Who you should be?

Should you always be what you pretend to be?

We have always pretend to be someone or atleast tried to be similar to a particular genre as per the society. What I mean to say is that we have all accustomed to a particular profession and also have aligned our life style with it. Even if we are actually not the person whom we are pretending to be, we have so much accustomed ourselves to a particular genre of the society that we have actually forgotten what we actually are.

Let me  elaborate.

We all live in a society with most of us dragging ourselves in the 9 to 5 rat race. We have a perfect yearly schedule. On most days we wake up to reach our workplace tired with hopeful dreams and we end our day without any productive work for ourselves. On festivals, we come out wearing traditionals, click selfies with fake smiles and that's how our years are ending. Haven't we ever thought of giving up pretending to be someone and really be ourselves?

We, who are dragging ourselves to work every morning have forgotten that their lives a different person in us with a different hidden dream. If we all go back to our childhood, do we remember saying that our dream was to work 9 to 5? I am sure nobody would have said that. We wanted to be a musician, a traveller or a writer. Perhaps a few of us also wanted to be fire fighters, join the army or play soccer. We have already given up on our dreams or are shattering it everyday and by that it shall be destroyed itself. Is it right? We are working hard to fulfill somebody else's dream. We are all afraid to put our job security at minimal risk just to pursue what we always wanted to do. We are dragging ourselves to work 40 hours a week denying our dreams which would need perhaps 80 hours a week at the beginning. The double effort will yield exponential happiness. 

It would cost a little to be yourself but the effort is worth it.

Submitted for Indispire

Childhood Dream

As a youngster I remember that most of my friends wanted to be doctors, engineers or cricketers. I had a different wish inside me. Ever since I was in my primary school I wanted to join the Indian Army. I don't remember how I got that dream all of a sudden inside me. Perhaps it was Sunny Deol's 'Border' where he played the role of Major Chyanpuri that motivated me towards Army. I was determined to join the defence. My parents and family was astonished at this wish since no male member of our clan had ever been in any service. I am born in a business blood clan. I got family support.

I was always a fatso kid. Good food and laziness were the best words to define. Things changed a little after high school. I wasn't the same lazy bum as always. I was all focused into National Defence Academy (NDA). Those days I used to sleep less, around four and half hours every night. I woke up exactly at 5 AM and started to run in the Kamakhya temple hills with Kunal. Kunal was focused to lose some pounds from his belly as an act to mark his health consciousness. The first few days of running in the hills was really tiresome. I would stop on the view point that was on the hill top at Bhubansehwari and ask myself,

Is it really necessary?

I thought for alternatives but the zeal inside me wouldn't allow me to do so. I kept running every morning and gym every evening. I lost around 17 Kilos in around 45 days. I wasn't even happy at that. At that moment the only thing that probably could bring me happiness was the selection news from NDA. I wanted to stay awake and guard the frontiers when the entire nation would be asleep. I wanted to fight the enemies and die with the glory of the Tricolour on my corpse.

I wrote the exam. The results disappointed me. I was a loser. My dad acted as the best support then. His words were really supporting and has motivated me to another dream that is not much different from the broken dream. I still remember what he said me (although his words to me were in the vernacular, I would try my best to translate).

Dad - "I believe your desire to join the Army is just because you want to contribute to the society and bring some glory for your motherland? If this is what you desire than being in the Army isn't mandatory at all. You can do everything for your motherland even if you aren't in the army.  Do anything and everything for the society. Live for the society and lend your hand to every person who you believe needs your help. Work hard and earn a lot so that you can help contribute towards philanthropy. Even if you won't be able to guard the frontiers you would be doing something for the nation."

Whatever dad said me that day wasn't wrong at all. I believe that whatever I have been doing today doesn't drive me apart from that childhood dream. I am determined and shall walk on the path of philanthropy until every fellow Indian gets his honor of bread, shelter and cloth.