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When I chased happiness, I found emptiness
One fine evening, I was sitting on the rooftop cherishing solitude. I was feeling the cool breeze kissing me. Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind and I went beside myself ruminating the times when I wanted something badly. So badly that I would have done anything and everything just to get that. And I realised every time I fulfil my wishes, my mood swings completely and I no longer cherish the things I get as much as I used to, earlier. It’s like I am insatiable. I never feel satisfied and start looking for other fishes in the sea. Consequently, I never feel happiness within. There persists a sense of perpetual emptiness in my heart. I keep tormenting myself thinking- “if I had this, my life would be perfect; if I had that, my life would be perfect”. There is no end to such absurdness and hence no peace within. That day, I couldn’t resist harping on myself questioning- Why enough is never enough ? Why do the objects of desire lose their sheen with time ? what’s the sense of such a life when you have everything yet no peace within ? These question sent shockwaves into my heart. I felt as though I was a wretch who had everything yet nothing for, I couldn’t recall even a single thing that makes me happy all the time. All of my life, I had been chasing the pleasures which were good from far but far from good. Nothing could really tame my restless soul. Really, the biggest irony of the life is: To all of us, the material things are more endearing than the dear ones. There is nothing wrong in pursuing happiness but what’s wrong is our means. We resort to material things to extract happiness but the fact is: sooner or later, all they can extract is sheer pain. We are looking for instant pleasure but that brings with it the lasting pain but it gets too late when we realise it. It was for the first time in my life that I realised that the essence of life lies in cherishing what we have instead of grieving for what we don’t, because this is the only way to find happiness within and around us. I heard people talking about this thing myriad times but never ever felt it in a heartfelt way. May be because I’m too much into rat race to be able to find any moments of solitude to introspect. But since that day onwards, I extractsuch moments of solitude and realising that indeed, solitude is bliss. A few minutes of self talk and a heartfelt gratitude at the end of the day is more than enough to keep me bonded with myself. I have been doing this for sometime now and I feel the quality of my life is enhancing profoundly. Do you also find yourself in the same boat ? If yes, do introspect and realise what’s actually worth running after. This may change your way of looking at life. Signing off is NIKHIL JAIN !!!! Have a great time ahead !!!! For more articles, visit www.nikhiljainsblog.wordpress.com
Nikhil Jain
IIM Trichy - A different world
It’s been two weeks since I joined IIM Trichy. But the experiences have been endless. In just two weeks, I have got a peep into how my two years at IIM Trichy are going to be and I am damn excited for this journey. It is the first time I am in the South India. Of course, I had my own apprehensions before coming here. In fact, I gave a second thought about joining this institute but decided against my apprehensions as the opportunity cost would have been too high to bear. And today, I feel I made a great decision. The place is as lively as one can imagine. The people are extremely down to the Earth and very helpful. After spending two weeks here, I have understood why people talk so much about the IIM rigour. Indeed, the rigour we go through is unparalleled, so is the support from seniors and faculties. IIM Trichy is a different world altogether. A world full of opportunities. A world where we realize and unleash our potential. Since the day we have stepped into this place, we are witnessing opportunities knocking the door of our creative minds. Every single day, we are given opportunities to do what we want to do. There is so much we can do here that we get confused as to what to let go. Probably that’s why we say, IIM Trichy never sleeps. Our day starts with rushing to the mess to get into classes in time and ends with sitting in groups doing group discussions, case studies and preparing for the next day classes. We thrive by collaboration because we believe in growing; growing together. The various clubs and committees in our institute give us opportunity to take a step forward towards following our passion. It is all students-driven. This allows us to explore the uncharted territories. You want something, bring the idea and make it up and running. There is nothing that contains us from growing. Absolutely nothing. IIM Trichy is not just about creating future leaders. It strives to create leaders with values. Our institute wants us to be socially responsible leaders and work towards sustainable solutions to the ground issues faced by our society. “Make a difference (MAD)” is our initiative which gives us an opportunity to reach out to local people, understand their issues, work towards a sustainable solution for them and make a difference to their lives and our lives. Probably that’s what differentiates us from the rest. I feel one can understand now as to why IIM Trichy has become a coveted institute in just 7 years since its inception.
