Author name: Shirish Srivastava

In my last blog about rediscovering life and it’s true purpose, I wrote about my life changing experience and the choices I made to bring a change in my life and also shared with you all the positive impact they created. But, if you are thinking that it is a case of “happily ever after” then you are mistaken.

It is one thing to bring some positive changes in your life and making the right choices for yourself. But, it is an altogether different dimension to keep on track. Just making a choice for yourself is not all you have to think about. It is just the beginning. The real work starts afterwards.

It is pertinent that your consistency will break. So when that happens, what we do next is the most important thing. The pressure of bouncing back increases day by day with the burden of guilt. Guilt, that you could not maintain your rhythm. But, this is what life is all about. Chaos and rhythm are intermingled everywhere and in everything. It’s your perspective that sees the difference.

There may be different reasons for your loss of commitment. Few maybe even out of your control. But the most important thing is to maintain the right intention. You have to keep showing your commitment to your intended task and target.

You may have heard about “Give your 100% everytime.” But that is not a very practical approach. No matter how much harder you try, there will be situations in which you just can’t do it. There are many dimensions of human life that affect our day to day dynamics. There can not be a perfect plan and a perfect schedule to do things. Everyday is a new day and a different one too.

Also, rediscovering life and finding its true purpose is a never ending process. Once you set your intention to do something and complete it, you will discover something new to achieve.

There can not be a single true purpose of human life. We have infinite potential and possibilities. The thing about human mind is that it doesn’t like to be caged. This is the reason we are so different than other animals who roam the earth.

The limitless possibilities of human mind is both boon and bane. The way we want to use it, is our choice. The same brain of yours can give you peace of mind as well as nightmares. It all depends upon how resilient we are mentally. Many people who lack on their commitment, keep doing so because in their minds they have made an image of themselves that they are not good enough to commit to something. And once these people get stuck in this vicious circle, it is impossible for them to come out of it. But, it is all doing of their brain.

So what to do when you loose track and want to bounce back? You just have to start doing the things you were committed to without thinking about the loss of time and discipline. Make a mindset as if you are still in continuation of your habit and you don’t need to start over. Once you set your firm believe in the idea that you don’t have to start from zero, half of the work is already done.

Starting something is the hardest part. When you start something and just keep doing your intended work, sometimes it become an automatic process of doing one thing after the other and just keep going. This intention of doing your work day by day even after few gaps and breaks makes a habit. And habit is the thing that keeps you going.

Rediscovering ones life start from introspection, then we make some choices and these choices are the first steps of making a life long habit. It is these habits that keep us going on the journey of our true purpose.

It was a fine Sunday morning and like most of the weeks after hectic weekdays at work I was enjoying my morning coffee without worrying about getting ready and reaching my office in time with all the chaos of traffic and metro. There was no hurry, so it was a perfect day to relax and chill. The contrasting atmosphere of the cold breeze and the warmth of the early sun’s rays filled my heart with a sense of peace and happiness. The scenic greenery in front of my balcony and the sweet sound of the birds chirping on the trees created a serene atmosphere. My heart was filled with joy to see and feel this beauty of nature. I was lost in my thoughts of gratitude towards God for giving me this day to cherish. I went into a meditative state and tears of utmost joy rolled down my eyes. Deep down in my thoughts, I was thanking God for giving me this opportunity to feel the beauty of life and for all the worldly success.

But, it was a short-lived experience as like most of us, I was not trained to sit quietly in solitude and introspect for a long time. I felt as if I lost something very important.  Suddenly I was filled with anxiety and restlessness. I started thinking Why and where this ecstacy vanished? Why did I not experience this serenity before in my life? Why it does not happen to me daily and at all times? I felt as if I was missing out on a very important and essential part of life i.e peace of mind.

I had a feeling that something was wrong in the way I was living my life. Although I had good academic credentials with a stable career, somehow it all started feeling like a lost cause. I started questioning myself, is this the ideal life I want to live? And if it is, then why do I not experience the same divinity, happiness, and peace all the time that I just experienced a few moments back?  Earlier also, I had a few doubts regarding the quality of life I was living till now, but I never took them seriously or I can say I had no time to think about it. But, this time, I felt, it was not some casual thought and experience and I knew, I had to find answers to the questions arising in my mind.

This was a new experience for me and I  was restless to find the answers. I was anxious about the life decisions I took until now. It felt as if my perfect life shattered like a tower made of playing cards. Suddenly, I felt an urge to find the true purpose of my life and to re-discover it. I knew deep inside that whatever I was doing was not the ideal life I wanted. I lacked peace of mind and everything felt meaningless and out of place.

With this Tsunami of thoughts, and uncharted emotions, I started to introspect and realized that this ecstatic experience came to me in a moment of stillness and silence. So it may be the path I needed to take to get my answers. From that day I decided to meditate every day in silence and now I can confidently say it was the best decision I ever took in my life.

The more and more I meditated I started to realize the real problems with my life. Realizing the problem is the first step towards getting a solution and moving ahead in life. The first thing I realized was that I was living an indisciplined life as I was not even getting proper time to meditate. I was always in a hurry and behind schedule for everything. I was wasting time on OTT platforms late in the night so it was hard for me to wake up early to meditate and be on time. Also, I felt as if I was unnecessarily putting crap in my mind. I am not saying to totally stop watching movies and web series, but there has to be a filter to the content we consume. So I made a decision to restrict my screen time and the content I watch. This decision led to good sleeping habits and further led to extra time to meditate, which eventually led to more realizations and improvements in my life and well-being.

I realized I needed to do Yoga, Workout, and Pranayam(Breathing exercises) to become fit and healthy. Waking up early in the morning after a good night’s sleep and then doing Yoga, Workout, Pranayam and Meditation became an essential part of my morning routine. I also started to eat healthy and drink sufficient amounts of water to remain hydrated all day long. My health improved drastically, I felt an energy and enthusiasm that I never felt in my life. I felt as if I had tapped into a hidden energy source within myself. I also developed a habit of reading a lot of books on different genres. My understanding of life and clarity of thought improved a lot. I became a more focused person. This energy and clarity that I started feeling helped me in other dimensions of my life as well. My work efficiency increased drastically. Now, I could make time for the hobbies that were long lost in the chaos of life, especially writing.

And here I am writing about my experience and sharing it with others. I am sure many of you must be relating to my experience and thoughts. Many of you may have faced the same mental agony and wondered about making your life right. Well from my experience I can say that nothing is wrong and right with life, life is just life. It is our attitude and choices that matter. Now, with the same job and the same day-to-day experiences, I am a more calmer and focused person. I can make time for my hobbies. I can take care of my physical as well as mental health. My relationships have improved. And above all, I feel the peace of mind I have always searched for.

I am not saying that all of my questions have been answered. But still, it is a good start to re-discover my life as I have realized that the true purpose of life is to live your best life. The Internet is full of advice to leave your job and get rid of your responsibilities to find your true purpose and passion. But, this is very risky and lacks a practical approach towards life. If everyone thinks of leaving their job just because they are frustrated then the whole world will become jobless. It is not necessary to leave the world behind and become a recluse to find your true purpose. There has to be a fine balance between worldly duties, responsibilities, and your inner self-purpose.

To summarize it all, I can say that discovering life and finding its true purpose takes nothing but taking care of your physical and mental health, staying disciplined and focused, achieving mental clarity, enjoying your hobbies, and fulfilling your duties and responsibilities.

Tell me about your thoughts and experiences if you can relate to my thoughts.

Thanks for reading.