Live Your Passion

(There is more to life than the CAT. And when it comes to your favourite pursuits there are a whole lot of exciting options.)

Those who have read Jeffrey Archer’s bestseller, ‘The Prodigal Daughter’ will recall the character of Miss Tredgold with a sense of awe. For those who haven’t, Miss Tredgold, a true blue British governess achieves her dream of teaching a child of destiny. Her passion for teaching bears fruit when her student goes on to become the President of the United States. Despite her continual quest for excellence, Miss Tredgold would vanish for a few hours every Thursday afternoon. Consumed by curiosity, her young student follows her successfully to see her prim and proper English governess, clad in tweeds and enjoying a game of golf.

The moral of this little story is to save a little time and make a little space for the mind and body to relax and thrive. It is a heady feeling to be young and have the world beckoning to you. The competition is intense, the possibilities are endless and only the sky is the limit. An example that comes to mind is of a young lady who had to start work on her thesis. A hectic study schedule combined with anxiety about her performance was making it impossible for her to concentrate. A new day dawned and she found herself heading for the prayer room. What she did however was much more than pray. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and let herself go for a few minutes. Stopped worrying, seeking answers or planning for anything. She describes the experience as ‘I felt as if I was sitting by the seaside. My confidence soared and gushed back into my heart like the waves against the shore.’ That morning, she wrote one of the best articles for her thesis.

By spending some time with ourselves, we create an oasis of energy which we can dip into, at will, and emerge refreshed. We all need a little oasis of our own to cope with life’s ups and downs. We may already have a hobby or interest that we are not giving time to. Or we could always get involved in a new activity. A few hours a week spending time doing something enjoyable is a good investment for mind and body.

In his compelling biography ‘Made in America’, Sam Walton speaks of the blood, sweat and tears that went into making him a phenomenally successful businessman. Once in a while, the founder of Wal-Mart stores would get into his beaten up trailer and go camping in the woods. His idea of communing with nature and more importantly, with himself.

Robin Sharma, one of the world’s premier thinkers on leadership and self-discovery says in ‘The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari’ ‘Devote the first sixty minutes of your day as the ‘Holy Hour’. This is your sacred time to do the inner work required to help you become your best….to reflect on the state of your life and the progress of your dreams…performing this ritual daily will help you to shine brightly in the world and live at your highest.’

What is it that we can do to garner this benefit for ourselves? A few minutes of meditation a day. And an extracurricular activity that recharges our batteries. Let’s examine a few ideas.

What immediately comes to mind is reading. To travel the world, meet interesting people, learn about all sorts of things from the comfort of an armchair! A good library is like a best friend- who you can approach again and again for something to keep you going. It’s important to keep a few things in mind before enrolling in a library. Check if they update with new books and if they are made available to new members. Some libraries have a policy of not giving out new books to recently joined members. Insist on going through their book collection before signing on as a member. If you are a non-fiction reader especially as many libraries do not stock non-fiction. Most importantly, find about the number of books they let you borrow every time. Many libraries allow you only one book at a time. If the library is located at a great distance from your home or office, you would need to stock up a few books.

I know of a doctor who visits an orphanage every week and teaches the children there. There are homes for children who welcome volunteers. You could meet up with kids and do ‘fun things’ with them like learning to use the computer, conduct music, dance or drawing workshops. You could also do other things like raising funds and finding summer jobs for the children. An organisation that does excellent work is Akanksha. To quote the organization, all they require from a volunteer is ‘A little spare time, patience, a lot of enthusiasm and a love for children.’

Many of us find it a thrilling experience to work with our hands and create things of beauty. If you are interested you can work with candles, soap, mosaic, clay, glass, fabric and paper craft material. Pidilite Industries Limited, the makers of Fevicol have a store called Hobby Ideas, India’s first craft and hobby store. You can pick up material that will suit a beginner too. Workshops and competitions make this place even more interesting.

Theatre, a passion for some of us! Most of the major cities have theatre lovers who organize activities and events of interest. In Mumbai, Prithvi Theatre hosts over 400 performances a year, by over 50 groups, at a subsidised theatre rent with fully professional technical and performing facilities. For those who are interested and don’t know where to begin, you can register as a member with Prithvi. Registration can put you on their mailing list and you begin to receive regular updates and event information in the area of your interest. Prithvi is creating a database of people - individuals, groups, institutions, etc. who are interested in various aspects of the theatre and Prithvi’s varied activities.

‘All things bright and beautiful. All creatures great and small’. Gerald Durrell, who wrote these immortal words spoke of man’s unique relationship with animals. To comfort a sick animal with a caress of the hand, to look into its eyes and feel its love and gratitude has to be experienced to be believed. Countless words have been spoken, songs and poems composed on the beauty and innocence of the world of animals. Today, thousands of young people work with animal welfare organizations across the world and bring relief and succour to animals in need.

Let’s take a look at some great personalities and their hobbies. Abraham Lincoln loved to wrestle. John Kennedy was interested in swimming and football. Rajiv Gandhi was interested in ballistics, photography and flying. Ratan Tata has a passion for flying. AB Vajpayee composed some of his best poetry during his tenure as prime minister of India. President Abdul Kalam loves to spend time with children and fire their imagination. Lata Mangeshkar designs jewellery. All these people have given their best to their careers and left an indelible mark on world history. All of them have nurtured their passions too and enriched their lives. Let’s take a leaf out of their books and seek to better ourselves. Choose your passion and let it bring more light and brightness into your life. 

Volunteer for children:  www.akanksha.org
Theatre lovers can log onto: www.prithvitheatre.org
Animal lovers may contact PFA (all major cities), Blue Cross (Hyderabad, Chennai), ARF, CUPA (only Bangalore), WSD (Mumbai)