Restless Routine

I am Special

Are you at some chronological point between 25 and 35, at a financial place we like to call ‘upper middle class’, and in a state of dissatisfaction?

I know I am- most of the time- dissatisfied that is; the age and economics are pretty much stable! And sometimes by myself, sometimes in cahoots with similarly oppressed friends, I try to find out the root cause of this unnecessary, inexplicable distress.

Based on my own judgment of my life thus far, some thoughts have evolved.Sharing my ideas with you good people in the hope of a better understanding of this non-dilemma!

I am including pretty much everyone between 25 and 35 in this group. Given that the gaps between generations keep getting deeper and closer together, I am not sure how right this is. But based on purely subjective experience, I am going to continue with the same demographic sample.

Most of us in our late twenties are either single children, or one of a pair. As such- we have received more than our fair share of attention. While a good education was ours by right, most conveniences too were only an ask away. Not all of us were the best of students, but then the alternative areas of achievement were many. Some played badminton, some danced, some swam, some sang- most of us did more than one of these! It was basically very doable- thanks to a mixture of comparative affluence, perceived ability, and of course- peer pressure! So what I’m driving at is- we’re quite an ‘accomplished’ generation. All of us have had a growing up phase liberally sprinkled with achievements - a district tournament here, a music award there. And since parents had only one or two children to focus on, the appreciation was abundant too.

And then we grew up.

Where once we were a ‘superstar’ for every 50/50 in Maths, small appreciations became hard to come by. I guess we assumed adult life would be an extension of the individuality we had always enjoyed. Each of us stood out from our peers in some way or another, and it was only natural to assume that the ‘individual identity’ would continue. However, as adults, we found ourselves working at something a thousand others do, struggling through courtship and marriage like everyone does, getting caught in traffic with a hundred others.

Nobody’s special.

I wonder if that's the reason we're seldom 'mad-happy' in adult life. We have taken our ‘awesomeness’ for granted and assumed others would see it too. Well, I’m sure each of us is very special in some way, but not enough to set us apart the way a ‘1^st prize in athletics’ did in school!

Perhaps we miss that.

And we look for it in the minor victories that life has to offer.

But it’s just not the same, is it?

Chain Reaction

When I posted the last bit of writing, I was in the middle of a whirlwind of projects. That being my first post, I shared it with quite a few people; to the instant reaction of- ‘Wherever did you find the time?!’ No, I am not going on to the trip about ‘You’ll find time if you really want to do something’ :-). But the question got me thinking, and brought me back to one of my favorite ‘theories’ on Life.

You see, I firmly believe, productivity is like a chain reaction. The more you do, the more you want to do! The fact of the matter is, I was motivated enough to find time to write because my brain was steaming ahead on all eight! How important it is to find work that can engage and interest the mind! It is like a wheel in motion. Keep it running and it will take you to surprising destinations without a squeak of protest; let it idle, and it will be a task to get it going!

If only each one of us realized that productive contribution is not a burden, or a favor upon your organization, but the only way to do justice to what lies within us. (Yeah, McGregor here I come!) I do believe self-actualization is the biggest reward and motivator.

I know many people (if you’re reading this, you’ll know it’s you I’m talking about!), blessed with creativity and intelligence, who are completely wrapped up in the mundane. Gifted people, who can do amazing things, if only they wished to ‘participate’ in the world. Look around you, and you will see the world is run by mediocre, hard-working people, while most better qualified persons watch from the sidelines. Why this reluctance to build upon a natural advantage? What is the satisfaction of basking in self-bestowed glory?

Many are the arguments I have had with such friends of mine. My point is that the need to be ambitious is not for the money, or the Desig. (although that never does any harm ;P) The need to move ahead is the need to perform, the need to achieve! We need to contribute, not in order to win a race or prove a point, but to ‘live’ our Potential. You don’t need the top-job to prove yourself; the top slot needs you to do what it was set up to achieve. Upon each one of us lies the moral responsibility of realizing one’s capability and building upon it. I owe it to the world for granting me the right to ‘exist’! Rounding it up, I would quite honestly say, that for me the answer to what is the purpose of existence, would be- ‘to understand my potential, and live it to the fullest!’ (you might, of course, say ‘42’ is a closer answer! ;D)