Where are you?

Geographically, you will know the answer to that but where exactly are you in life?

I have heard about a life cycle chart which expects you to be in a certain stage at a certain time in life. It serves as a benchmark or reference guide as to where you should be. Say, if you are 18 you should be a student or say you are 25, you should be employed, maybe married by 30 and further you go the more complicated responsible positions in life you are expected to be in. This chart seems to be structured and passed on for generations and works as the unspoken guideline of life. Since, it is a guideline, every human life is expected to adhere to it. So what happens if you don’t, let’s just say it’s chaos!

We as humans are attuned to act and grow up in a certain way. Being a social animal, there is this invisible force of family, friends, relatives and others (who encircle your life) that coerces you in a manner that sets the unwritten guideline of life. The higher the bond with these people, higher the force hence higher the expected output or simply termed as ‘expectation.’ Now this doesn’t sound as intimidating as described as long as this force is in line with your direction of thought, purpose, aim and goals. In this case, the force seems almost non-existential and you pretty much fit in comfortably in your stage of life. But.. If you are one of those who simply doesn’t fit in because you have been different from the expected norms of life path/decisions, this same force is going to be counter productive and your struggle to fight it is going to be daunting. The force is going to dis-orient you quite badly that you think there is no other route but to follow the force. You would be constantly referenced to the life chart and find yourself non-compliant hence lost in life. Right? Well, no!

My heart goes out to all of us (yes, including me) for whom our life choices and decisions have found us at deadlocks and questioned forever. I know it’s difficult but it is this difficulty and this uncertainty that makes me believe in hope and believe in the risk of chances. Non-conformity to unspoken rules and guidelines makes life more challenging, exciting and strong-willed.

We may not have a defined spot in the predefined life cycle chart and probably fail at explaining about our whereabouts, with respect to life, but it doesn’t matter because as long as you believe in yourself there is no force that can shake you nor break you.

I am completely with you; the ones who have had it tough throughout but let me say the world needs people like us. Go ahead and make you own life chart and hold onto it. Let the force ask you, “Where are you?”. You simply reply, “Somewhere you don’t belong!”

“Not all those who wander are lost.”- J.R.R. Tolkien