RECLAIM YOUR LIFE

I'm reproducing an article of mine which got published in Tickledbylife sometime back...

Today’s topic ‘Reclaim your life’ is inspired by a recent Ad of a SUV in India called Tata Safari which talks somewhere of the life most of us are living.

The Ad shows -A Corporate Executive with a sad de-motivated face telling himself ‘I always wanted to resign on a Monday morning’ , then it shows a senior Corporate executive sitting in a board meeting looking through the Window to the rainfall outside telling himself –‘I always wanted to chase the rain’, then a guy telling himself with a surfboat in hand- ‘I always wanted to swim with the whales’, then it shows a pregnant woman in a hospital saying- ‘I wanted to take a break for a year and see the World’.

We all, at some point of time in life, have felt this way, at least I have for many years. On every Monday morning I asked myself ,is this the life I want to live and felt like quitting it all and reclaim back my life.

Its true with many,we don’t lead the life we wanted to live we don’t try and reclaim the life. We feel the pinch everyday but we still continue living the same life. Statistics in USA sometime showed almost 50% of all heart attacks between age 25 to 45 happens on a Monday morning. Reason being very simple we are stuck in work and jobs which we don’t want to do and thus there’s no passion left in life.

I always think of those famous words from a friends letter which I’m sure we all have heard it said‘First I was dying to finish high School and start college and then I was dying to finish college and start working. Then I was dying to marry and have children. And then I was dying for my children to grow old enough so I could go back to work. But then I was dying to retire. And now I’m dying and suddenly I realized I forgot to live.

Please let that not happen to you and ‘Reclaim your life’.

There is always that defining moment which can be called as the ‘crossroad moment of life’ when you decide to Reclaim your life back .It happened with me one day when I went for a life enhancing course and part of the process went for a Nature Walk.I suddenly saw beauty of a Sunset and realized I am missing out on life and seeing the beauty of this World. There and then I decided to reclaim my life back. Today I’m not living someone else’s dream but I can proudly say to a very large extend I’m leading a life of my dream though it’s a long and everyday journey.

But do you want to wait for that crossroad moment to reclaim your life. ‘NO’ seize the moment today – now. Please don’t be a passenger in this journey called life, drive your own life – LIVE LIFE!

(a)Have no regrets in life

You ask any person who’s a success and living life of their dream – at some point they had to take a decision to move towards something they wanted in spite of fear.You will never regret taking risks in life,if there is no risk there is no success. Last week I was reading a recent post of robin Sharma in his blog where he said the last question before your death is always ‘who did I become’.Let that last moment not be a regret of having become what I never wanted to become.

(b)Enjoy living in the present moment

Even if you are in your path and following your calling in life you should always live in the present moment. You should judge your life less and enjoy it more.All wise people see life as a great gift and don’t waste it on trivialities.
I remember knowing a person a retired brigadier who was living a life as a community teacher and whenever I used to ask him how’s he…he used to say ‘I’m here’.It basically meant I’m grateful to be alive and acknowledge this gift.

(c)Be honest to yourself

In life be true to your self and live with intention. Even if you have found your true calling in life one need to live with intention to consistently and regularly ask three critical life questions
Am I following my calling in life?
Am i being true to myself?
Am I being the person I want to be in life?

The late Michael Landon, movie star and great humanitarian, once said:

‘Somebody should tell us right at the start of our lives that we are dying. Then we might live life to the limit, every minute of every single day. Do it I Say! Whatever you want to do – do it now! Carpe diem. Seize the day! And expect miracles, because you are one’.

Thus I’ll again say reclaim your life everyday and enjoy this miracle called life after all we all are nothing but a miracle on our own.