Little Things That Matter

My favourite season is the monsoon, the smell of the first rain brings back so many memories. It brings out the bitter sweet feelings of nostalgia. As I sat at the window sill watching the rain wash over the world around me, my mind was fast sailing down memory lane, making me realise how when we grew up we start running behind so many desires, aspirations, needs. 

Forgetting, how it was always the little things that made us smile.

The Smell of garam garam pakodas with chai. Praying for school to declare a holiday, a rainy day. Making all sorts of excuses just that childish joy of getting drenched. Coming home soaking wet.

The more I think about this, the more sense it starts to make to me. What brings us true joy? What do we miss the most when we “grow up”, finish college and get busy with our jobs?  It is the fun we used to have, when we were kids or teenagers. It was college. I am sure some of you have already lost yourself going down memory lane.

I remember, I could sit for hours in the veranda, just looking at the rain falling endlessly, doing nothing. Talk to my friends for hours, never really recollect what we were talking about though. Bunking college and going for that movies. One cold drink, shared between five friends. Those were such lovely days. I am sure we all have such memories.

Then we grew up…

Life became so hectic and busy that somewhere we forgot the essence of the little things. We started running after big salary, the promotions, the bigger cars, big house, the luxury vacations, searching for happiness.

As an entrepreneur I meet a lot of people from all walks of life. I rarely find people who are really, truly happy, where they are. People talk about a dissatisfied job, no personal time, lack of money, lack of time and resources, not able to pursue a hobby, too caught up with working to pay bills and EMI’s. No freedom to express. As we grow and mature in our lives, we accumulate more responsibilities and liabilities, in very many different ways and then, we stop having fun. Life becomes a rat race, go to office come back home, go to office and come back home.

We wait for the big dreams to come true, we work even harder. Forget the very reason why we chose to do something in the first place. My conclusion? We stopped doing the little things. We stopped having fun and looking for the small things that can make life worth living. I don’t believe that we should not have desires and aspirations. We should. Because every innovation, every discovery is the manifestation of a desire. As humans, we will never be satisfied with what we have, we will always strive for more, to be better than what we were yesterday, to have a more fulfilling life than what we had before and that is what drives us forward.

However, we start to run and we keep running, we lose focus on who we are and what are we running for.

STOP! Take a deep breath, close your eyes for a minute, clear your mind, sit down and have a glass of water. Its time- time to go back and find those little things. Think about what those small things are that really bring out the child in you. Call up that long lost friend, go get wet in the rain, don’t worry about falling sick. Every once in a while, look away from that phone and that laptop, talk to your loved ones. Listen to what your little one has to say about her day, what she did in school, what she had for lunch. Talk to your spouse.  Listen to what they have to say. Don’t let life happen to you. Let you be life. Make every moment count. Trust me, life is too short to postpone that trip. 

Life is hectic, life is moving at the speed of light. But, what stories would you want to tell when you are old. What would you have to hold on to, if you haven’t really lived? Make some stories.

I believe in fairy tales. I believe in a Happily Ever After. But it won't happen on it's own. You have to make it happen. You have to write your own Fairy Tale. Don’t wait for your prince on a white horse. Be it, for yourself and your loved ones. Take yourself on adventures. Let your imagination run wild every once in a while. Remember, who you are.

Sit up, make a bucket list of all the little things that make you happy, take time and do it. Because we are the creators of our Happily Ever after. Make a choice.

- Sunita Sharma