One WORD that changed my LIFE

The world has seen a reasonable spike in the number of people experiencing "depression" & "anxiety". Symptoms can be anything from excessive diet to loss of diet, sadness, mood swings and many more reasons that would make you feel like you are not as happy as you were last year or maybe 2 years back. 

It's been 4 months that I have been diagnosed with 'depression'. Though, when the doctor asked me when did you feel like this the first time. I told him that it happened 7 months back when I had to first deal with this problem and that is the day I really don't want to remember. It was such a low point in my life that I did not even want to talk about it. I could not get out of the bed, I said no to my friends and even if they wanted to meet me qat my house, I would not come out of my room to meet them. It went to that extent that I always said no to family trips, picnics and I would just be alone in the house while everyone would go out and enjoy.

2 months into this problem, I started to see a change in my behavior as I got really aggressive. Even to a slightest of thing, I would react in a way that my whole family would get scared of me. And at night, I would realize that what I have done is wrong. But again my same behavior would continue in the day time. My family was getting really worried about my behavior and how my eating habits are going from bad to worse. 

That was the time I started to get the thoughts that I would never even dream of. Thoughts like - Was I a burden to my family & friends? Am I even worthy of having around? or Am I even the man that I wanted to be? 

Suddenly a day came when I woke up at 5 am in the morning and just left my home. I started to walk and just walk like I never had a home. I was just walking till my feet starting to hurt a lot and then I just stopped by a roadside park as I sat on the bench, just watching people having fun. The time was 11AM and my family was really worried. I got back home around 1PM when my brother found me on my way back home. It was chaos at home and I just locked myself at home.

And then I realized, I needed some professional help. I went to a friend of mine, who is a doctor and told her everything. Whether I was crying or anything, she heard me patiently and did not tell me those stereotypical things like 'Man up', which are usually told to men. That was the day when my treatment actually started because I realized talking about it really helped me. 

My family got to know about my condition and I am so glad that they told me to speak about it openly because we are here for you. I won't deny that some people did leave me when I needed them the most but having family by my side was such a blessing. One more person that I would like to mention is my friend, to who I call 'Vampire Girl'. She has been in my life for 5 years and has seen me at my best & at my worst too. But she never left my side. She would stay up with me till late hours so that I am not alone. She would not leave me for even half an hour so that some bad thoughts come in my mind. She has been the 'best thing that has ever happened to me' and I am glad that she is my best friend. 

I have had my share of toxic friendships. And still have some people who don't care about me & my condition but I have taken my attention away from them and took that attention to the people who actually matter. 

I saw a change in myself in the next 2 months, I was a bit optimistic. Some positivity came into my mind and I used to speak about my condition to others. I am now in a happy place and most importantly I am in a happy place with myself. 

This will-power came with the determination of being alright and this will power has led to me to the 'road to recovery'. I am not 100% cured, I still suffer from mild depression and it will take some more time to reach the finish line. But I am getting closer to it. Sometimes it still takes me to a spot where it is all darkness for me but still, it has stopped to a great extent. I promised myself that I will conquer it in time. 

For those who have been facing this problem, I just have to say one thing - 

"Only you know what you are going through but that doesn't mean you need to keep it in yourself. Tell whatever you are feeling to your family, friends or anyone you can confide to. When the time is right, just speak about yourself. Always remember, you are a beautiful human being & if you ever want to talk to someone you can always talk to me."

Just walk with your head held up high. The dark tunnel is about to end for you. 

52 DAYS THAT CHANGED ME!

It has been a while that I have written something. Have been busy in so many things that I forgot one thing that I used to love a lot - "writing". There have been many changes in my life if we talk about these 2-3 months. 

A new addition to our family is coming soon, for which the whole family is eagerly waiting. Tried my hand in doing 'LIVE Commentary' for Cricket and surprisingly, people have been really sweet & kind in accepting in that role. Never knew that someone would say, "you are better than Aakash Chopra", even if it was a joke, I would take that joke a million times. 

My first Indian Premier League (IPL) as a commentator was pretty amazing. Got to meet cricketers, who we used to see on the telly. Sat with them, spoke about the game while sitting beside them. Let me take you through what that meant for me. 

