Live. Laugh. Learn. Love. Loop.

I asked my brother today “What can I do to be more productive through the day?”

“This is the fifth time you asked me that question this month!"

"You have been doing great and continue this you’ll be more than fine”, he said. And this is the hundredth time I have heard a similar response this year.

Panicked, I said, “2015 is ending now! I have been working hard day-in and day-out and you want me to be fine or just more than fine? I want to be excellent, I want to be awesome, and I want to be a role-model to people. I am surrounded by crazy successful people and I want to touch success too. Is that too much to expect?”

“Definitely not, but you are doing well for your age. Give it some time you will be fine.”

“You owned a Multi-Dollar company when you were 23! That subtracts 3 years to my age. I am far even from building one. What can I establish in 3 years’ time then?”

Whenever I have asked him for a feedback he told me that I have done a great job and that I will be fine.

This never satisfied me. I always want to grow and want to do it now. The existing inspirations of Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates giving youths an inspiration to live their passion, now! Like there is no tomorrow! They have taught us to be crazy and also successful even in our twenties. This sensation has now made me very impatient to grow and create value for me.

I want to get to my goals faster. I want to be better tomorrow. I want to learn everything I can so that I can create a value ASAP. We all have 24 hours same as Mr. Modi who is running this massive country; same as Shah Rukh Khan who is ruling Bollywood and same as a person who is whiling away this energy and time. Every minute of these 24 hrs is to be utilized; as it passes not recurs.

If I am having my breakfast, I am reading through the headlines. If I am in transit, I am reading bibliographies or latest discoveries. If I am waiting for the bus, I am reading through Pocket. If I don’t, it feels like I am falling behind.

More the people I meet more advices I receive. A friend said to me that there are more opportunities in the west and people learn and grow faster there, if I don’t go I will be falling behind. That scared me. I don’t want to fall behind my peers. I was almost prepared to pack my bags for the west!

That’s when I went to mom for some mummyadvices which have always been life changing conversations to me.

Something unlike her she said, “Take your time. Read. Breathe. Live. Someone is always going to be ahead of you. That’s their story, their path. And if you don’t “make it” until you are 30, 40 or 80 doesn’t mean you have failed. It’s what was supposed to happen. This shouldn’t reduce your focus or hard-work it should motivate you to grow and build. If you rush with your progress in life you will hit a wall. Learn to balance things your life.”

I don’t know what got stuck into my mind today; I remember every word she spoke. This conversation was two lengthy years ago.

This morning just wanted me to write. Writing which I had done a long while ago; writing which I have loved to do; which that makes me happy; makes me relaxed; makes me love myself for every encryption on this blank screen.

I didn’t follow my regular routine today. Guess what? It was OK! I feel satisfied for living today. As long as I have learnt something, today was a good day.

I am 20. And yes, in 5 years I will be completing a quarter century on this earth, learning and living each day with no greed to rush through life. Because you know what! I will be still having 3/4th of a century to learn and do everything with my life!

So hey! You’re doing awesome. Let time light it. And you definitely will

Glow with the Flow!

-Shivani Shankar.