Do You Take A Walk On The Wild Side of Life

Five minutes post your time of birth, they start deciding for you. You serve a sentence along with these decisions: your name, religion, beliefs and even aspirations. Fast forward twenty years, when it comes to deciding your financial stand with steaks from The Steak Factory or stilettos from Jimmy Choo or perfumes from Elizabeth Arden, you ardently search for the indefinite thing: It’s the cash hon’.

In the aftermath, life moves ahead slightly like this: get good grades, get a job, get married, pretend the exaggerated marriage, burn a cigar, die. Very few people proceed to walk in the path less traveled and understand unconventional professions and what it has to offer. 

For the purpose of my work, I’ve had a chance of conversing with a myriad individuals from ballad dancers to pop-stars and comic artists to racing drivers and more (you name it!). Each time I spoke with them, I started understanding why all of these individuals voluntarily decided to step out from the rat race and build their journeys. 

---

Personal Happiness vs. World Peace

The majority ships the idea of a superficial happiness. It is the faster inertia towards being recognized by the world. But to live to our full potential, we must become wholesome by who we are and demand our presence. 

I learnt this in my few years of life, presence is a pricey thing to ask for. The only person who succumb completely to what you require, is yourself.

Success Is Not A Cosmic Reward

Sooner or later, when we have more summers behind us than in front of us, we realize that life was not supposed to fair (always). Pursuing any unconventional profession means you have the ability to move yourself from rags to riches with mental strength. I had a chance to interview a chronic patient of asthma who made to the LIMCA Book of Records for running a marathon from New Delhi to Mumbai. Her success was born from sweat equity.

Qualifying For The Fate

The question of fate still impacts both artists and scientists alike. But like no two trees in the world has symmetrical patterns, the paths of our lives cannot be the same as well. 

Choosing what you want to hustle for is more important in this game. Each person comes with a unique separate story. Your’s belong to you, mine, is mine. 

Swallow the Moon

Stop being insecure about what discomforts you. I confronted a problem to confide when I was upset, hurt, anxious or angry. 

So here’s what I did — I did not escape from it. I gave in. There is nothing wrong about feeling discomfort once you witness comfort in it. It is about moving in with that person who can speaks to you in distress: You. 

When you are choosing the path less traveled, these challenges are inevitable.

Balancing Out With Our Ego

In an age when capitalism is fast growing, we cannot shelf our ego. We have to balance it out. With how much we want, how far we aim and most importantly how much is good for us.

This is how you should treat your ego: grow it like the greens and burn it out. Don’t let it persuade you. It is the other way around the table.

Don’t Ask John To be Mary

If you put an artist in a classroom full of lawyers, she will inevitably feel lost. If you ask an inventor to scale growth of a company, the stock market will crash. 

I remember the magic I saw in the eyes this Asia’s Next Top Model, when asked, have you ever felt nervous to compete in her fast paced profession. She laughed and asked, “Have you ever seen me perform?”. This magic is real, no trickery. 

I loved every every inch of she said. 

The Jump Towards Jubilation

Go to work. Showup everyday. Follow fashion. Invent art. Build a story. Walk on the pavement. Save a few games for old age. Obey the Law. Or break a few. 

And repeat after me — I am free.