We all are scattered and are running around trying to lead a successful life but in all this rigmarole somewhere down the line, we have forgotten how to lead an ideal & happy life.
When in doubt take a deep breath and focus on the now, this is what my mother always told me & me like a dutiful child always used to toes this line. So, when I hit a midlife crisis a few years ago I did the same & took on a sabbatical for some deep diving into the realities of life.
Inspired by “Ikigai” I too yearned to find my calling but in my search for happiness, I found that it’s much more than that. I have tried to summarise it into the following points, you may not agree to all of them but I assure you that none of you will disagree regarding how happy your life would be if you follow these “5”.
1. Time: Lost time is never found; this is an analogy which we realise once we burn through a lot of it. So, take it slow in life, its not a race & you don’t need to come out a winner. Focus on enjoying it instead.
2. Body: Youth like time once gone never comes back, don’t yearn to be youthful but work towards always remaining healthy. Your body is an asset which has been given to you try to use it to your advantage, so don’t abuse it literally or metaphorically speaking.
3. Skills: This is a VUCA world, ever changing, you are at risk of being obsolete like a machine. To stay relevant & to enjoy the fact that you are living in a civil society keep upskilling yourself.
4. Family: It is a social construct designed to be your support system, yet a lot of us don’t value it. You don’t need to be married or be in a relationship but you need to be the part of a social construct to remind yourself that you are alive & that the society means something to you.
5. Evaluate: Nothing is permanent, neither are rules of living a happy life. Remember to keep taking stock of your life every once in a while, you never know your analysis may lead you to the answers you were looking for in the first place.