So, IPL is a festival of cricket and as a Cricket Journalist, this holy grail for us. My team-leader thought that I was suitable to be in front of the camera talking about some technicalities of the sport. Not just the technicalities, but to entertain people on YouTube with some banter, chit chat and also the updates. 

I was really excited. The day came and I was sitting in front of the camera, talking about a game which was my dream. I won't lie, the reception, at first sight, was not that sweet. Some people said, "he is so fat", "why is this fat guy speaking about cricket? I look better than that" and much more. But I knew this was coming. Took a long breath and started to speak about the game. People got interested in what I had to offer. 

People got to know me. And it was a good feeling for me. So, one day, I came in the middle of the match and a viewer just commented, "Motu Sir, How are you? I was waiting for you". That was really great for me. Now you see, that comment had no intention of hurting me. He was calling me in a good way and I took it sportingly by giving him an answer. But I never thought that it would become a rage for that day. 

People started commenting "#MotuSir" on that LIVE video. When it was counted, a total of 600 times "#MotuSir" was commented during that LIVE coverage, with people appreciating what I had to tell. Now, this was new to me. Though, being a person who is not new to the stage and performing, this was something new for me.

But the best thing about all this was that all the seniors, let me take their names Saurav Yaduvanshi and Kartikey Sinha, really supported me and said, "You are going to get all kinds of comments but all you need to do is keep them aside. Whether good or bad, just do your work, and don't get distracted". Some would believe that how can they say this, but I know, what that meant. They wanted me to start slowly and keep on learning as you cover this tournament day by day. 

I was really lucky to have these guys as mentors. 

Then, I had some really amazing colleagues. Wali Siddiqui and Abhishek Pandey have been like brothers to me. They always had my back and when I needed them the most, they were beside me. But this was just the start. We had to do this grueling work for almost 52 days, without even a single break. Now, that's some challenge. 

Started to take it slowly and match by match. Going with the flow and it helped me a lot in learning thing that I would not have in my earlier jobs. Sometimes just two people had to sit for 4 hours straight to speak about a game. Now, it looks easy, but believe me, it isn't. 

But what impacted the most was my 'social life'. Was unable to go out, was unable to meet family for a longer period of time. I used to leave for office at 12 pm and would reach home around 1 am. It is used to get really hectic. 

Friends and relatives were actually asking me "where have you been?" and I was even unable to answer those messages. Not because I did not want to, it is all because it was getting too hectic for me. Still, I tried my best to be in touch with most of the people and those who did not approve of my work, I had to say goodbye to them because this was building negativity in my life and I did not want that. 

Halfway through the tournament, and I am feeling the heat now. It was getting too hard for all of us to continue. But still, we were seeing the faces and the passion with which people were working and it was one of the reasons which actually gave us some amount of energy to carry on. 

If you feel, it was all fairytale, then you are wrong. There were times when people got angry, quarrels happened but we all knew it was all because of working 12-14 hours a day for over 50 days straight. There were times when you just wanted to say, "That's It, I don't wanna know do it now. I need a break". But then I realized that it was all worth it. I was learning new things and I was getting better at that, which was really amazing for me.  

The second half of the tournament was getting intense. Close games, last ball finishes and it was getting exciting. And at that exact moment, I actually lost my voice. It was too hard to even speak and get excited for moments which needed my utmost excitement. 

I got pumped and carried the work on. I did not want this excuse to hold me and what I got was really fruitful. People seeing us got to know, that I have lost my voice. They started to comment, "Well done, Motu Sir. We love your commitment", "Your voice is gone, but you are still here, Hats off Aayush". This made me even better and I got the power to make it through.  

On the day of the finals, I was so happy that my favorite team got to the summit clash. The excitement was on its prime. It was the day of everything that we dreamt of, something that we built was coming to an end and we hoped that it ended well. 

People were commenting 'Thank you' messages for all of us that we brought all the updates to them. They were asking questions, "Will you guys be coming for the World Cup?". It was such an amazing end to what felt like something that we have achieved. 

