How to make the ‘RUN’ a “FUN”?

I read this quote somewhere sometime back.

“Every morning in Africa, when the Sun rises, a deer awakens, knowing it has to outrun the fastest Lion, OR be hunted to death. Every morning in Africa, when the Sun rises, a Lion awakens, knowing it has to outrun the slowest deer, OR be starved to death…. It does not matter whether you are a deer or a Lion, when the sun rises, you better be running at your best. In the middle of difficulties, lies an opportunity – Albert Einstein.”

It resembles so much to our daily life ain’t it? The differences being we all are running in the so called socio-commercial world and not just when the sun rises rather by night also. In today’s competitive world WE want to outrun others, personally as well as officially. We always have a constant fear that taking a break might lead others to outrun us. We feel so unsecured about anything and everything. Life is uncertain but it’s our fear which makes it worst. Somehow many miss the fun in the run.

Until I was in 7th grade I dint had much pressure. Life was cool. May be the only burden was to prepare for my mid-terms, quarterly, half-yearly and annual exams. I was not at all studious till my 7th grade. I was more interested in exploring things, especially electronics and mechanics. I used to do lot of origami stuff, will spend my weekend in the electronic repair shop next to my home, and play top or goli gundu in the streets. Easy come easy go and never bothered a thing. I have done all mischievous, stupid, insane things including for what my brother can’t do. For stats purpose dog has bitten me 4 times and I have bitten them in turn the same times, have fractured my left hand twice, right hand once and left leg once, have scars through out my knees even now, which are the results of running, jumping recklessly. I could be a living example to prove that man kind came from monkey.

It was in my 8th grade when things started changing academically. There was this girl called Preethi who is my neighborhood and we were classmates. I was staying in a colony kind of place and there were other youngsters of my age. We used have lot of pity fights and quarrels as normal as experienced by anyone. But one day when I had a quarrel with Preethi the topic somehow got diverted to academic and she started making fun of my academic performance (bcos I usually have some 3 or 4 red marks in my progress report) and ended up “Arun you speak when u beat me in academics”. I felt bit embraced, humiliated too. But that is where my run started and that is what made me what I am today. In the 8th grade first mid-term I secured a rank. Next mid-term I was in the top ten. The top rankers were Indumathi, Saravana Kumar, Deepak, Gayathri, Sunitha, and Preethi. These are the names which strikes me immediately, though I can recollect all names if I spare sometime.

In my 9th grade I was the topper in the class and got the General Proficiency award. Deal done and Preethi never looked back at me the same way. Few years back she got married and settled happily. Indirectly it was her words that day, which made miracle changes. Does the RUN stop there? NO. I was in my 10th grade and I have to keep pace with my running so as to get good marks to secure science group in +1. Then I have to really push myself that extra bit in +2 as I come under OC (Open Community) which means no mark is better to secure a free seat in any of the top engg college. Though i dint made it to toppers of the state I was happy about my +2 result as I got in return exactly for what effort i gave. I really feel satisfied now and I have n0 regret. Looking back now with the question “Should I pushed myself more?”, Since the probability factor for me being better or worse by pushing that extra remains same, I think there’s no point to look back at all.

Once into college, life and run got more serious. Here the run was not against other but rather me. I have to perform, I have to outrun myself every semester, I have to find my own way out for a job after the 4 years. Things were different. It’s this college life which made me more mature. In my childhood I had lot of quarrels, fun, emotions etc etc etc. But the same things were very different when it happened in my college life as I considered I was bit matured by that time.

Well after 4 years I found the way out to get a job. And then what? The RUN was more serious as never before. Have to learn more things. Have to keep pace with technology. I was earning and so salary became pro-status. And this was the period where I started to think about the entire “career planning”. Finally here I am, somehow managed to secure myself in an uncertain life and an insecure commercial life. It has been 2 years+ since I came to Finland. Did I came here for the Euro that count 50 times more in India? Absolute NO. To be frank, considering an average spend off on a monthly basis I should be able to save 2000Euro per month minimum. But my balance read NIL. Does that mean I don’t have any family commitment back at my home? Again NO and I do have some though not many. Then if I have commitments and when I know that very well, am I a feckless, irresponsible, spendthrift chap? I don’t know and the concerns of the same about me from others matters me least as long as I feel the fun in the run and no matter what it costs!

All feelings like happiness, love, lust, anger, pain, pride, etc are ephemeral. We all go through these feelings and emotions sometime during our run. But is there one thumb rule which state “How to make the run a fun?” No. For many of the questions like this, there is no single rule which could unwind an answer applicable to all. But we all have choices and option to choose. So these are some of the ways I follow/followed to have fun in the run no matter how tough the situation was.

It’s here and It’s now: To be happy live the current moment. Happiness was not something u sought yesterday or something u seek tomorrow. Its today, now and this very moment. It’s meaningless to miss enjoying ur fantastic dinner thinking abt the testplan or deadline or any other crap. If u can’t make yourself feel “HAPPY” for no reason this very moment, then chances are less that u will feel “HAPPY” for some reason by someone else tomorrow. Make sure the reason to be “HAPPY” is within u and not another person or thing.

