There is always a great need for variety in human life. If you live a routine life for years without a break, you are bound to lose yourself under the weight of those daily drudgeries. Sooner or later, you need to find the little escapes from a mundane life in order to preserve your sanity.
There are lots of different ways through which you can find respite. Have you ever wondered about traveling the world for a change? The uncontrollable urge to go backpacking across the country and different continents need not be suppressed any longer. Take that leave from the office and head to your favorite destination. For starters you can try out the amazing country you are living in. Visit places rarely spoken of and rarely visited. Try to mingle with the local culture of the innermost parts of a state – it may turn out to be a tribal village where you might just end up rediscovering yourself. If the idea of getting too close to so many people does not exactly thrill you, then chances are you would prefer a quiet and secluded place in the mountains where you just want to spend some days healing from the rush of city life. You may want to try some less traveled tourist spots in North Bengal. No, it does not have to be Gangtok every time. And if you have already finished with these places in India, or you just want a different flavor, then pack your bags and hop on a flight to spend some days far away from your country. The best part about traveling is that you go far away from your home to try and get closer to yourself. It may not happen every time. But then again there will be those glorious moments that you will feel truly exhilarated by how close you can get to yourself. How much of you, you can and will discover.
Photo by Mohit GuptaMaybe you cannot find the time, or the resources required to go traveling. Let’s face it, this is not a movie. This is life. This is where we are concerned with our daily chores and jobs because they help us to make both ends meet. To be honest, it is not everyones cup of tea to travel all across Europe and take part in some of the most glamorized festivals of the western world. But does that mean most of the people will miss out on their fun? Absolutely not. There are a host of other things that can be done if you do not feel like traveling. How about photography? The best thing about photography is that you do not need fancy cameras and big lenses to be a good photographer. All you need is an android phone with a decent rear camera. The most essential aspect of photography is that you need to have excellent vision; in other words, the photographer must have an eye for beauty. However, it should also be mentioned that people might not want to indulge in photography only to capture beauty. They can even be thinking of taking photos to enrich social, historical or political archives.
Photo by Mohit GuptaThere is no greater joy than the joy of giving. Though horrifying and tragic incidents surrounding crimes committed by humanity is a regular feature in news items at present, there are a large number of people for whom the joy of giving is what defines happiness in their lives. Maybe you are one among the givers yourself, and it is for people who give that the earth is still a fabulous place to live in. You might want to enroll yourself in an NGO that works to bring about good change in society. There are NGOs that take care of education for underprivileged children. One of the greatest gifts that a person can possibly give is the gift of wisdom. Moreover, such an action will be instrumental in bring about profound changes in life. When we get to compare the life we have had with ones who are less fortunate, we tend to value our time, our life and our resources even more.
Helping others does not necessarily have to include human beings all the time. There are many animal lovers all around the globe who come out of their houses and take care of the street animals. This includes feeding them twice daily, keeping a watchful eye on them to ensure that they are not sick and administering proper medical care in case they fall ill. This is, undoubtedly, very important and commendable work that they do. If you are an animal lover then you can spend a little time with the street dogs in your locality. You can feed them a pack of biscuits at night and then slowly cherish the birth of a wonderful relationship over time.
Break that daily mundane cycle. Get rid of that choking feeling. Get some fresh air. Step out of your comfort zone. Breathe consciously. Spending time on and with the self is the most productive and important part of the day. Be sure not to miss it out!
Written By Poonam Chatterjee
Week 9, March 2021
