From my beloved friend...

LIVING LIFE TO THE FULLEST

"Picture a normal day of your life...

You get up, go about doing your morning ablutions in a robotic manner, reach your office or your school by the same road you trudge each day, meet the same people, do the same monotonous work, whine as usual about some tedious job assigned to you by your boss or your teacher, come back home, gobble down the same old food and stagger to bed...

The next day the whole mind numbing cycle repeats itself....

And life moves on....

Is this how you envisage the rest of your life too? Stuck in the same old rut, living the same old drudgery, following the same old mundane routine? Is this what life is all about? Have you ever asked yourself whether you’re actually living life or biding your time till you enter the void and allowing life to slip through your fingers?

Almost everybody today take their lives for granted. You just get through life in a strange zombie-like state, doing your duties almost mechanically, overlooking opportunities and being scared of dreaming. You keep quelling your heart’s desires in a bid to appear pragmatic and practical; you keep ignoring your true purpose in life and keep postponing the pursuit of your dreams in order to shield yourself from risks. You fail to foray into fields where your interests lie only because they are considered risky and off the beaten path, opting instead to do something which is considered safe and secure but fails to inspire you even a wee bit. The result- you, like countless others, live a cheerless, dreary, boring existence and die with the regret that you never got to do what you really wanted or grew to your maximum potential. Suddenly the term ‘unlived-life’ stops looking like an oxymoron!

Life is more than just a burdensome load to be carried till the end- it is an adventure, a spectacular journey, a beautiful blessing. Right from the moment you utter your first lusty cry till the moment you draw your last breath, you are meant to enjoy life, cherish it and savor every minute of it. You are born with a purpose. The divine powers have empowered you to discover that purpose and take it to its conclusion. Only if you do so can you expect to feel content and satisfied with the events that transpire in your life. Only if your purpose is fulfilled can you hope to live life to the fullest.

The key to living a full, wholesome life is to dream. So many people are unhappy today because they have forgotten how to dream. They have allowed cynicism to pervade in to their mindsets and pessimism to seep into their attitudes. Fear of failure has taken them away from this simple pleasure. If you dream, you are filled with an overpowering desire to fulfill your dream. You are gifted with a passion, a fresh new enthusiasm and a drive to translate your vision to reality. But just dreaming is not enough. You need to choose to follow your dreams too and not turn away from them for fear of not succeeding.

When it comes to success everyone looks for the blueprint. What they tend to forget is that success is only consummated by passion. A burning desire to prove yourself and a firm resolve fuelled by your immoderate desire to actuate your dreams is what eventually leads to victory. You are propelled into prominence if you pour your heart and soul into achieving your goals. If you are passionate about your dream you remain undaunted by failures and unmoved by the obstacles in your path. If you are passionate, you view things in a way nobody else can see. You become inextricably linked to your dream and through your dream to your life. The fervor, zeal and zest that you feel tethers you to life and makes you enjoy it to the maximum. The feelings of exhilaration and penultimate delight that course through you when you achieve your dream makes you feel vibrant and simply throbbing with life. Even if you are unable to fulfill your dream, you can rest in peace after donning the mantle of oblivion, knowing that you gave it your best try. Pursuit of dreams and interests is what makes you realize your purpose in life. It makes you feel alive like nothing else ever can!

Salma Hayek, the famous Mexican actress, in an interview with Oprah Winfrey once said, “I was famous in Mexico, but I wanted to be a great actress. I decided to abandon my career in Mexico and come to Hollywood to risk everything, because my dream was to be a good actress. It was very hard in the beginning; I was rejected and almost insulted by some producers and directors. I was running out of money at the time. Some people in Mexico never understood why I took such a high risk I succeeded, but if I would have failed, it wouldn't have mattered, because I tried my best.”

What is failure and what is success is a relative term. Ultimately, probably it is the measurement of our true happiness.

So never be afraid to dream. Follow your dream, never let it go, never be afraid to jump into the unknown. Dare to dream and dare to dream big. Find many interests and pursue them. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Strive hard to achieve successes. When you are traveling against the tide and things become tough, persevere. Don’t give up, just try harder. Give yourself the freedom to try out new things, taste new adventures and experience newer thrills. Whatever the outcome, it will always leave you content and happy.

If you do not fulfill your own role in the universe, one day you will regret it. Do not let routine and urgency steal your life. Never take anything for granted. Savor every sip, cherish every morsel and enjoy every bit of life’s nectar. Keep your innocence, curiosity and wonder of this world intact. Preserve the child living inside you and heed him every now and then. Never allow yourself to stagnate. Adapt to situations as they come and change yourself for the better a little everyday.

You’ve got only one life to live. So go out there and weather all storms, swim all tides and brave all uncertainties. Seize every moment to redefine and rediscover yourself. Chase all activities that will leave a lasting impression on your mind. Drink in the beauty of life and appreciate its simple pleasures. Treasure it, relish it and value it while it lasts. As Joe Lewis has said, you live only once but if you do right only once is enough...!!!"

Ishaan Vadhera (ishaanvadhera@ymail.com)