Bid Adieu, IIM Kashipur
Yes, only 7 days. I could have this surreal feeling only for 7 days. I am leaving IIM Kashipur now with my heart still here. I learned it hard way…to let go. And I am doing it now, for the greater good. Before I vanish into oblivion again, let me recall my first and the last week at IIM Kashipur. It was a sunny morning of june 21, 2018 when I deboarded the train at the Kashipur Railway Station. There I found a group of people who were also heading for IIM Kashipur. We had our introduction done before we saw a man with placard “IIM Kashipur” in his hands trying to locate us. We found him and he escorted us to the bus. It was a 15 minute ride from the station to college around a Jungle area. We reached the college campus at around 8AM. It was a surreal feeling to have got an opportunity to walk into an IIM, the topmost management brand of the country. The presence of various Bank representatives all around us to get an opportunity to converse with us and convince us to take loan from their respective banks made it feel more so. Till that day in my life, I never saw any bank running after anyone to offer him a whopping sum of money as loan and without any collateral and red-tapism. It was unreal. At least I felt so. However, we evaded their questions at that point of time and entered into our rooms. Room! Luxurious it was to say the least. For a moment I doubted if it was a 5-star hotel. No, it was a college only. I realised it while waiting for 4 hours for my turn for registration. Finally it happened and I took a sigh of relief. I was very tired so I came back to my room and slept for 2 hours. 2 hour sleep! Something that is not very common at IIM Kashipur which I realised the first day itself. We had our first session at 12AM, June 22. Wow. Welcome to IIM Kashipur. Welcome to a hell of a ride! For the first time in my life, I had my class at such an odd time. We came back to our rooms at 3AM. Yeah, 3AM. With my eyes fully exhausted, I slept at around 4AM. I could sleep only for 3 hours because we had our classes from 8AM. It was just the beginning. Since then, we had our sessions daily till 2AM in the morning, sometimes 3AM and even beyond. “Welcome to the IIM, Nikhil!” I whispered to myself. So, this journey was full of struggles, right? No, it was full of opportunities. The opportunity to dream big. The opportunity to keep pushing my boundaries. The opportunity to learn. The opportunity to grow; grow together. And above all, it was an opportunity to make a difference. I acknowledge that the first week was damn tough to get through an IIM rigour, with just 3 hours of average sleep. But it’s okay. I have chosen this life for myself and I am living it now. Going through emotions, both high and low. Feeling this difference. Till now I have seen managers making their team work. But here I witnessed managers slogging themselves day in day out and taking their team ahead. I lacked motivation to work in office but here I felt I was ready to work round the clock. Why? Because here my seniors worked harder than us. If they made us work 16-18 hours a day, they ensured that they worked 18-20 hours a day. And I literally mean it. I have seen it. They have been really tough but even then I am in awe of them. They set some real high standards for us. To collaborate more and achieve more. The kind of collaboration they manifested was awe-inspiring. And they are earnestly striving to instill the same spirit and unity in us. Wonderful. Have got a lot to take from here. A moment is needed to make a memory. Thank you IIM kashipur for myriad such moments and memories. Albeit for a week only, I have been privileged to be a part of this wonderful institute. Signing off is Nikhil Jain!!! Have a great time ahead!!!
What's your nemesis? Joblessness or job?
