A moment of liberation

Change is inevitable. As such, our lives are prone to a series of changes that show up in different forms. Some changes are obvious, such as our physical transformation or our progressive change from schooling to college to workplace. Being aware of such changes and attuning yourself to them is easy and does not require much of effort. On the other side, there also come changes in life that lead to nuances in our core consciousness and perception towards life. In my case, moving between different places now and then has exactly been that kind of change.

To start with, I was born with a spoon that was silver enough to never let me know the pain of not getting what you want, in a small town that mostly kept to itself and waved away any kind of evolutionary change of the modern times. Owing to that, I spent my childhood and schooling growing up in a conservative neighborhood with responsible parents and friends who were peas in a pod. To put it another way, everything was just damn perfect. Enveloped in a blanket of security, life would indeed be a blessing to continue living in my town.

But, soon enough, I was ready to attain the official age required to become an adult. By then, I had grown used to three main aspects that ruled my life: the never-ending support of my parents, a constant group of friends and material comforts. So, my parents decided it was time for me to apprehend what it takes to live life outside of my comfort zone. "You need a little bit of exposure to mature," they said. The apt solution was to pursue my under-graduation from staying in the hostel of an institution. Excited about the prospects of new experiences in a new place, I agreed immediately. "Oh Anusha, your life is just about to get amazingly eventful", I thought.

And move I did, as discussed, to Madurai for my next level of education. However, I could not transition myself into the new environment as smoothly as I had expected. The feeling of loneliness was so much in the hostel that I would dread returning to the quarters once the day in college got over. When my parents visited during the initial weekends, I would cry profusely and moan, "I hate being in this hostel. I am not able to be myself around here. There is no independence at all since I have to rely on my hostel mates for even a small chore or help. Moreover, I do not know anyone here. I miss all of you. Let me come back home and continue studying in our town itself." Yet, my parents were stone-hearted just the right amount to turn a blind eye to my tears and ignore my whining. They flatly told me that I had no other choice but to live in this hostel for the next three years. Feeling crushed and let down, I spent a good two months crying myself to sleep every night in the hostel. If truth be told, I ached deeply for material comfort. Life without television, internet and air conditioner felt empty. I longed to go back to that old life. Though I had not let my parents be privy to this fact, knowing me very too well, they had decided not to surrender to my whims of getting back to town. Change had finally come, but I seemed to have difficulties accepting it. Until one specific midnight came - my first birthday in hostel. That night, I cut five different cakes with five different gang of friends. When that day dawned, realization also dawned; this change in life was slowly but definitely making me happy. Excruciating though it had been at first, I then felt exhilarated with the lovely connections I had established unknowingly. One small realization led to another and soon, life turned beautiful. Empty was not the life I had now, but the one I yearned to return back to. Wrong it was not to depend on your fellow beings, but on the material comforts. Getting liberated from them was the initial change that was much-needed in my life and I am forever thankful to my parents for the same.

I did not stop with Madurai. Next, it was Coimbatore for my post-graduation, where I underwent a hard time coming to terms with the fact that women had to put in a lot more effort than men for their opinions to be heard and considered. I say this because, till then, I had studied only in all-girls institutions, where I would always emerge as one of the top students without so much of an effort. So, it did come as a rude shock but I managed to survive and thrive through the change. After that, it was life as a marketing analyst in Chennai, which also happens to be my current role. Donning this role has again exposed me to truths about myself, my integrity, my passion for writing, and how priorities is the answer to a fuller living.

Yes, it is tough, having to go through each change as it strikes and accept it wholeheartedly but at the end of the day, it helps me learn a bit more about myself and what I am capable of. After all, life is nothing but a sequence of changes, duly engendering a series of realizations. How we take up and face each change is what defines us. We can either choose to progress with the change, improving with each day, or live a life of stagnation. The choices that we make will define us and the days to come.

So, get out there, choose wisely, adapt quickly, push your limits, realize your worth, live your life!

Image Courtesy: Strong Inside/Out

P.S: Till now, I was living with family in Chennai. Soon, I am moving out to my own place. Wonder what living alone is going to teach me :)

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This post has been inspired by and written for a recent campaign - '#StartANewLife', by Housing.com. 
To know more about who they are and what they do, take a look at their new video ad shared below.

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