There were smiles all around, people were hugging each other for all the accomplishments that we achieved in these 52 days. When we took our steps outside the office, we had a sense of accomplishment in our minds & hearts. 

I have seen so much in these 52 days and I would like to take this opportunity to 'Thank' every single person who supported me & my team in this grueling yet amazing time in my professional career. 

                                   (The Whole 'Sports Flashes' team)

But this is not going to END now, the WORLD CUP is the next step. And we will be bouncing back, even stronger. 

#MeToo - A story from a guy's point of view

India is at the epitome of a movement, with #MeToo finally emerging in the country and it is now time for the women to stand up and speak about the atrocities they have faced in their lives - and still face. 

But what about the men? Do they always remain at the culprit side of the story? Or they face such atrocities too? 

Many of you would say that 'men' are always the culprits and how can someone do something like this with the men. But, I would like to turn your attention to the fact that - YES, Men do face the same atrocities but most of them don't come out. As you know, the #MeToo movement in India has started and women are going to their Twitter handles, Facebook profiles and telling about the kind of harassment they have faced at their workplaces. Mainly, it was the women working in the sector. 

Out of 1000 stories, a story that came out as a shock to everyone was MINE. Yes, I too have a #MeToo story. Maybe not as horrific as women must have faced, but harassment is harassment, it doesn't see genders. It is only is who make it a "gender movement". Two years having a horrific encounter at one of my job interviews, one of my friends told me that #MeToo has started in India too. I took to Twitter and he was right. From young girls to experienced women in the media fraternity, everyone was sharing about their ordeal. Then he asked, "when are you going to tell your story?" I look at him and said, "No one would believe me because I am a guy and people would say that he is telling fake stories. So, I don't want to get into that." But she told me to tell your experience and let the world know that guys too face such problems or else it would always be considered that men are INVINCIBLE. First of all, let me tell, MEN are not INVINCIBLE. They never have been and they never will be. I gave it a thought and I felt I think I am ready to tell my story to the world. I don't know how they will react but it was important for me to fend this weight off my shoulder. 

So, here what happened - 

"It was my second ever interview and I was relatively new to the field of journalism. I was excited yet nervous because I was still learning as to how should I be in an interview. After waiting for 20 minutes, the head of the magazine (where I went for the job) called me in her room and told me to sit down. I sat down as she sat just in front of me. She asked my name and made me comfortable. But, then she asked me, if I have a girlfriend or not? Taken back by this question, I said, 'No ma'am, I don't have a girlfriend'. She looked at me with a smile and stood up to close the door." 

At that time, I did not think what was going to happen to me. The next moment, I see her sitting much closer to me, which made me really uncomfortable. She put her hand on my thigh and said, "See, you can grow at this place if you'll work for me and keep me happy." I could not understand and did not say a word. What happened next was something that I never expected in a job interview. She took her hands towards my private parts and started moving her hands there.

I quickly got up and said, "What are you doing?" And I did not want to talk as I was really horrified of what just happened. But she could not take that someone so junior to her has said "no" to her. She again told me to sit down and said, 'Let's just talk'. I went loud and said, "No, I don't want to. You are a disgusting person". That made her a bit frustrated and she said, " Don't scream. If you tell anything to anyone out there, I will tell everyone that you tried to molest me inside my office. I will ruin your career. What do you think of yourself?"

I got really scared because my career had just started and by her tone, it was clearly evident that she was a powerful woman. She had contacts, she had that power that she could really ruin someone's future if she wanted to. I just said, "Please ma'am, let me leave. I won't tell anything to anyone but I don't want this job." She looked at me and opened the door for me. I quickly ran through the stairs and got out. I took a sigh of relief but I was speechless after what happened in that cabin. So many thoughts came to my mind. Should I file a complaint? What if she really ruins my career? What if she tells anyone that I tried to do something wrong to her? Scared by just thinking of it. I promised myself that I'll not think of what happened there & just move on. This was easier said than done. 