A few days back I was talking to one of my hostel friends with whom I share a great bond. It all went well until after being humourous for quite a while, he broke down lamenting “Thak gaya hun yaar zindagi se”. I was baffled. Completely unnerved. I had had never expected him crumbling so miserably for, he is someone who has fought against so many odds all his life. But his struggle for a job eventually tore him apart. He has been struggling for a job for more than a year now but couldn’t manage to get one yet. In his voice choked in emotions, he lamented ” kuch ni ho Pa raha yaar. Sab settle ho rahe hain and me struggle hi kar raha hun”. His words made me gutted with pain. I could feel the pain in his voice. The pain of loss. The pain of helplessness. Somehow, I held grip on myself and blurted out everything I could to make him feel better. I succeed. I succeed in taming the streak of negative emotions in him. I finally hanged up the call. But one question that kept lingering in my mind after that was “what’s that made him feel miserable? Was he despondent because he didn’t have a job or because his contemporaries had? A big question. A very big question I realised it was. “Turning 23. Done with the graduation.But no job. Sick of being considered the black sheep of the family, of hearing sarcasm, of my own insecurities and struggles. Everything seems to be falling apart. On the other hand, my contemporaries are going places and are better off. Ugh. Heartburn taking toll on my heart and mind. Despondent I am to say the least. I just can’t take it. Don’t know how to clamber back. Life is turning upside down making me formidably down.” Wait. Obsessed with these thoughts? I know you are obsessed with all these intimidating and demeaning thoughts. We feel bad when we struggle and see others thriving. We may not express it but deep down in our heart, we feel bad. We don’t have a job. This feels bad. But what feels more bad is others having it while we struggle. Isn’t it? I know it is. I experience it. But wait. You are not the only one going through this. Almost everyone goes through this in his 20s and move on. Yes. You read it right. People move on. So, don’t fret. it’s just the beginning. Your quest has just begun. I know you won’t stop feeling restless more so because every now and then you see your contemporaries hitting the mark. So what. Do you think just because they are having a lucrative job, they are better off ? If yes and yes it’s yes, but you are utterly wrong. It’s just that Grass is always greener on the other side. You think that he is having a job and he is better off. At the Same time, he thinks “I am stuck in this miserable job, he is working hard and will make big”. Quite ridiculous it sounds but it is damn true.It’s an irony that joblessness and job, both are making people sick. The matter of the fact is, At every point of time, everyone fights one battle or the other. The only difference is that your battle may not be same as theirs. After all, your story is not theirs and vice versa. So, stop comparing yourself with others. While you think of your life, think only of your life. Turn a deaf ear and a blind eye to everything else. Start investing in yourself. Strive, Revive, Thrive !!! Take a leap of faith and live your struggles. Feel bad and move on. Work in silence. Success will scream. Signing off is Nikhil jain !!! Have a great time ahead !!! For more articles, visit http://www.nikhiljainsblog.wordpress.com
because you can never get the things ahead of time
There are times when we see our friends , our contemporaries surging at a prodigious rate while we struggle formidably. Some of our friends do wonderfully well in their respective fields while we fail to make the cut. Some make great leaps while get stuck. Some make through certain coveted notches while we hardly manage to make through a decent exam or job. It happens although we know that we don’t fall short of them in terms of talent in any ways whatsoever. This inflicts a sense of brooding heartburn in all of us. We feel disheartened. We feel hopeless. We start belittling ourselves. All of a sudden, we forget our pursuits, our dreams and desires. All we think of is why and how that certain somebody has got ahead of us. Our mind shifts disastrously towards negativity. And trust me, this feeling has nothing to do with person’s character. It’s a natural instinct which every rationale man goes through. It’s just we get frustrated when our hard work never seems to be paying off. what should be done in such a situation? Shall we keep on envying? Okay,it happens naturally but pause a second, is it going to do any good to you? No, it simply saps your energy by leaps and bounds; Snatches the calm of your heart and mind. So, In order to retain the peace of your mind, we must learn one thing. There is time for everything. You can never get the things ahead of time and more than destined, No matter how hard you try or how vociferously and loud you cry. Every dog has his own day. Today it’s theirs, tomorrow it will be yours. But till then, you will have to be patient. This is how life is. It will keep on throwing curve balls at you. You have to face them and face them well. In the trying situations, all you can do is be resilient and keep perspiring with an impeccable grit. Stop occupying centre stage. Retreat yourself. Get on the back seat. Engage yourself in improving yourself so much so that you don’t get time to envy others. You will outperform others only when you focus on performance, not others. Don’t compete with others but yourself. Try to outperform yourself every single day. Get swamped in positivity not envy. In the end if you don’t succeed, trust me it’s not the end. Just keep striving once, twice, thrice and even more if needed.when the struggles become unbearable, smile because the darkest hours get on just before the dawn. You are just an inch distant from triumph. Live life as though you don’t care who rules the world.Get lost in your own world where there is only one pursuit-The pursuit of excellence. When your time comes, you will triumph. Until then, keep mum and let the midnight oil burn. Signing off, Nikhil Jain For more articles, visit www.nikhiljainsblog.wordpress.com