While running through this express mission that is life, in the past year, I have at times suddenly stopped and noticed that I am growing old.
And while that is not such a shocking observation on its own (no Newton's laws were broken in the making of this fun fact), it is still an awareness that I cannot easily push to the back of my mind.
(And the birthday month is of course the best time of the year to think such happy thoughts :)
But it is not just the lack of black and the addition of grey hair, that makes me stop and accept this painful realisation. Nor is it the noticeably less number of alcoholic beverages that I can stomach lately and still stay awake. But strangely, it is more evident in moments that I catch myself philosophising in between conversations.
Now, I have always had the habit of delivering punch lines in a dramatic way. I know I do that when I write. But did I always do it while speaking to people as well? I don't know. Seems like one of those things that 'bade, buzurg (old and respectable)' people do.
The other day I caught myself advising someone, that while there is nothing wrong in loving your job (I never understood why it is cool to call those who love their jobs as 'sad'), we should have another hobby. The minute I said this aloud, I felt like an awkward old lady. So I stopped abruptly wished him good night and left. But I would like to continue my line of thought here on this blog.
I have seen, that no matter how much you love your work, there will always be days when things won't be perfect. There will be days when you may even hate your job (yes the same one that you love so much).
It is for these days, that a completely different hobby is extremely important. It allows you to disengage your emotions from the first point of focus, your work, to something else that you like equally. And this helps in keeping the passion alive and getting less frustrated in general.
This is what is meant by 'work-life-balance' I guess. I have heard this many times, but like many other corporate terminologies, I have dismissed it before. So caught up was I in winning my daily battles.
***stopped writing here in December, and picking this up in March, with exactly the same thought -- Get a hobby***
My mentor advised me the same last time I spoke to him. And I really need one. But you cannot grow one overnight.
I only ever had two, before the time that I started defining myself. Right from my pre-self-aware days,
1. Write (create stories, characters) and
2. Dance
I do little or none of both of these now.
So I am going to go ahead and post this note up on my blog, even though it is written haphazardly over multiple time lines, and without even bothering to edit it, just because I have to learn to put myself out there again. Little by little. Tiny baby steps.
Just because you grow old, doesn't mean you perfect the art of living life - to me it is still a learning curve, and a steep one at that.
And while that is not such a shocking observation on its own (no Newton's laws were broken in the making of this fun fact), it is still an awareness that I cannot easily push to the back of my mind.
(And the birthday month is of course the best time of the year to think such happy thoughts :)
But it is not just the lack of black and the addition of grey hair, that makes me stop and accept this painful realisation. Nor is it the noticeably less number of alcoholic beverages that I can stomach lately and still stay awake. But strangely, it is more evident in moments that I catch myself philosophising in between conversations.
Now, I have always had the habit of delivering punch lines in a dramatic way. I know I do that when I write. But did I always do it while speaking to people as well? I don't know. Seems like one of those things that 'bade, buzurg (old and respectable)' people do.
The other day I caught myself advising someone, that while there is nothing wrong in loving your job (I never understood why it is cool to call those who love their jobs as 'sad'), we should have another hobby. The minute I said this aloud, I felt like an awkward old lady. So I stopped abruptly wished him good night and left. But I would like to continue my line of thought here on this blog.
I have seen, that no matter how much you love your work, there will always be days when things won't be perfect. There will be days when you may even hate your job (yes the same one that you love so much).
It is for these days, that a completely different hobby is extremely important. It allows you to disengage your emotions from the first point of focus, your work, to something else that you like equally. And this helps in keeping the passion alive and getting less frustrated in general.
This is what is meant by 'work-life-balance' I guess. I have heard this many times, but like many other corporate terminologies, I have dismissed it before. So caught up was I in winning my daily battles.
***stopped writing here in December, and picking this up in March, with exactly the same thought -- Get a hobby***
My mentor advised me the same last time I spoke to him. And I really need one. But you cannot grow one overnight.
I only ever had two, before the time that I started defining myself. Right from my pre-self-aware days,
1. Write (create stories, characters) and
2. Dance
I do little or none of both of these now.
So I am going to go ahead and post this note up on my blog, even though it is written haphazardly over multiple time lines, and without even bothering to edit it, just because I have to learn to put myself out there again. Little by little. Tiny baby steps.
Just because you grow old, doesn't mean you perfect the art of living life - to me it is still a learning curve, and a steep one at that.
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