10 Ways to Survive when Life Beats You Down

Life is a path. But, no one can say it is an easy one. No one can say life will not beat you down. In fact, it will beat you down. On your knees. And it will keep you there, if you let it. There I go again quoting Rocky Balboa. But, it’s true. Life is tough. Sometimes way too tough.

There comes times when nothing works out. There comes times when everyone leaves you. You turn around and there you are alone, even your shadow does not follow you. What do you do in a situation like that? How do you cope up? Who do you blame for the sudden downfall?

And then the billion dollar question is – how do you survive?

Not everyone goes through such darkness. Not everyone is strong enough to endure the torment and still live to talk about it. Not everyone is the protagonist of a bestseller. And it is damn tough being the Hero.

So, how do you keep your spirit alive when even God abandons you? How?

Write To Yourself

This helps. In times when unknown stars shine upon you and no footprint can guide you ahead, you need yourself. Writing is like therapy. It takes the frustration out of the system. It also creates a log of life. You can consult it later. Nothing motivates more than seeing yourself improving every day. So, rather than just talking to yourself. Write. Write a letter. Or, strike up a conversation with your own soul. Remember that heart knows. And heart never misleads.  

Quit Reading Horoscope

Hmm…we resort to reading horoscopes when life becomes one lengthy dark night. We try to find the flicker of light in our stars. But, the fault is not in our stars. It lies within us. Of course, I am not saying astrology is total bullshit. But, daily horoscope comes with its own peril. If it says a bad day is ahead, you will keep expecting everything to go wrong. And if it predicts a wonderful day, you will sigh in frustration and ask – where is that wonderful day? You get my point? Speaking from experience, don’t read horoscope. Don’t look at the stars for guidance. Dig within your soul instead.

Do What You Do Best

Hobbies can be a great diversion. When you can focus on nothing but gloom, turn to your hobby. Read a good book or watch a good movie. Even a couple of hours’ respite can work as a miracle. Allow yourself to heal.

Keep Your Goal in Mind

Have you watched Rocky 4? Do you remember Rocky pasting the image of Ivan Drago on the mirror before he began his training? Drago was Rocky’s goal. He kept his goal where his eyes would fall first thing in the morning. Do it. Write down your goal and paste it somewhere you are bound to look at. Nothing motivates more than seeing what you are living for. Everyone must have a reason to wake up every day.

Find a Mentor

A mentor does not have to be someone who is present near you. It can be someone who is not alive. It can be someone who lives millions of miles apart. A mentor shows the ways. Find someone whose story you connect to. Make this person’s life story your road map to follow. At least for a time being. Tell yourself, if he can, so can I. Of course, you can. You just gotta keep trying.   

Sweat It

Nothing takes frustration out of your system better than a good workout session. Ever tried sweating it out? Well, workout does not only help you slim down, it helps you think better too. Try it. Hit the floor. Or, hit the road. Choose your workout session. Eventually, you will get addicted to it. Better workout and sweat than alcohol or drugs.  

Read Motivational Stories or Watch Motivational Movies

Chicken Soup can help your soul. But, everyone is not a reader. If you are not, you can watch motivational movies. For me it’s Rocky 4. For you it might be something else. But, do something to motivate yourself. It’s needed, especially when no light flickers at the end of the tunnel.

Hold On a Moment Longer

It’s all about a moment. Just one moment and it might all be over. You never know. Yes, it hurts to hold on. Sometimes arms go numb, fingers slip and knuckles bleed. But, holding on is all we can do. Just a moment and that’s it. Life will become better again.

Don’t Bleed in Public

There is no point in telling your story unless you have made it big. When you have earned back your dignity, when you are driving a Lamborghini or an Audi, tell your story. People will read it for motivation. But, until then your story does not matter. Not to anyone. So, hold your tongue. They don’t care. But, you can make them care. It’s your life. Only you can make it large. Not by talking about it. But, by doing whatever you can.

