If the notion of "things that make you feel alive" is really true...


If the notion of "things that make you feel alive" is really true, then I believe you will always find your way back to something you loved - in one form or the other. But only if you let that urge to try and explore, bloom.


For me? Debates, Anchoring, School Plays, Mock Parliaments - basically, the stage.

And when I say this, my entire school life plays in front of me.

I don’t think schools ever made us feel the need for a change or introduced the concept of saturation.

Academics and co-curriculars went hand-in-hand. Growth happened unknowingly. And the term – networking, was not even known but it was natural and already existed.

Back in school, I was constantly a part of extra-curriculars. That kept me thrilled and to be more precise, satisfied. 

After dropping out of DU and joining Thapar, I grabbed every opportunity. There was pressure- being a dropper I couldn’t afford to miss anything.

Second year? I joined Frosh, a society that excited me to explore.

No debates or speeches, but I found unexpected joy in other things:

  •  Dancing in a flashmob during the society fair.
  •  Leading a Zumba session for freshers – something I never thought I would do. 
  •  Interacting with parents during counselling– thinking my parents were in the same place a year ago.
  •  Managing events like sportsmania and workshops.


I didn’t expect to enjoy these things, but they meant growth. 

Now in my third year, I realized that through those spontaneous participations and Frosh, I found my way back to the older version of myself that I was missing.

This led me to writing. And in Feb, I started a blog: thecatharticview.

Not famous, not filled with followers - but its mine. And I love writing for it - whenever I want, however I want.

“It’s the stage I created for myself”.🎭

You just need to try and explore.

It’s like reading the back of a book- sometimes a few lines excite you to read, sometimes you lose interest and put it down but sometimes you just start, just to try.

Continue what feels right- without pressure. If an opportunity doesn’t align with you and feels stagnant, it’s okay to move on.

But remember: sometimes, growth also looks like showing up even when it isn’t exciting.

That’s not a compromise — that’s commitment. And that’s growth too.

Opportunities to find your older self or something you enjoyed still exist. And even if they don’t - your action will always create one for you.

So, hop back to something you once loved doing. 

Because from what I have learnt- I still remember that trembling before the podium in 5th standard, my first ever debate competition in Yamunanagar. The little Sakshi who was expected to freeze - won 1st prize among 40 schools. 


And I remember that more than any number of times I did academically well.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Vacations - Probably the Best Time to Dive into Books.

  Vacations - probably the best time to dive into books. So let me introduce you to my current read: A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman - the book I started last winter. I had just finished Tuesdays with Morrie, so was in a good rush to start another. But A Man Called Ove was tough – because it starts off slow. You read a chapter and feel too heavy to go to the next one. Each chapter is like a whole story in itself. But now I realize, that’s important for the book to make you familiar with the type of person Ove is. So that you can understand him and even predict at moments, "Yeah, that's a typical Ove behaviour". It appears to be a confusing and frustrating thing initially but you will love it after a few chapters. I discontinued midway through the second chapter. I tried the next day and still no luck. I began questioning when the blurb would actually become true – ‘You will laugh, you will cry - warm and funny’. It was in no way going in that direction. Fun...
Read more

Chasing Nostalgia on the College Racetrack

  We often find ourselves reminiscing about childhood, don’t we? How the times were carefree in our childhood days, full of innocence and blissful ignorance. On the same hand, we do observe how the coming generations  or younger ones  are way too different than us and how quickly they grow up and feel those pressures way too  early than when we used to. Somewhere deep inside, I think we all are looking for the same thing- those good old times and  the simpler world and hence the magic of childhood. I was looking for the same. Somewhere the belief in the goodness of life was still there but it was becoming hard to make  it come to life.  It was struggling to find its way to the surface but then nostalgia found me. And, of all places, it found me on the racetrack of my college. There comes the cries of childhood warmth. And the thought that I am scribbling these thoughts in my Analog and Digital  Communication lecture does bring a quiet smile on m...
Read more

Life - A Race?

  LIFE- A RACE? People often said and I used to believe: “Life is a race. Everyone starts at a different position and reaps the fruit of their hard work at their own pace and time.” But really… is life a race? I grew tired with this notion. How can something so beautiful and full of endless possibilities be reduced to just a race - a mere competition. The absurdity lies in the fact that life, often called a “race”, doesn’t even follow the rules of one. A race has a finish line- there are winners and losers. But the question is: Each individual is different and creative in their own way so how can one lose to someone else when the determination, the desires and mindsets are totally individualistic? Life is diverse. How can we limit it with a finish line, when its purpose and gift, at the same time, is to treat it as a canvas – to learn, grow, make mistakes and start over if you feel like? The times have changed. Even if life might not be considered a race, it...
Read more