Teenage is pretty, But 20 is Beautiful!
Exciting and scary for most of us, this might be the time where we learn to find our own path, create our own and discard all the teenage influence, peers, teachers, family or the opposite sex. In one way or the other, they tend to influence us, somehow force us to be what they want us to be, not anymore.
In our age, it’s a time when we’re either graduating from college, pursuing higher studies or seeking a job; anyway anyhow; we’re trying to be on our own. Without getting into the details (sabko sabkuch pata hai) we all spend a lot of time thinking about HOW to be like everyone else and be accepted.
What we don’t see yet, is that people are full of SHIT. INCLUDING ME! Most people take care of themselves first. We all think that money will solve all our problems, but it doesn’t. There are people who would pull you down, even walk all over you if they have to, and people who pursue money over all things are most problematic.
There are no clear-cut answers to most of the life's questions, and no, our life doesn't end if we could longer impress our faculties or the next-door-SHARMAJI or DOOR KE RISHTEDAAR or work for the employer we worked so hard to impress in those interviews.
It takes TIME to understand that human nature is the common thread in all things human. And, in most cases it is problematic.
Within this period of my life, for me anyhow, came an epiphany. I realized these things and many more that I haven’t mentioned
And, I had a decision to make, either to man-up and face the bullets, be myself, be genuine, find my own path. Work on ways to be genuine, even if it meant taking those hard blows of blames, accusations and criticism or to stay down and keep running for a cover, a shelter in my comfort zone, hiding in the false security of a large company, or a small one for that matter. Do the boring and meaningless daily round of life, clock in, clock out, never make your own big decisions, get caught in the downward pull of credit cards, material possessions, and be a tiny ant among the crowd of others who's real value is to drive up the stock price of corporations, and make the very wealthy and powerful even more so.
When you're doing your own thing, you don't have to make allowances. But it's a tougher road. It's a better road, though. And you can find others like you. You can carve out your own place in the world.
You start looking at people differently. You start seeing yourself apart from the masses. Not better, just apart, as you start to think for yourself.
The other thing is, once you start being you, you're going to take some heat, actually a HELL LOT OF HEAT. Some of your friends will think you're crazy and stupid, that you’ve changed. You no longer have proper time for them, and say so, It's inevitable that you're going to lose most of them, too. If you make a sacrifice, e.g. start-up, you might end up not having a lot of cash for a while. I went through that. I made sacrifices, like cutting out budgets, hanging out less often, not buying new clothes for myself, etc. I was surprised to learn how many people decided I was a loser because of it. But I kept going, and I am still going. I ended up in the company of like-minded people, who came to know me, understand me, and accept me, and more than anything, support me. who made greater sacrifices than I did.
It takes TIME to understand that human nature is the common thread in all things human. And, in most cases it is problematic.
Within this period of my life, for me anyhow, came an epiphany. I realized these things and many more that I haven’t mentioned
And, I had a decision to make, either to man-up and face the bullets, be myself, be genuine, find my own path. Work on ways to be genuine, even if it meant taking those hard blows of blames, accusations and criticism or to stay down and keep running for a cover, a shelter in my comfort zone, hiding in the false security of a large company, or a small one for that matter. Do the boring and meaningless daily round of life, clock in, clock out, never make your own big decisions, get caught in the downward pull of credit cards, material possessions, and be a tiny ant among the crowd of others who's real value is to drive up the stock price of corporations, and make the very wealthy and powerful even more so.
When you're doing your own thing, you don't have to make allowances. But it's a tougher road. It's a better road, though. And you can find others like you. You can carve out your own place in the world.
You start looking at people differently. You start seeing yourself apart from the masses. Not better, just apart, as you start to think for yourself.
The other thing is, once you start being you, you're going to take some heat, actually a HELL LOT OF HEAT. Some of your friends will think you're crazy and stupid, that you’ve changed. You no longer have proper time for them, and say so, It's inevitable that you're going to lose most of them, too. If you make a sacrifice, e.g. start-up, you might end up not having a lot of cash for a while. I went through that. I made sacrifices, like cutting out budgets, hanging out less often, not buying new clothes for myself, etc. I was surprised to learn how many people decided I was a loser because of it. But I kept going, and I am still going. I ended up in the company of like-minded people, who came to know me, understand me, and accept me, and more than anything, support me. who made greater sacrifices than I did.
Soon I have to go someplace far away soon, but even then I have not given up on my path, and I know that I will always have a home for me to return to. I am still scared as hell and still need to figure everything out, but it does not matter!
If you’re reading this, all I can say is; this age is beautiful in all its imperfections. There will be times when you may feel suicidal, times where you’d think that broken hearts and shattered dreams will be the end of the line; but there’s a LOT more to it.
In the past, there will be nothing but regrets and the future holds nothing but uncertainty. Only in the PRESENT you’d find solace.
Cry, Scream, Shout Sulk, Hate, Live, Laugh, Love; do everything that feels cliché, because it all comes down to TWO Important questions:-
- One that the world will ask of you “WHAT have you done with your life”
- Second, which you’d be answerable to yourself and yourself alone: “WHY did I do that”
The answers to these questions will never be simple, none of the life’s matter really are. But answering them will make you realize, Why 20 is beautiful.
