When will you stop looking at your over-accomplished colleague and stop imagining being in her/ his place? When will you stop gazing at the expensive car and start gazing at the priceless stars? It will happen when you will explore yourself!

The world is filled with humans but is it filled with ‘our humans’? That’s the question! We are so lost in this huge world that we end up feeling alone with ourselves. That’s when it is most necessary to look deep into yourself so that when you are alone, you don’t get lonely. Searching for yourself can be a tricky affair because it’s hard to know where to start. But, once you do explore yourself, it’s worth the effort. 

Stop being a parasite

Parasite is a good movie. Parasite is a good organism. Let it be just that. Don’t turn yourself into one. What I mean is, don’t hold others responsible for your happiness, mistakes and choices. Learn to take control of your life by holding the reins. Live on your own terms. Choose things that you love to do. Because if you stay a parasite, someone else will keep stealing your thunder. Own up to things and start making your decisions for yourself. Maybe you are wrong, maybe you are right. But, until you start, how will you know?

Wake up your dormant dreams to explore yourself

Today, human beings are usually assigned numbers for easier identification – in schools, colleges or organizations. You are recognized by the world by your unique ID. Do you know how are you known to yourself? By your dreams, your goals and your desires. Start ticking off items from your bucket list and transfer them to the ‘goals achieved’ list. Once you start doing this, you will realize that you are more than just some numbers. Because you will be doing something for yourself. What can be a better way to explore yourself, right? When you fulfil your wishes, you become more independent. Once you grow, once you focus on yourself, you will attain contentment even from little things.

Even clicking a perfectly balanced photograph with the right lighting will make you happy. Or, signing up for dance classes will bring you joy and excitement in life. Or, learning how to make crispy French fries, wait… that will make you the happiest! 😉

A promise to start over

Our generation has a hard time finding things that will satisfy them. And they have a harder time getting over things that don’t work out, especially that they sought desperately at-first. Somehow, in the process, you tend to lose your original self. Let me put it like this.

Before you met some people, you were okay going to the café alone. Maybe it was your favourite café due to a particular dish or beverage. After meeting them, you started going to your favourite place with them. One day, they left. And then, you stopped going to that café. When you pass by that café now, you take one look and all the memories flash in your mind but you look in the other direction and leave silently. Do you see the little details that affect your life? Do you ever question why have you left going to your comfort place? No?

The problem is not with leaving a part of yourself. Life brings many changes as we grow. The problem is in leaving your comfort, happiness and source of recreation behind. In the moving-on rush, you don’t start over with whatever’s left of you. First, you need to collect all the pieces, put them together, bring back ‘your things’ and then start over. Only then will it be effective. Otherwise, you are going to be stuck somewhere and it is going to be way worse than Bengaluru’s traffic.

Explore yourself: You are the treasure

Think of it this way. An ocean is so huge that even if you cover the surface, you will feel like you have done enough. You will feel that this is it to the ocean, “I have explored it all!” But, there’s so much more to the ocean. When you go beyond the surface, you may either discover pearls or a shipwreck in the bottom. What I mean is, you will either find a new ability or you will spot an old interest lying there idly. Whatever be the case, you will have to look first.  

If you don’t even know what you hold and are capable of, how do you expect someone else to understand you?