Say a Prayer of Gratification

Yes, God abandons us. He does answer our prayers in silence. Even then show your gratification. Make sure to look up and say thanks every day. You know why? Because, at least you have a path, a way, a dream and the ability to make your dream come true. There are millions of people out there who do not even know how to dream.

You see, easier said than done. Yes, you might think so. You have the right. These points will not make your troubles go away. They certainly did not make mine disappear. But, these might help you give a better shot at it. Fight harder. There is no story in happiness. So, keep heart. Tomorrow will shine with better opportunity. It’s not how hard you can hit after all. It’s how hard you can get hit and keep moving. 

10 Things Only Writers Will Understand

Writers are rarely understood and reluctantly accepted in this society. They are either branded as too intense for their own good or they are labeled as insane. Not that they would mind a lot about what you say about them or what you think. With time they have learnt the art of being rejected and still keeping a smiling face about it. It’s a part of life guys. To be frank when people agree with us we feel the world is going the wrong way. Or, is it us going astray on our tracks?

But, you see being a writer is not easy. Building a world on nothing but a blank sheet might not require knowledge of rocket science but it needs brainstorming. A lot of it. Trust me on this. You gotta be a writer to understand the pain and pleasure of writing. Also, you gotta be a writer to fully realize the truth of the ten points I have summed up for the post.  

The first word is the toughest one

Umm…you ever stared at a blank screen for hours not knowing what to write? No? Well…lucky you. The first sentence is the hardest one to write. You have any idea how much time I have labored over the first sentence of this post? Of course you can’t know. And I am not going to tell. But, I have spent a generous amount of time to craft the first sentence. Fuck the sentence, let’s talk about the first word. It’s the most difficult one to jot down. Once the first word is there on paper or screen, the rest comes tumbling out. But, the first word can kill. Ask any writer.  

It is first word every day

Okay I am pretty unfortunate you know. Each day, I find myself at the same spot doing the same thing. Yes, every day I stare at the screen for a long time not knowing how to begin the day’s work. It is first word every day. And it is starting at the blank screen with a blank expression all over again each morning. When they say every day is a new day they forget to mention how hard it is to take the first step each time.

People are characters

I guess this everyone fortunate or unfortunate enough to know a writer, knows. My friends (the rare few) keep telling me to look away. Whenever they say something, I find myself leaning forward and devouring each word like a monster looking for blood. Everyone comes with potentiality to be in a story or be the story.

Writing is the hardest craft

  

Each time I moan about not being able to write something, people come forward to remind me I am a writer. Fuck yes I am. But, that does not mean I have super natural power. Writing is tapping on the soul and coming up with emotions buried deep and suppressed long. It is not morning pressure guys. Don’t expect us to sit and produce a masterpiece every time we touch the keyboard. Writing is work. And it is hard work.

Isolation is freedom

Every writer is different. Though we write about people and the world, we need to isolate ourselves to think and create. This, people don’t understand. And by now I have quit trying to make them realize the fact. They will never know what we unearth sitting at a corner, staring ahead. So, why bother?

Money is not the motivator

It is the passion that keeps a writer going. Appearing before the screen every day, knowing no one will read what you are producing, living a dual life and getting rejected require more than love for money. It requires unyielding determination to keep going. Or, maybe it requires unheard of stupidity to stick to it. Either way money comes secondary on priority list. What drives us is the sense of doing something unique.  

Middle of the novel hurts the most

  

Hmm…if the first word is the hardest one, the middle is absolutely monstrous. By the time we reach the middle of a novel, the glow of getting a fabulous idea dies down. And by this time most us get ready to haul our asses, if we could. But, it’s not that easy, you see. Until we see The End written on the paper, we cannot move on to another project. Like now, I am ready to write another post but till the time I reach The End of this one, I cannot quit. We are cursed that way. We cannot quit. Or, maybe we are blessed.  

Talking about writing is driving force

You ever dated a writer? Nope? Okay next time you do, be ready to listen about writing all evening long. Not everyone is same, but, most of us are. We love to talk about writing. We love to share stories of our success and failure. It is boring sometimes. I agree. If you are a non writer, you will look for an exit before long. But, it is our driving force. We bask in the glory of the craft. We energize ourselves while talking about writing.

