Thursday, November 15, 2012

A 25 year old's Top 10 Commandments of Life


Dear Grandchildren,


Wait. Where are my reading glasses. *cough* *cough*. Yes. Here they are. *cough* *cough*. Ah. Look at my new Mac book Pro. Shipped in straight from America. This is my first blogpost using this new-machine. Dear me. It's nothing like how it was when I started this blog. Back then, I used to blog from my typewriter. The times they are a-*cough**cough*... uh..a-changin'...

And now that I turn 26 in a few days, I have seen enough of life my dear children. I transcend into the other side of the crisis. Popularly known as the wrong side. I am more of experience, less of learning. Hmm. But actually not. I still have to learn how to backspace in a Mac. Looks like, this entire life we learn, unlearn & relearn. The times they are a... indeed...a- *cough*...chang..*cough*... Arrrrghh Bronchitis.. someday thou shalt also suffer!

And as I grew up, I heard many people dispense their ground rules of life. Great men spoke great words. Big men spoke big words. Mom said somethings too. 

But my dear young generation, for you, here are MY very own Top 10 Commandments on Life!



1) Know What's Worth fighting For. And then fight for it. It may look impossible, and chances may seem bleak. But if it is worth the plunge, effing jump.


2) Choose Those People Wisely Who Can Leave a Vacuum in your Heart when they Leave. And then, don't let'em go. *Keyword: Wisely*


3) You Can't Ask God for Someone to be in your life, or Some Job in a particular MNC, or Some Outfit from that expensive brand store. Sorry, He ain’t your secretary. What you can ask for is abundance of love, an extravagant life, smiles & happiness, domestic peace, even fame maybe. Figure out "why" you really want what you want. And spare God the details.


4) Focus on your Domestic Life, and your professional life will stable around. Professional ambition is an endless saga, everyday you can work forever. But when you know you have to get back home to tuck your kids in bed, or you have to wake up at 6 to make your mom-in-law coffee, you'll find more direction & discipline. Set your priorities. What is your big picture? What is your small sacrifice? Do you know that yet?


5) Watch your Words. Don't underestimate the power of your brain. It is almost as sharp as your tongue. If you just think a little before you speak, you can make that pretty girl smile, get your boss to hike your salary, get someone else to do your laundry, and convince mom to that runaway Las Vegas trip.



Abhilasha Dafria's Theory of Mediocrity


6) Reject Mediocrity. It's that tempting parking spot in your life's journey to its destination. It's like this: You start small, move ahead, face struggles, drag on, the road is long, stoned, hurdled, tough.
And then you see this easy de-route. It looks alright, it looks like a wise shortcut, And you tempt yourself into it. Now you've reached mediocrity. You'll be welcomed by many like you there. Most of 'em will tell you this is the best anyone could get. And that's how you'll get engulfed into this delusion. If you are lucky, realization will hit. You’ll want to break through. Then you will have to go through ‘the shit curve’ that’ll make it so difficult for you to drag on. You'll be on your own and have to go back to the starting point. There ain’t no shortcuts. That is life.



7) It's All Temporary. Your joys, your sorrows, your success, You. So brag only so much, that it doesn't come back to haunt you. And if you're going through a rough patch, know the golden words, that This too Shall Pass. No matter how dark it seems right now, there is always a soothing light at the end of the tunnel. Unless, you're Princess Diana.



8) Don't Break a Heart. Honesty, Commitment, Loyalty, is the essence of your character. It is the reflection of your upbringing. The core of your value system. It is NOT an option. It is all that you are. So honour that promise you made. Because when you break a heart, you’re out-rightly ripping off someone’s trust, mental strength, emotional investment and everything fundamental. You're breaking a multiple folds of faith that keeps humans going. Hope binds us. Don't become the disruption point in that chain. Don't destroy somebody's reason to live.


9) Meditate, Isolate, Retrospect to Humble Down. Who are you? Nothing more than a small insignificant speck on the face of this earth. When you're gone, how many people will be really affected? What is that ratio compared to the total population of this world? Country? City? Heck, even the number of people you have interacted with till date? So what are you proud of, when all you've done is affected only a minuscule irrelevant percentage of your small little cocoon? Is that your “greatness”?
You can be proud of yourself if you have made peace with the fact that you are a bloody no one.
Success builds Confidence. With Confidence comes either Humility or Pride. Humility builds Character. Character builds Success….while Pride comes just before the Fall. So when you taste initial success, make that life-defining choice.



10) Finally, Make Your Own Rules. It's your life, no one can live it for ya. It is your journey, no one can walk it for ya. So make your decisions,  take your calls. Stand up for what you believe in, man... If you won't, who will?
You know, when you were born, someone up there collected some sand in an hourglass and turned it round. Even as you read this, there is a regulated trickle of sand from the top to the bottom, at the pace of every breath you take. And once the top bulb is empty, you're going to be called back. No excuses.You just have that much time here. We have all come to die. That's our inevitable destination.
And then, how do you think would it really feel... when you die with the knowledge... that you never... really lived?


I leave you *cough* *cough* with that thought.






Love and blessings,
Your soon-to-turn older Granny,
Abhilasha Dafria










PS: Okay huge shout-out to all those people who have messaged me on FB/ mailed me etc and appreciated my blog or questioned why I have stopped writing. Like my best friend Akanksha rightly put it, once you start getting paid for writing, you can’t really blog. So yeah! The journo in me got too busy rambling. But thank you people for all the lovely messages & encouragement. I really feel humbled to know that any part of my blog has inspired you or made you smile. Special mention to you, Ms. Ankita, was very humbled to read your message on my friend’s phone. I don’t know how my blog changed your life, but I’m so happy it did. I have not earned having fans yet, but calling yourself one was a very flattering to me. So, if anything, thank YOU J

8 comments:

Unknown said...

This is the first blog of yours that I have read.. I'm going read more... Keep writing dear... It's a gift and not everyone can write so well... Keep the good work going Abhilasha.... Very well written.. Very thought provoking... Something that each one of us needs to print out and have it stuck on the wall in the front of us to remind us what life actually is :)

Abhishek Dafria said...

Well put... while the world keeps shouting out these commandments left, right and centre, it is the relaxing tone of this post that makes them appear more sensible... and more importantly -- doable!

Unknown said...

It's written beautifully ... Straight from the heart .. Like some one said above " Its very provoking "
Next time do help people get a proper career perspective ,Many of them lack it !

palak said...

sometimes when you come across such article it rewinds a lot of thought in your mind. I loved and felt connected to each word you have written. I will also abide by the commandments some of which is already ingrained in me. You do not know but you posted it when someone needed it.:)

Anonymous said...

Advance Birthday greetings.. and I loved this post in particular. well written and relatable. If only had I read this post when I was 15..

Anonymous said...

Abhilasha, your post gave me that push which I deseparately needed.

7ark said...

The wisest book is a blank one...it tells you - you already know what you seek and you seek what you have always known...

In an unknown , unseeing manner, Thank you for putting in words what I needed to hear right now...

Supergrowth said...

Nice post, I was not aware that it is difficult to write blog for paid writer. Thanks a lot Abhilasha Ji