We get so caught up in our careers, to reach that just- one- more- rung high up in the professional hierarchy, that by the time we stop to breathe, we realize life just passed by. While pursuing a career, let us not lose sight of life as an all-encompassing entity. The power to let it breathe lies completely in our hands. There must be some difference between an assembly line robot and a thinking, feeling human being.
First and foremost is to get rid of that baggage called ‘guilt’ that we are saddled with, borne of professional, social and familial expectations. Now consider that we possess a precious gift whose value is known only to each of us as individuals. In turbulent and insipid times, one longs to seek solace and strength from it. But the bonds of expectations remove us further away from it. That’s when each of us need to remember that we have only one life and we need to take charge of it.
Everything doesn’t need to get done
Any gaps in the many roles the women play, bring on pangs of anxieties. The child did not have breakfast because you left early for work. You can stop inflicting yourself with remorse because if the child is grown up he or she can always manage not to starve. Or better still, make them self-reliant with some basic cooking skills. The brass wares in the house carry a tarnished look, so never mind. There is no prize for the most polished ones. The others in the work place have been working extra hard to impress the new boss. Give your best within the time stipulated for office work and don’t worry about impressing. Good work always shines through.
Find your own balance
If the days and nights have been taken up with deadlines and new projects, relax and balance when the going is more relaxed. It may not have been possible to squeeze in the art class you joined, regular activities with the kids or work on your book religiously during that phase. Once it is over, get back to your regular life and devote more time and energy to those things that you love doing the most. Spend less time on social media, internet and phone calls. Instead go out and live life, travel to a new place or pick up a new hobby.
Live your dream
There are very few of us who are fortunate enough to be earning from our passions. The tribe of women who have chucked their well-paying corporate jobs, to take the less -beaten trail is growing. Some of them are following their passion for travelling full time, working out ways and means to garner the sponsors for the next travel. Yet there are those who take off for short getaways or vacations having slogged their way through the financial year. Whichever pattern or lifestyle works for you, idea is not to lose sight of your dream. The dream could be anything from starting a café, to working for the underprivileged.
There’s more to life than meetings, deadlines, constant mails and calls. It is in our hands to live it or trudge through it.
By Ilakshee Nath