Tonight is the last night of the decade, ten years that have flown past. As I look back and introspect on the memories , I realize how momentous the last ten years have been in my life.
From a high school kid who had just moved into yet another new place, who took his time to find his voice, the associated insecurities of having just moved from an obscure town to a reputed school in a metro , a town about which none of my classmates had heard about. I made some awesome friends in high school and realized that I could compete with these bright kids and perform well in the exams that really mattered. I made my first major independent decision in my life to choose a life away from my comfortable cocoon of school friends and parents, to explore a new place that seemed exciting. In hindsight, it couldn’t have been a better decision!
Life away from the protective gaze of my parents made me an independent thinker. It opened up new thoughts and horizons never imagined before. Hostel life taught many a valuable lesson, exposed me to different kinds of people, to test the limits of self-control and conscience, to discover new hobbies and passions in travel, music and photography, to the happiness in small moments, to great friends and some not so good ones, to handle responsibility and the associated successes and failures, to handle criticism, to separate the wheat from the chaff, to feel the beauty of love and the entire roller coaster ride of emotions, grow as a person and in hindsight realize all the mistakes made along the way.
I experienced the exciting transition of a fresher to a respected corporate job, again with a new bunch of people. Some old friends moved away to distant lands, some moved closer literally and figuratively, some new relationships were formed, some strengthened whereas others withered away. Most importantly, I chose to explore and expand my horizons and realized what I did not enjoy and where my passion truly lies. I made the second most important decision of my life to shift careers. There were tough days and failures to be endured, new lessons to be learnt, and now I am at an interesting phase of life, where the future holds a lot of hope and apprehension at the same time. I had to make a few tough decisions, and forego the conventional route to success as perceived by the society. But the proverbial sixth sense assures me that I am on the right track at last. Cheers to the last decade and the valuable lessons learnt, for the direction it has given to my life and most importantly it has given me the people whose company I cherish and to hopefully long lasting bonds!!
P.S: Thanks to all the special people who have stuck with me through thick and thin and others who taught me valuable lessons and shaped me for what I am today !!
Happy New Year and Decade to all!
I sign off with my favourite lines from my favouritest band!
“Long you live and high you fly
smiles you’ll give and tears you’ll cry
all you touch and all you see
Is all your life will ever be.”
Varun
In search of Utopia 