Coffee works like wonder

I drink more than twelve cups a day. I need continuous supply of coffee each time I sit to write. My brain or my heart craves for the aroma of rich, freshly brewed beverage and my tongue demands it. Yes, I am addicted to coffee. It is me or writing I don’t know. I believe most of the writers will agree about needing coffee. It is better than needing alcohol or drugs you see.   

Insanity is bliss

Uh…insanity. Hmm. People lovingly or grudgingly call us crazy. I have been called crazy both ways. But, I don’t mind. Insanity is needed to keep doing what we do, regardless of the result. The result, my friends, is either rejection or mockery, whichever comes first. Do we stop? Fuck no. We don’t. Or, rather, we can’t. Imagination is insanity. I guess every artist is a little or lot crazy. It keeps us going.

So, that’s it for the day. Ten painstakingly gathered facts. Next hopefully I can be back with another post worth spending time on. Leave a comment if you feel like. 

10 Things You Don’t Know about Us – Writers

Are you a writer? No? Well, good for you. You are spared the agony of being a creator. But, then again you are also spared the ecstasy of writing as well. From the blank surface of a paper comes a world peopled with your imagined friends and enemies. This is the kind of experience writers will call beyond description. Which is true.

But, that is not the problem here. I am going astray on my track. But, then again what else is new right? I have specialized in going astray on my track. See, I am doing that again. Maybe because I am happy. Or, maybe because I am writing too much. Don’t know. Anyways.

So what was I writing? Yeah, 10 things that you don’t know about writers. Yes, I want you all to know a few things about us. Here you go…

1. We Write, We Don’t Type

 Do you know what hits the nerve harder than a Rocky Balboa punch? It’s people talking to us when we are writing. Yes, writing is typing. But, it is more than typing. You get the point? Or, should I take the liberty to explain?

Ok, you have asked for it.

So, when we write, we think. And thinking needs solitude. Space is important. You get my point? Typing does not need thinking. You place a document and copy it. No rocket science here. But, to write one needs to open the heart and bleed on paper. Please next time you see someone writing, don’t wisely mistake the effort for typing.

2. We Brood

Yes, we cannot help it. Our moods go up and down like yo yo. We are happy now. We are sad the next moment. And most disarming fact is we don’t know why. So, don’t keep asking. This does not make the matter better. If anything, we get even more drawn inside our shells.

Of course, I am not talking about all the writers. But, most of us are like this. So, please when you catch a writer brooding, let them burn in their hell for a few days. It will pass too.

3. We Are Jealous of Our Writing Time

Umm…well, so you have a friend who is a writer? Boyfriend? Girlfriend? Writing time is very precious to us. We call it our freedom time. At least I do. This is the time when we get our magic wands out and go creating spells. Our masterpieces. Don’t invade this time. It hurts. It is maddening. Leave us alone when we say we are writing.

4. We Hate to be Asked – Have You Ever Been Published

It is like are you good at fucking. It touches a cord deep down inside. It does not hurt. It irritates. If we are published, we will make it a point to tell you. We will gloat about the accomplishment. So, please don’t ask this question. It solidifies a strong doubt most of the writers are secretly carrying in their hearts.

5. We See You As a Character

Hmm…this might feel like evasion of privacy. But, we cannot help it. If you are interesting enough, we will surely write about you. And we don’t feel guilty for doing it. At least I don’t. I think you should be proud that a writer finds you fascinating enough to write about you. There are too many characters out there who don’t not even get our consideration. They are too boring to write about.

So, even if we don’t read the Miranda Rights to you, know it in your heart that whatever you say or do will be used in a book someday. Sorry folks, some of us are life’s plagiarists.

6. We Read to Learn 

Reading is like salvation for us. It is improving our skills. It is losing ourselves in a land where everything will be sorted out in the end. This is important. So, don’t go – you want time to read, you want time to write, you are selfish. We are. We cannot help.