Next day, I receive a message from an unknown number, which read, "Do you still want to work for me? Just do what I said yesterday and you'll be earning well and also have an important post to your name." I did not reply to the message and just deleted that text. Next day, I got a text from another number, which read, "Don't you know what you are missing? This is the opportunity of a lifetime. See, I have needs and you seem to be the best to fulfil that. Come tomorrow, we'll have a chat." I ignored the text and blocked both the numbers. But, now it was all in my mind, whenever my phone would, I used to be terrified that what if it is her. 

The third day, I did not receive a message. The fourth day, I again received a message which stated, "You are such wuss. You don't even have the guts to come here and talk to me. You are an embarrassment. You don't have anything in you. And now see, what I'll do. I'll break you and your career is over now. You won't be able to get a job. I'll have you blacklisted. I have ruined so many careers, now you'll add up to that list. Goodbye." I read that message and threw my phone away, locked myself in the room and just cried my heart out. I was having so many negative thoughts and once even think to take my life. But could not gather the strength. I could not sleep, I could not eat. Every time it was like her face coming in front of my eyes. It was such a difficult time for me to even concentrate on my career. 

It got so bad that I got home from the next two interviews without even facing round one. For almost two weeks, I could not eat, I could not sleep, I had to take sleeping pills for some time to sleep. The messages stopped, but it was becoming difficult to get that thing outside my head. One day, while going out with friends, one of my friends saw me crying while sitting on the stairs of my house. She came and asked me the reason. I gathered the strength and told her everything. That friend of mine was already working in the same company and she was the one who referred to me in that organization. I kept on crying and told her my ordeal. I could not even move for some days and decided to just stay at home. I would never go outside, even if my friends called me or anyone else, I could not gather the strength to go out.

After 3 months of the incident, I was back at my normal, got a job and was having a great time in my life. But, this horrific ordeal was still with me. I would get flashbacks, which would make me go into my shell for some time being.  Now, that I saw women are coming up with their terrifying experiences, I got the strength to tell it to the world. I was ready to face everything and was expecting some really insensitive comments. When I wrote about my incident, people did not believe that it could happen to a man and especially me. One of the Twitter users commented that "I was so ugly that a woman would not even want to be 500ft away from me". Another one wrote that " it is such a great sex story and I should write an erotic novel". One even went ahead and told me that "I should have manned up and should have fulfilled her needs because this whole scene is a fantasy for so many guys".

While going through the comments, I thought that if a guy has to face all this, I can't imagine what a woman has to go through to even speak about what happened to her.  See, I don't care if these guys believe of what I have said. The only thing I cared about is that if they don't, believe me, that is fine, but mocking it shatters my inner strength. A person has gone through so much, people don't understand because they have never been in the situation, neither I want them to be in such situations. 

I never thought this would happen to me. No one goes to their workplaces thinking that she/he would get touched inappropriately or would hear people talking crass about their body or anything else. But if you believe that only women face such problems, you are wrong, men face it too. But they don't come outside in the fear that he would not be taken seriously and would be shamed for telling such a story. 

But I want to thank all the women that supported me. They messaged me and gave me blessings, their support and said that "you are very brave". Now, when I hear this, I get a confidence boost and give me an idea that I did not do anything wrong in sharing my episode with them. I always heard that women are always really caring and by seeing the support, I now cannon deny the fact that they are caring, 100 times more than the men. 

At last, I want to say that even if you don't believe me. Just try not to mock my story. Because I know what I went through and how I have made it to the position where I am right now. It is not easy, not for me and certainly not for thousands of women who have shared their horrifying experience. Don't make it gender specific and I just hope no one ever gets into such a position. 

God bless you all. Keep smiling always.

The Homecoming (which i never wanted)

It has been close to 2 years that i have written something, that purely came from my heart. Something that i wrote for myself and not to please any client or my colleagues. This is like a 'Homecoming' for me.

Life has taken a drastic 360 degree turn in last 365 days, professionally and personally both. Professionally, i started my journalistic career, one that i have been waiting since long. Meanwhile, personally my life has been quite tumultuous.

Life’s hard. You go through your day hoping be that when you get to your destination you’ll be welcome with a warm smile and a loving embrace. But, what if all you are greeted with is negativity or hatred all over and since last month or two these negative vibes have become stronger and stronger.

