In the last few days i have had many a conversations with my friends about this very subject. Everybody seems to be in this questioning phase where they are not sure what they are doing with their lives. It seems like a JOB to go for their JOBS but its got to be done. Go to office come back home and the cycle continues. Weekend is the only time you have to yourself but there are so many things to do that it feels like Mondays are right after Fridays and there never was a Saturday and a Sunday.
What is it that makes us so full of our way of lives but it still keeps us going on with it? As far as Mumbai is concerned i also blame the way of life in the city that eventually takes a toll on you. Because there is so much opportunity available to us here we end up coming to this city and then this very opportunity makes sure we don't have an opportunity for anything else. Dreams turn into work place ambitions and nothing more. We are struggling to survive one day after the other. The city doesn't make it easier. Rents are sky high and so an average person would be living miles away from their work travelling everyday for hours and so by the end of the day is left with no more time than enough to probably watch TV and go off to sleep. Also because everything is so expensive you can barely afford any form of leisure like clubs and sports which in smaller towns and cities we take for granted. Therefore the idea of leisure is watching a movie, going out for dinners and sitting by the stinky seaside, the vast expanse of which only makes you feel more lost and gets you thinking. 'Change your lifestyle' is the first advice any doctor will give you in this city but how do you do that? while there are million books and people to advice you to go a certain way to change it all but the 24 hour day (more like 12 hours) seems to give you the ultimate test of will to even start somewhere. I don't say we can't do it. of course we can but the quality of life will always make you question every step in time and put you a step back as you tend to end up spending more time in thinking whys than doing the hows.
My decision to quit my job a few months back also came from a similar phase of questioning the purpose of life, finding time for myself, looking after my health which was as good as non existent. I wonder sometimes in the race of ambitions we forget our basic dreams, basic emotion of happiness, we feel loaded and it really does and will take a lot for each one of us to come out of it, be happy and still be doing our thing.
I am not sure about other cities as i can only talk from my experience of living in the city of dreams - Mumbai. Ironically the very dream one comes to this city with seems to fade away without the slightest hint of realization on their part. I know that this post seems a little on the negative side but honestly i am just writing this post as it has increasingly been a question in my mind.
Off late i have personally decided to try and increase my happiness quotient and that by just being happy, by not getting bothered and affected by way of life or what i have right now, it could probably make things a lot easier to deal with. While i have it and i am in it, the idea i feel should be to try and enjoy in whatever way you can because by cribbing about life we don't really change anything but only feel more and more miserable about everything about us and around us. Maybe something as small as using smilies :) could just help one change their mood :) and little more conversations with family and friends just helps you keep your calm and understand situations of life better.
The break i have taken has definitely helped in many ways, and i feel everyone should definitely make it a point to utilize all their leaves in a year (which a lot of people to my surprise don't) if not necessarily take a break from working all together. As any form of break only helps you relax and put a perspective to things and we can start afresh every time.
What is it that makes us so full of our way of lives but it still keeps us going on with it? As far as Mumbai is concerned i also blame the way of life in the city that eventually takes a toll on you. Because there is so much opportunity available to us here we end up coming to this city and then this very opportunity makes sure we don't have an opportunity for anything else. Dreams turn into work place ambitions and nothing more. We are struggling to survive one day after the other. The city doesn't make it easier. Rents are sky high and so an average person would be living miles away from their work travelling everyday for hours and so by the end of the day is left with no more time than enough to probably watch TV and go off to sleep. Also because everything is so expensive you can barely afford any form of leisure like clubs and sports which in smaller towns and cities we take for granted. Therefore the idea of leisure is watching a movie, going out for dinners and sitting by the stinky seaside, the vast expanse of which only makes you feel more lost and gets you thinking. 'Change your lifestyle' is the first advice any doctor will give you in this city but how do you do that? while there are million books and people to advice you to go a certain way to change it all but the 24 hour day (more like 12 hours) seems to give you the ultimate test of will to even start somewhere. I don't say we can't do it. of course we can but the quality of life will always make you question every step in time and put you a step back as you tend to end up spending more time in thinking whys than doing the hows.
My decision to quit my job a few months back also came from a similar phase of questioning the purpose of life, finding time for myself, looking after my health which was as good as non existent. I wonder sometimes in the race of ambitions we forget our basic dreams, basic emotion of happiness, we feel loaded and it really does and will take a lot for each one of us to come out of it, be happy and still be doing our thing.
I am not sure about other cities as i can only talk from my experience of living in the city of dreams - Mumbai. Ironically the very dream one comes to this city with seems to fade away without the slightest hint of realization on their part. I know that this post seems a little on the negative side but honestly i am just writing this post as it has increasingly been a question in my mind.
Off late i have personally decided to try and increase my happiness quotient and that by just being happy, by not getting bothered and affected by way of life or what i have right now, it could probably make things a lot easier to deal with. While i have it and i am in it, the idea i feel should be to try and enjoy in whatever way you can because by cribbing about life we don't really change anything but only feel more and more miserable about everything about us and around us. Maybe something as small as using smilies :) could just help one change their mood :) and little more conversations with family and friends just helps you keep your calm and understand situations of life better.
The break i have taken has definitely helped in many ways, and i feel everyone should definitely make it a point to utilize all their leaves in a year (which a lot of people to my surprise don't) if not necessarily take a break from working all together. As any form of break only helps you relax and put a perspective to things and we can start afresh every time.
2 comments:
This is a really good write up Tanaya..loved it...I had this discussion with all my friends too...specially when I was in Bombay and started hating Bombay for all these reasons....ended up quitting my job in search for a better life....and my belief that there is a better life somewehere other than this city....may be in smaller towns..may be abroad...I at times found people much more relaxed in Delhi.......but I still don't see things clearly....and have not heard anyone with a clear thought who favours the crazy life in Bombay....or any other city....may be its all about perceptions...which we create in our minds...and go away from reality...
Thanks Yuv.. true that.. the pace of this city kills you.. most of your life is spent just working.. the very money u earn can't be utilised for things u enjoy, is what i think gets on to people.. do think that delhi, bangalore, etc are definitely a lot more relaxed than bombay.. a whole lot of people i know move to those cities with their limited or rather lesser opportunities because they have made a choice of having an ounce of a better life than this city and i guess because of that very same reason they are more relaxed and happier.. :)
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