7. We Have a World of Our Own

And this world is very precious to us. We haven’t created it. We are just born with it. If you are not a writer or a painter, you will not understand this world. Our lost look denotes that we have gone merry riding again and we are creating some wonderful tales. Yes, it is hard to accept sometimes. But, that’s what we are. That’s the we are born. We cannot help it.  

8. We are Proud of Ourselves 

Even if we are struggling, we are proud of our accomplishments. Some of us are born with all the adversities crowding around us. We fight them every day. We live dual lives. We lie to our friends. Just to come back home and write. And with small steps we approach our destinations. This makes us proud. Intellectual arrogance? Maybe. But, not always.

You see every day we struggle to create yet another story with hope that it will make to print. And then we have to swallow the bile of rejection as soon as we send them out. The process breaks us down. It takes self love to survive the continual blows. It takes strong conviction of our ability to hang on. Our arrogance is just our survival strategy.

9. We Dig Non Readers with Effort  

Some outcasts us bookish nerds. They think we are not interesting enough, because we spend time reading. Let me tell you a secret. We find people who are not into books boring too. It’s not that we don’t talk to you. It just that we don’t know what to say to you. So if you find us boring, we find you boring too. If you are making an effort to tolerate us, we are also making an effort to tolerate you. It’s a two way thing.

10. We Don’t Ever Want to Grow Up

Please don’t tell us to. In our childish self is hiding the creator. We observe everything like a child. You know the process of forever learning. People don’t feel comfortable with our never ending jokes. They think we are not serious about life. Might be. Because we think life is not worth being serious about.

So, there you go guys. The writers might agree or disagree with me. You have the right. I have just summed up some of the things I have faced. This is not intended for anyone particular. This is just a general declaration lol. Please don’t take it too seriously. I will be back with some more information later on.  

If You Don’t Chase Your Dream – Who Will

Well, almost a year has passed by since my last blog post. After the torrent of emotion that I showered in my last post, I thought of going for a sabbatical. My blog actually needed a break from my occasional volcanic outbursts LOL. Kidding you see. What I want to say is my life, professional life, has fucked my ass royally. I don’t have time for myself. I don’t have time for my family. I don’t have time for anything but work. So, there went my days of blogging and along went the flow of writing.

Or, so I thought.

The good news is I have given up content writing. Yeah, I have. What a wastage of time and energy that was. Keeping up with keywords which hardly make sense can get into anyone’s nerve. But, then again I thought writing is the only thing I knew. What else would I do, if not writing? I forgot. I know another art. It has also got something to do with words. Yeah, you guessed it.

It’s called talking.

So, you see, write or talk, I always end up with selling words.

Though I have given up content writing, I have not given up writing. I cannot. This is what I am. I have seen numerous people giving up on their passions. They have numerous ready reasons to defend themselves. Lack of time happens to be the cliché I am tired of.

I agree, being a writer is not easy. I agree writing every day has its’ effect, especially when you know no one will read your writing. Its’ scary not knowing what awaits after the next line.

It’s a battle. It’s an everyday battle. We win some. We lose some. But, we win more than we lose. Our hardest battle though is with our own selves. Every morning when the buzzer strikes 6, I battle with myself. I debate whether to get off the bed and face the blank page or roll over and get another sixty minutes of sleep. Every night when I come home with aching eyes and pounding head, I go to war with myself. I stand torn between enduring the torment of facing a blank page and chilling in front of television with a tall glass of cold coffee.

Each time the blank page wins.

It’s my dream. If I don’t chase it who will?

We all have dreams. We all have passions. What we do with them makes all the difference. Sitting back and saying if only does not help. The some days never comes. Situation never becomes favorable. Time never magically appear.

You gotta make time for your passion. You gotta pursue your dream. All you have is the moment. And the moment is fast fading. Chase it today. Follow your passion today. Make it happen today.

The best thing you can do is making a commitment. Commit to your calling. Even if the blank page does not call on to you, reach out to it. Even if the empty canvas scares you, face it. And face it today

If not today, then when?    