As a result, they are making my heart heavier and heavier. I have not been in a frame of mind, where i can say that "i am happy" and the biggest problem is that it shows on my face and in my behaviour. It is quite easy for people to say that i should not think about all this, but it is not what i wanted. Even if i try to go away from these things, they come back to haunt me and boy, they haunt me in much stronger way when they come back. 

I never thought, in my whole life i would need to take psychiatrist help to remain calm. I took help for almost 3 weeks and i was told that you are okay and you can go now. I was happy that this phase has gone.I can start my life again and with a better perspective.

3 weeks into my normal life, this time people became the problem of my life. They forget that their attitude towards a person can make that person go into a shell from which it can get difficult to get out. This is what has happened with me, i have closed myself in a shell that i am not being able to break. I am happy at one time, in other moment i suddenly feel that i am the most miserable person in the world. Yeah, people call it mood swings, but people should go and ask how these are affecting the person who has been feeling this way, rather than giving a verdict of their own. 

Since then my life has been going down, whether professionally or personally. Professionally, i have lost all my will to work at a place which gives you nothing but can be ruthless for a mistake that you did not even make. I've met people who i thought were great friends and have done nothing but contribute in making my life miserable more than ever. 

Personally, i have no friends. Yes, it is true. They left me because they thought i have been ignoring, even when i was working my ass off for almost 15-16 hours everyday. 

Now, i am planning to take a break from all this. Maybe just sit in my room, close all the lights, shut all the doors and just sit and just breathe. I don't care, if people at my office need me and i don't care that suddenly my friends think that i am important. I am in no mood to carry on with this treacherous kind of burden on my shoulders and i have decided to be with myself only. In the end, it is only you who walk alone to reach the ultimate destination of your life.

Today, i am not gonna end with something like 'Keep your chin high,' No! Today, i am just gonna leave it here. Today, i am just gonna close myself here.

The Smile That Shed Tears

The following story is a "TRUE STORY" of a person i kinow. The names are changed. But, the story is true. So, Happy Reading!

The Story Begins :

The Proscenium theatre was painted a shade of midnight blue. The arch separated the audience from the actors on stage. Seated in the courtyard below, the audience chattered about, waiting with flyers of the play in their hands. The velvety violet curtains were closed tight and behind it, chaos ensued. Last minute touches to the stage props and lightning & sound were being made.

Advitiya said no word as his father ripped the flyer of the play in their yellow painted living room. His mother screamed "What will people say?! Log kya kahenge? Humara beta nautanki karta hai?!"(My son would act like clowns on the stage) "You will at this moment stop all this non sense" declared his father. "You don't want to come, don't. Don't offend my profession. Theatre is my religion". And there it landed, on his right cheek,  leaving behind red fingerprints and a gasp from his mother.

The backstage was equally in frenzy, the lead was missing. And the rest were busy getting ready. The director took deep breaths and dramatically counted upto a hundred, trying to calm himself down. Powdered lithe girls moved about in their costumes and the actors were all getting their makeup done. But where was the star of the show? Getting slapped at home.

"Advi!" screamed his father "You insolent! Get out of my house if you can't give up this 'religion' of yours". He, as equally adamant as his father, he went straight to his room to pack his bag. "What are you saying?! He will come around eventually." pleaded his mother. "I will not harbour nautanki in this house!" His mother begged but her voice went unheard.

Waiting for the lead to turn up, they all grew restless. "Is he going to come?" "Should we get Salim ready for the role instead?" The stage manager stood up "We'll delay if we have to, Advi will turn up." She said. For she is the only one who got a phone call from Advitiya sayig he's stuck in traffic. But she knew better.

Wiping a lone tear sliding down his cheeks, he picked up his bag and glanced at the photograph on the wall. A younger him with his dad's arms on his shoulder. He clenched his jaws and set out into the chilly evening. Memories faded and popped up anew in his head. His first theatre performance at school, where his parents had clapped proudly at the little Raavana. What happened to the very same people when today he was to play a grown up Raavana in font of a crowd of hundreds? The slap still echoed in his ears.

