What is the most essential ingredient of life? Some say its money, some want respect, some say happiness. What we often forget is that there is not one entity that can come out as most significant masala in this curry of life. It is often a combination of many elements, the hardships, the sacrifices, and the achievement. It is a journey through all the odds of life to happiness.
Now what makes you happy is again unique. We often don’t even know that one element in our lives that brings us joy, which makes our life so livable. For 20 years since I started to walk and think, I had no idea of what it was that made me feel good. All through those years, I struggled. At first I believed that getting good marks, being a good child could make me happy. And that’s exactly what I aimed at. I shaped my way, right from a very non-academic background to being a student of reputation. It worked well enough, right until my high school. I succeeded in building a reputation for myself and made my parents proud. But then I went out, and things changed, drastically. I had a look back and I had nothing to cherish, no outstanding memories, nothing that would want me to go back. And I was lost. For another two years, I really had no idea what I had been doing. Life was uncertain. Things worsened when the school was over. I didn’t know where I was headed. So I took leave for a year. Gave myself some time exploring my own self. And a year later, I found myself, here in Architecture. It’s funny, how life transforms itself. It is more like a river, it shapes its way, curls and twists and doesn’t even drop a clue, as to what might come next. And all we are, is just a bunch of lazy travelers. The journey of life is full of surprises, crazy unexpected ones. But then, what really matters is how we take this journey. We could either sit, like pilgrims in a motor boat, or we could turn the boat into a raft and let the thrill began as every rapid becomes an opportunity to make our lives more interesting, more livable. Well, those are big words up there, right? Well, all these years in architecture, and that’s what I learned the best - being able to describe what I feel. And it didn’t happen all sudden. There were a lot of things, loads of people that shaped me the way I am today. No, I didn’t join any ‘Art of Living’ classes, for you see, life isn’t an entrance exam that someone may teach you how to crack, it’s an experience, unique for each one of us, and we need to figure it out on our own. We need to know what makes us happy. And once we do, we will be an artist. So, here’s the one thing that I have come to realize. All our accomplishments, all our hard work, is an utter waste, if we forget the most essential character of life, which is the part where we actually live, where we let our emotions guide our actions, where we shut off reason and logic and let our hearts decide for ourselves. Too much filmy? Indeed, but not all components of a film are fictional, are they? The day I finished my college, I had so much that I wanted to relive. I looked around and there were loads of people who had hated things for all these years and just wanted to get the hell out, to never come back. And then there were those who were shattered, like a dream has just ended and you don’t want to wake up. It is always we, who are in charge of that boat called life. Sometimes, we are so focused on the task ahead that we forget to LIVE. Five years in architecture do test you to your limits. But then, that’s what life is. Nothing comes without a chase. The only part that you can actually control is how you do the chasing. In most of my experiences, the people that hate college most are the ones who spend their entire time, either buried in the books, ones desperate to make it to the top or the ones who fail to make any good friends. Because you see, it’s not the place that makes an experience memorable, it is the people you are with that counts. When I look back at my five years, there are a thousand things that I did, a bunch of unforgettable people, and a hell lot of memories, the ones that I may never truly be able to relive. But what is much more interesting is the fact that in none of these I picture myself, doing what a regular college student is supposed to do. All I remember is the times I spent doing all that crazy shit with friends, those pranks we put in on people, those outings late night and those never ending journeys. And that is what makes me feel satisfied that all those years weren’t a waste at all. They made me the very person I am today, completely transformed, happy to have LIVED the time of my life. So, here is a last personal advice to all those willing to take, chase your dreams, do the hard work, but just don’t stop living, find things that make you happy, go crazy, go out and see the world. And above every other thing, make friends, spend time with people, trust them, speak your heart out, prank the hell out of them, love them, and without knowing, without doing anything, you will craft memories, and when it comes to an end, you will not be just going back with a graduation degree and a registration number.
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