It’s your dream. Make it come true.

To The Betrayed Souls…

People come to our lives for a reason. They depart for a reason too. I am talking to those who loved freely and openly and then stood with nothing but betrayal. I have seen too many people losing faith in humanity. I have seen people afraid to trust again - all because one motherfucker or one slut has decided to breach their trusts.

Well, I can understand that you are afraid to trust again. Anyone would be. And it is because of that reason only, you must sit back analyze situation. You must consider why people betray the trust of others. Why throw something as precious as faith and respect?

The simple reason is because they are like that only. It’s in their blood and family background. Upbringing always speaks for itself. And when you put libido before respect, you are not displaying a nicer picture about the woman who carried you in her womb and the man who brought you up. But, then again, do you even have the mind to consider this fact. I believe not. You have your libido between your ears after all.

Relationships die, I agree. Love vanishes. I agree too. But, leading a dual life and fucking someone else while still celebrating your significant other’s birthday? Well, should you still be called a human brought up in a family which taught respect? I guess not.

If you are confused about the birthday bash thing, let me tell you, I know a man who went to his fiancé’s birthday with his slut in his arms. The funniest fact is his fiancé was unaware of the reality. She was happy to show her would-be husband the new clothes she bought. What do you say to a man like that? What do you call him? Motherfucker? Asshole? Or plain simply a man not worth bothering about. I happen to remember what Ned Stark said about a similar man – Some men are not worth having.

But, should you be losing faith due to a man or a woman like this? Should you be afraid of trusting someone because some people don’t value what life has given them?

It is your decision and up bringing to trust them. It is theirs to breach it. They will keep betraying everyone who is unfortunate enough to cross their paths. And one day they will betray themselves just for the heck of it. It’s not their fault. It’s in their blood, tinted with corruption. Their saga will be eternal until the day life decides to end it for them.

You have an honorable father and a respectable mother - who taught you to be true in a relationship and stand till the end. You did. You lost. But, you have gained too. You have gained your freedom from an unworthy person who would have damaged your life.

If someone cannot have you as you are, the person should not have you in any other way. If someone asks you to grow up, ask them back to grow real. It is you, immature, rude, passionate and precious. It is the way your creator made you to be. Take pride and move on. Be yourself and keep dreaming. And don’t dwell on the betrayal. You know why?

Because, there will come a day when the people who betrayed you will be happy and safe. They will think that everything is perfect in their lives. And that is the day Karma will pay them a visit and their happiness will turn into ashes. And your debt will be paid.

Don’t believe me? Well, just wait and watch it happen.

What’s Your Qualification Again…

While I was sitting by my balcony watching the sky and scratching my head, praying to the invisible power to throw a hot blog topic at me, my cell phone rang. I almost ignored it as I was doing something important that I don’t usually do. Yes, you got it. I was thinking. But, then again I thought of answering the phone. It might be something urgent. You bet it was. An HR executive of some Kolkata based IT company called me. She had a job to offer. It was the last thing I expected. I don’t usually get calls from HR’s as I don’t update my resume frequently. Linkedin does the job for me, usually.

I almost said – I am not interested. But I didn’t. Had I done it, I wouldn’t have been writing this post today. So, something in her voice stopped me from disconnecting the call. Something told me this could get interesting. So, I patiently behaved. Those who know me, know how difficult it is for me to behave. But, anyways…

So, this HR, she asked whether I was free to talk or not. I was not. But, I didn’t tell her that. It would have sounded weird disconnecting someone’s call saying – buzz off I am thinking. Lol. I patiently said - I was free to talk to her.

She asked me about my employment history like they all do. Then she came around to ask me about my qualification. I knew the question would arise. My resume doesn’t have any mention of my qualification. It is as if you are looking at the resume of a person who never went to school. Well, I don’t need my qualification to get the attention of the recruiting executives. I get plenty of attention without any mention of educational history. This is not my arrogance doing the talking. It is the truth. I simply don’t need to talk about my qualification. What’s there in a degree anyways?

