Settling Down

Warning: This entry comes on the heels of a self-imposed rule, one that says I write a blog every week. And so, the text that follows might read like utter crap to some. I don't care.

I have been struggling to discover myself for quite sometime now. I had a start-up in college. I joined a company upon my graduation. I started out again. I freelanced as a designer. And now, I am working with a company. All in a span of 17 months! All to discover what I love to do and would do the rest of my life. I gape at the road and wonder where am I in my journey and how much time will I take to 'settle down'. But hey, is there something called 'settle down'?

The system which we have been brought up with advocates that we 'settle down' as soon as we can. There are rules and there are codes of conduct - a degree just after school, a job just after graduation, marriage just after job and so on. A person who denies to confirm to the above is dubbed a 'rebel' among the otherwise pool of the 'virtuos'.

I had a stimulating discussion with a person last saturday as to why Indians tend to become fat by eating even in moderation while our counterparts in other countries don't. And he pointed out that living in India which, historically, has been famine affected has caused our bodies to use a little portion of our diets and assimilate everything else as fats. I don't know if its true but it does sound logical to me. And today, when I sit back and think about our notion of 'settling down', I can very well relate to the same theory again. We have been conditioned to be opportunistic, to grab any chance that comes along and leave nothing to fate. Our counterparts in the west, on the other hand, have been brought up in abundance and have been allowed to exercise choices and pursue life on their terms. But does it mean that they do not have a concept of 'settling down'? I am sure they have one, for they also own homes, raise children and like to see smiling faces after work. The difference, it seems then, lies in the way they approach the steady state - no set patterns and freedom to explore.

Things have started making sense to me now. Instead of wondering how much time will I take to settle down, I need to think how would I get there. Instead of blaming it on the system, I need to explore how can I alter the patterns set in the system. And be confident that someday, my dots will also connect.

Watch this video of Steve Jobs' address at Stanford and be inspired ;-)