"Nautanki karega! Mera beta nautanki karega?!"(Act like clowns, my son would act like clowns)

The audience was getting restless for the play had been delayed. The director sighed "We can't wait any longer. Get Salim ready."

"Welcome all! Today we are about to tell a tale having never been told. Applaud for the first scene of our musical, Raavana's Raag"

The curtains were drawn and there on the stage on an artificial rock sat Advitiya the Raavan. Behind his mask, the 10 heads of Raavana, he cried a million tears for they applauded, he got a standing ovation after each of his musical performance, yet his glassy eyes searched the crowd for the two figures who meant the most to him.

The last musical scene ended with Raavan dying by the hands of Rama. The dramatic scene was so emotional and vivid, the audience gave a standing ovation. As the names of actors were being announced, backstage Advitiya took off his mask and wiped his tears. Pats and hugs and praises followed. He was called last. And the audience rose, from behind the stage, the entire cast came onto the stage and applauded him. It was beyond him. He bowed in acceptance, he smiled and shed tears for his glassy eyes searched the crowd for them. Before he could find them, the velvet curtains shut tight...

Do Share Your Views about this post with your valuable Comments! :)

Being Different

You think "You're the odd one out?" It's not easy being different. Sometimes you get mocked up being different. The others make you feel like you are not of their league. You don't perfectly fit in to the everyday puzzle of life. Here let me give you an example, Imagine you and your friends are talking about a TV show, like "Game Of Thrones". Every friend of yours keep on saying that how they love the show & bam, you say "It's good but I don't like it much", everybody starts looking at you like they're gonna kill you. For you it might not be a big thing but others sitting in that room might think that this guy isn't one of us. And, by this one small thing they start to ignore you & the reason is "You didn't say what they wanted to hear, You're being different". You start to think that what should i do about it, to which i say "Accept It". Accept that you are different from others. It's not a crime.

Just be yourself, have the confidence & deal with the means comments people say about you because you're different from others. Admit It. Say to yourself, "Yes, I am Different. I am Unique. and, to make yourself feel good, say, "Yes. I am different, unique & cool. And, no one can change that. Get that self-confidence in you. Sometimes, you wake up in the morning thinking that you would feel better if all could just stop, thinking that maybe you should be like everyone else, just to avoid social awkwardness. But ask yourself, "Do you really want this?" While being different can be a bit hard, but it's not a crime. Being different is what makes you who you are. It means that you're daring to live your own life, that too on your own terms, with your values. Everyone has something that makes them feel awesome. So just do it. Do the things that make you feel great, buy clothes, buy games, sing, dance, act. Do whatever that makes you feel that you are being yourself now. Because, you need to have self-confidence to be different but feel awesome at the same time. It makes your personality "interesting".



Let me give you an example of myself. When I was in school, most of the students wanted to be lawyers, engineers, doctors, teachers etc. Whereas me, I just hated these professions. I didn't want to be a person who does what 99% of the people are doing. I wanted to be different. Normal jobs don't interest me. People thought I'm different. At that time, I seriously didn't know what i wanted to be when I grow up. There were too many things going in my mind at that age. The only interest I had at that time was "Cricket" & I was just 11 & you can think of various things that you want to be at that age. You can like every next thing you see in that age. So, one day out of no where a cousin of mine was looking for a child to play a character in a Theatre Drama and when he asked me, I said yes. I had nothing to do with acting. It was just a role of 15 minutes, which i did. And, I got such brilliant reviews for my acting that people kept on saying to me, you should carry on with this. And, I totally loved it. Since that day, I knew that I wanted to do something with Acting when i grow up. As i grew up, I took acting classes to pursue the dream that I once had. People would laugh at me, when I used to say that I want to be an Artist. They would say that "It's not a normal job". I know, its not a normal job. And, i am so happy that I am not doing one. This is just an example of myself being different.

Never give up on your dreams. It's yours. I start to remember the lines said by "Will Smith" to his "Son" in "The Pursuit Of Happyness". He says "Hey. Don't ever let somebody tell you You can't do something. Not even me. You gotta a dream. You gotta protect it. People can't do something themselves, they want to tell you that you can't do it. If you want something, Go Get It." Always remember this that "You have no idea what you can achieve if you don't give up.