I answered with patience and not for once used a word of slang. I am so fucking proud of myself. Yes, I am grinning here. My answers didn’t satisfy her. She wanted to dig deeper. She wanted to know about my percentage in each board exam. I admit here my voice did get sarcastic and I almost disconnected the call. But, I controlled myself and gave the unimpressive history of my exams and percentage.

She couldn’t believe that I never risen above forty percent in my entire life. After the uneventful conversation, she said she would call me back once the content department’s head gave a go. Frankly, I was thrilled that she did not call back. But, the conversation gave me an idea. I did some quick research and found that…

Harper Lee – The Pulitzer winner had dropped out of college. She wanted to become a writer. The rest is well…I can safely history.

William Faulkner – Well, he hardly needs any introduction. At the age of 15 he dropped out of school and never went back.

Mark Twain – The greatest storyteller of earth had dropped out of school at the age of 12. He had never let his schooling interfere with his education.

George Bernard Shaw – This playwright dropped out at the age of 14. It is said that he found no value in formal education.

H.G. Wells – Wells was forced to drop out of school at the age of 11.

Jack London – Jack London was through with formal education at the age of 13 and dropped out of school.

John Steinbeck – Dropped out of college and did not get his degree.

You see degree is just a piece of paper. How much you have scored in your exam means nothing after college. Writing needs a heart that can imagine. High percentage hardly makes a writer out of anyone.

It is not only about writing. I will write a post about entrepreneurs who dropped out of college next time. You think Bill Gates is the only one who dropped out? You will be surprised to learn there are many more than just Mr. Gates.

Follow Your Passion – Follow Your Dream

Do you have passion?

Well, if you do you are lucky. I have had the opportunity of meeting people who absolutely have no idea about what they want from life. Such people puzzle me. I cannot understand how can anyone continue with life with no passion at all, with no destination in their minds.

Passion is more than just a strong feeling towards something. Passion is your dream. Passion is that one dream which won’t die. Passion is that one vision which survives despite millions of doubts. Passion is that one desire which keeps you awake night after night. Passion is that one wish which scares you.

Ever had a vision like this?

Ever had a dream that you haven’t shared with anyone yet?

Ever experienced fear while wishing for something?

If you have such a vision, such a dream, such a wish, you have a path. You have a destination. You are luckier than those who live a secure life without knowing their true calling.

Follow your passion. Live it. The life will not be easy. You will face rejection. You will live a duel life. You will be scared of being laughed at.

In my case, I had lived with the secret that I am a writer. I wrote in the privacy of my room and stashed the materials inside the safety of my drawer. I didn't let anyone catch a glimpse of the work I did. To be frank, the pieces were not worth sharing. But, that’s not the point here. Whether your creation is good or bad is irrelevant. If you are bad today, don’t lose your heart. You will become better at it with time. All you need to do is stay committed. If you are a writer, you need to write every day. If you are a painter, you need to paint regularly. The more you do it, the better you become at it.

I don’t believe that good does not come out of bad. I don’t believe that someone who is struggling at the bottom level of a pyramid today will never be able to climb up higher. Of course, reaching the top level will be difficult, but not impossible.

If you follow your passion, you will be ridiculed by your friends and some of your relatives. This is a natural course of life. Whenever someone tries to do something different people make fun of the person. The more your struggle, the harsher these criticisms will become. It won’t be a pretty scene. You will certainly not enjoy it. But, if you stick to your dream, you will surely have the last laugh.

The key is sticking to it. The magic is into continuing. Miracle happens when you don’t give up. I am not trying to be a motivational guru of some sort. God knows there are too many of them already and their advice come for a price. Mine is for free. Mine is for whoever takes it. I don’t care much about money. When I write a motivational post, I motivate myself. You can give it a try too. Write something that will make others feel special or say a word of encouragement that will make someone smile.

Do it and follow your dream. The road will not be beautiful. But, if you walk the walk, you will surely reach your destination.