25 Things I Learnt When I Was 25

No one can make decisions for me because they have not led my life. Even if they know me from many years and everything that I have lived through, it is only the tip of the iceberg. I can never 100% translate myself to another person in this lifetime and that is okay.

People make the place. Period. It will not be the same without them.

Back-up plans can backfire and imprison. So stick with the uncertainty even if it is the scarier path, it is better in the long run.

Even if I do everything right, I am not entitled to the perfect outcome.

If things do not seem to be working out, generally, life-wise - all situations apply; it is important to surrender after a point. I do not want to use the word give-up due to the negative connotation. Maybe, there’s a better plan in store. I should leave space for the universe to do its magic. I do not think struggle is the answer after a juncture.

Prioritize and say no. Shamelessly! Often, when I have said yes to commitments I was not gung ho about in the first place, I have been miserable during the course of the event or thinking about my pending tasks with a sense of doom.

Honesty, especially to my own self. It all matters, if no one else is looking, I am still living it and I will eventually come face to face with it like in the end of a super dramatic Bollywood flick. The cost of honesty is not owed by anyone else but my own conscience.

Time is the most precious commodity. Give it only to people, events and places that matter the most.

Taking breaks! In 2019, there were no leisurely breaks, I regret this. A change of scenery can do wonders and infact put my enthusiasm in full throttle. For me enthusiasm fuels my efficiency. I have done my best work when I have been excited.

Trust my gut. This year I have had moments where my intuition has told me to back-off but I went ahead anyway only to discover the outcome that my gut had been warning me about all along.

Hope. Without that everything is just going to feel like a drag, hope is what keeps the world going. Otherwise it is just a bunch of events statistically in your favour or not, happening one after another.

It is true when they say, reality is stranger than fiction. 25th was the year of weird occurrences.

Mental peace over EVERYTHING else. This also translates to long term well-being over short-term thrills. The year that went by really taught me this the hard way.

Talking about things out loud helps; you can unknot the thoughts and really get to the core of the matter. Sometimes I suffer more in my imagination.

It is so nice to sleep on time, have a good 8 hours of sleep, workout, meditate and eat healthy. I have felt my happiest and like the best version of myself on such days.

I will not give up my freedom to make choices. Irrespective of the ideals that the society demands, it is not possible to please everyone and that is okay. Often, the world thinks about me a lot less than I can imagine, so I might as well do what I want.

A lot of things I have read in books and watched in movies make sense now. I relate to them on a deeper level, no story begins with everything perfect. There is struggle and there is fragility, cest la vie. The trick is finding happiness despite it. In my life, my happiness has been tied to achieving certain milestones, but this can be dangerous. If the milestone extends its timeline, I would tend to put my happiness on the backburner too.

It is all about balance. The way I visualize it, I have a few bottles — friendships, love, career, family, travel etc. There is a set amount of water in a large bowl and I can fill all the bottles, either all a little, three half-way or one completely. I love all my bottles filled a little, the balance of not giving up one at the cost of another.

I love company, I am a social person. As much as I enjoy some solitude, I would eventually want to meet people, create ideas and do fun things! I thrive in a social setting. I love taking care of people and making memories with them. It is about the small things like cooking breakfast together, catching a sunset together or even a sleepover with my girlfriends. This brings me to the sub-point, in today’s world majority of the relationships have become virtual. The world is becoming smaller, more integrated, and as a result people are a lot more migratory. Despite technological advancement nothing can beat face to face conversations. I know that I would want close associations in reality while I still value my virtual bonds.

A good mascara is a game changer!

Books are amazing! There is at least one takeaway, for life. I want to continue reading and add in different genres as time goes by.

It is better to jump into the cold water instead of anticipating what it is going to feel like.

Writing lots of reviews on Google Maps. I rely on them and so do a lot of other people. I like writing great reviews and not just the angry ones!

I like organizations that value investment and provide services concurrent to the investment. It is important to recognize the hard earned money that a customer is spending. A business that sustains profitably in the long run, has a real value-add at the heart of it. Also, as a consumer it is critical to point out the gaping holes.

It is important to be an empathetic person; everyone gets to be on either side of the equation at some point in their life. I want to be helpful, considerate and kind. I am grateful for all the times when I have come across a hollow tendency that has made me recognize the importance of the exact opposite.