Just go out there & scream "Yes, I am Different & I am proud of it".And, Keep smiling Always. Cheers!

Life Is Waiting For You

Life is different for everyone. People who take critical decisions in their life are the ones who feel it the most. It's like you are staring at the eye of your Life & seeing it like a roller coaster ride. Life is made up of choices & critical decisions you make, as both of them give you consequences & benefits. No one has lived the life to fullest, there is always a thing that you want to do, you want to have so always keep learning from life, think how can you move forward by not hurting anybody & you should stop blaming other people if things doesn't work out the way you wanted to. Just like Tom Hanks said in the movie "Forrest Gump", "Life is like a box of Chocolates. You never know what you're going to get."



In the hassle tassle of this life we just forget to live our life. We start to live for others & that can make your life upside down. Live each day as if it's your last & it should be for yourself not for someone else. Like someone said that "Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery But Today is a Gift, that's why it is called "Present". Life presents us with a lifetime of opportunities. Be present to enjoy the moment you are in. Each day is a fresh start with many things waiting for you to explore. To make it more interesting you should learn to accept the "Present", i am challenging you that this is the best way to live your life. I mean to say that, you should learn to accept things as they are that can be anything from your habits to a simple song coming into your ears or the people you come across. I heard somewhere "All That Rises, Goes Through", it means that You cannot resist the flow with life, if you want to change something the true way to change it is not to offer any resistance to life. Now don't take it as if i am saying just accept the thing like they are & try not to change them. I just want to say, you should fully understand the things around you, accept them & they try to change them. You should accept yourself, don't judge yourself. Because if you judge yourself, you'll limit yourself & then you can't live to your fullest. If you want some fun in your life, be adventurous. Explore new things, new places. For a little while live on the edge. Take a road which has been traveled less, explore the beauty of that road. Life always gets more exciting when you're adventurous.

The one thing that we do wrong is that we never express our gratitude when something good happens. If something bad happens, we always have someone to blame, we blame people, things & even god. But, what happens when something good happens, we just forget about the people who helped us. Let the people know how grateful you are to have them. Let God know that it was by your grace that i have been able to things right & i have go these results. Let us not forget who were there for us when were in bad time. If you do this thing, you will find a purpose for your life. This is the most important thing to do, you must know the purpose of your life. Find or Do something that gives your life meaning, you can do it by any means be it being a great mother, a great father, a great friend, a great son or daughter, a great musician, a great actor etc. Once you have found something or someone to live for, you'll live better. The meaning of your life is what you decide. Set your goals, always dream big & move towards by taking small reasonable steps.

We, people sometimes expect more from ourselves, it is good to keep pushing yourself to the limits but in this process we start to get harsh on ourselves, if we couldn't achieve what we thinking to achieve we just go into a shell & start cursing ourselves. Be Positive. Focus on good thoughts then only good things will happen. Everyone doesn't get everything. Always look on the brighter side of the life. Always remember, Glass is not half empty, it is half full. Keep marching forward with this attitude & you'll accomplish wonders. Many people have the tendency to listen to everybody, that's a good thing but when you listen to everybody & start doing the work on the basis of what they said to you is completely unethical. You have your own heart, your own soul. Listen to them, but be confident to make your own decisions. Why should anyone tell you, what you have to do(Except he or she is your boss in the office). So, keep the power of decision making in your life to yourself only, that's when the real fun in your life starts.

The last thing that i want to tell is that everyone in their past bears pain, joy, happiness, sorrow. Some people just never get over them. Thinking about happy things is good, but most the youngsters from age 18-23 of age, just hook themselves to the mistakes that they have done in their past, take them with you & learn from your mistakes. Don't stress out yourself from the mistakes you have made. From each mistake you make you learn a new lesson in your life. You don't have to worry about your past because it is gone. Even if something or someone you loved is not in your life is just because you deserve something or someone better. Do not regret about your past because it is gone, Do not worry about your future because it is yet to come, Live in today & embrace it with happiness & smiles.

LIVE YOUR LIFE HAPPILY. BE CAREFREE. KEEP SMILING ALWAYS. CHEERS!