with your colleague. Company makes sure you don’t have any pals but only competing colleagues. So you keep fighting till you realize its just a one way road.

It’s all about work-life balance. We can only complain so much about our jobs and our lack of work-life balance. There are only so many "hacks" we can come up with to get around working too much, not having enough time at home with our parents, not having enough time for our friends...or ourselves. Our lives are too short to spend feeling angry or guilty of not doing anything.

Well I just realized that recently. (The blog after so many months just showed that how much time I wasted in the process which now I would proudly call Enlightment)

I have a life outside of my job, and I plan on keeping it that way. It may take a toll on my job/salary/career, so be it. It took me quite a few years to realize that Rs 3 samosa @ home tastes much better than Rs 300 Italian Salad !!!

# posted by Sam @ 7:55 PM