Keep the Spark Alive

I can scarcely believe how quickly time has passed. I've told the story before, about how Life Etc Etc started as a MBA project in 2010 but I never talked about what that time meant to me. 2010 was one of the most fulfilling years of my life, a time when life looked up and dreams had wings. Anything and everything seemed possible back then and I was raring to enter a brand new decade with boundless energy to take down my goals one after the another.

Nothing quite went to script after that. The last decade was one hell of a roller coaster ride for me ultimately culminating in a pandemic which still has all of us in its grip. Now, the intention of all of this is not to invoke nostalgia about the bygone times. The sole purpose of all this is to state unequivocally that milestones come and go, plans often go wrong but life goes on!

Keep the hopes going (Courtesy: Janaine Arioli)

There are only two ways life can go on:

You either let life drift you to unforeseen shores i.e. let things be the way they are and hope for the best

You immerse yourself in propelling your life forward through the conflicting currents of life

I have always chosen the second approach because of my inherent belief in realizing results through sustained efforts. Now, it might take a while for us to achieve our goals but sincerely who's counting the amount of time it takes as long as you make it? The road might be arduous, the process might be cumbersome but if the end result is the one you had always envisioned then you have won.

For all of this to happen, you need to keep the spark alive. The 'Spark' according me to is not just the inherent talent that an individual holds. The spark by itself is also an essential ingredient in the belief system because you cannot take a step forward towards your dream/goal unless you believe in your own abilities. Until you take the step you cannot comprehend all the trade-offs/difficulties/hurdles which will prevent you from turning your dream into a reality.

When I started this blog 10 years ago, I did not have a long term vision for this endeavor. All I had was a zest for writing and an ability to capture the stories I was noticing in my everyday life. Whenever I hit a rough patch during the course of my blogging I reminded myself of the reason I started this blog in the first place. If that didn't work I willed myself to write a blog even though I wasn't inspired to write one. Thus while there were times when my spark automatically inspired me to create content, there were also many occasions where I had to re-ignite my spark with my will to write.

This cyclical struggle between you, your goals/dreams and your spark (your talents/abilities) is a microcosm of life. This struggle defines you, builds character and mark my words the result it delivers is sweet. I had no idea I would be writing blogs 10 years after I started writing my first blog. As I mentioned earlier I did not have a vision when I initially started writing but now I dream of establishing Life Etc Etc as a genuine medium for sharing life's lessons, stories and victories. This vision developed through the struggle to keep the spark alive. This blog post itself wouldn't have been possible if I didn't will myself to take some time off today and synthesize my thoughts into a tangible output.

It is always difficult to stay on course when times get tough and it is really hard to persevere through dark phases. But remember to not forget:

What got you started off towards your goal in the first place?
What were the sacrifices you had to make in pursuing this goal?
Why is it that you once believed that you had everything it took to achieve that goal?
Why if any do you think that achieving this goal will make your life better?
What is betterment in life for you?

I understand that these are extremely philosophical questions which require a great deal of soul searching to answer. But the journey to find the answers to these questions will immensely help your struggle to keep the spark alive. The harder you work to keep the spark going the higher will be the aspirations it will likely kindle.

Until Next Time,

Your Life Analyst,

Chaitanya J.J.

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