Laugh out loud: For god sake throw away ur fake mask u wear all time in job, having a stubborn look. There is a Tamil proverb “Vaai vittu sirithaal noi vittu poghum” which is there in English also. ”Laughter is the best medicine.” Even scientifically it’s proven that “LAUGHING” releases anti-stress hormones which relax mind and body. U need not be grt comedian, rather try to bring out the comedian in yourself. Try to have a lively atmosphere around u in work place as well as outside. I learned very very easily how to make some(any)one cry but I have to admit, to make someone smile, laugh is a Himalayan task.

Jingle bell jingle bell jingle all the way: Listen. Listen to music. Listen to that music which relaxes ur mind and body. No matter where u r. @work place or @ home or traveling. Listen to something which soothes you and hum along. You may never get a chance to sing on a stage but that doesn’t mean u don’t have to make ur own stage in the bathroom. If u know how to dance as if no body is watching and how to sing as if no body is listening, u know what I mean by FUN in that.

Make your mind and body to be in sync: Make sure u r physically fit to live a life for 100 years and mentally fit to die this very moment. For the physical part, work out. Make ur muscles cry and feel the pain. This pain would be pleasure. If u don’t have gym no problem. Go for a jog or walk as mush as u can. The point is stretch yourself, physically as well as mentally. For the mind, don’t get too much and get carried away by one thing. Have the “Let it go” attitude. Remember that happiness, success, etc etc are very hard to define and even harder to measure. It’s all in ur mind. So don’t restrict yourself within a small circle. Find a place where u can remain in silent, which could be a garden, temple, church, mosque or even Loo (I prefer Loo). That is the secret gateway to lot many things.

Get lost: Time to time, get lost urself into some where u have never been. I dint mean an exotic trip to Caribbean or Mauritius. Find some place nearby. Get along with nature. Forget all ur electronic gizmo’s. Forget about share market, ur emails, studies, job etc. Feel the bliss in urself being re-born with the nature. This need not be a grt trip. Even a morning walk to see the sun rise or an evening jog to see the sun set is ok. If u r lucky to be in a seashore side, listen to the waves and speak to the moon on a full moon day. Best things in life comes for free and they are out their in the nature.

Family first: Don’t get into a F***ing job which makes u time bankrupt and where u need to look into ur calendar to fix an appointment for a dinner together with ur family. (Ya I here some voices “Look who is saying that”) Euro, Dollars, Rupees, Pounds what ever it may be. They are mere metals and papers when it comes to relation. Don’t make the run just for money. Money is important but it’s only after ur family. After all, what for u earn and how much u need? Be sure not to be greedy. Walk the tightrope carefully.

What’s new for today?: Have you ever tried painting? How about a indo-chinese or indo-mexican dish? Ur balance on roller skates? Ur luck in the ping pong game on the road side shop? Being an engineer trying to get a glimpse of banking notations? And what not? Try. Try something new. Something weird u thought but have never tried. I am not a born photographer or a blogger neither a web designer etc etc. What all I am doing is, trying to try everything in me. It’s not that always the bits and pieces have to make a complete picture. It’s these vagaries in life which make the run to be fun.

Get in touch, Speak up: I remember, my dad used to remember atleast 100 telephone numbers by-heart. We all being cyber-kids, mostly remember e id’s only. Time to time go thru ur contact list. Make a periodic update of the contacts. Not jus update. Get in touch. Don’t make some precious relation stay within the address book alone. Sunday morning seems gloomy. Don’t hesitate make a conf call to all ur friends who might not be in the same place. Have a nice conversation. Making others feel good makes u feel better. You got a problem? Speak up or express urself in ur own way. If u hav enuf maturity, swallow it and forgive or else spit it and forget. Don’t jus churn words and thoughts in ur mind alone.

Embrace change: If everything remains the same, how vague it would be. Prepare urself to embrace change not jus to embrace the change wht u anticipate. How much interesting it will be to keep on reading the same “Da Vinci Code” everyday? First time is ok. May be second or third time is also ok. Come on man not life long. Give me a break. We all need new stories. Try to visualize everyday as a new story in the same chapter or new chapter in the same story. It’s this everyday suspense, which keeps the clock ticking.

Value relation: Thumb rule. Remember BRUCE/ANCHOR/CHUM in “Finding Nemo” taking an oath. If not here it is. ‘I am a nice shark, not a mindless eating machine. If I am to change this image, I must first change myself. Fish are friends, not food’. Similarly keep telling urself ‘I am nice human being, not an inane hatred machine. If I am to change this image, I must first change myself. Relation is to make, not to break.’ Don’t let a small argument spoil a life long relation. Be careful with ur words. Make sure ur disagreement is agreeable by all.

So much is to say and so little is said. This is jus a few things I follow to make my run a fun. There are many more things which may take much more time to pen down. So jolted here are the things which strike my mind the moment I started writing. Anyone reading this may not necessarily feels the same like what I felt. But make sure in a way or other you have something to make ur run a fun.

At the end of the day when I hit the bed and go to sleep, what all I need is a little bit of satisfaction that I lived the day. Because who knows, one day I may never wake up the next morning

PS: The photos are not mine and all are taken from flickr. Will update the details soon.