BALANCE

Recent news of young CA succumbing to work pressure has been very disturbing.What seems as one of a case is infact just a teaser of unspoken reality in society today.

Every profession has become challenging today.Stress is part and parcel of everyone's life.But being a CA can relate to what journey the girl must have gone through.Becoming a CA in itself is a herculean feat.In our times we had to be at office for internship for 6-8 hours ,6 hours at CA coaching centre and then manage college attendance for graduation and finally self study..No self time,no self care.During audit periods twice a year the working hours would anywhere between 10-12 hours which was considered to be a norm and we were expected to be experts in juggling between all ends.Pressure of clearing CA exams with BCOM was double and healthy mind and body was never a priority.It was a period we all had to endure to receive the most celebrated CA degree.We barely had good washrooms at workplaces,menstrual phase difficulties were never discussed. Finally health took a toll in last year with erratic eating patterns and no time for mental and physical relaxation.Acidity and stress became part of life.Scenario in metro cities was a little better. After becoming CA felt life will be little easy but in no time realised that the struggle won't stop.Nature of work demands such commitment whether students or working professional.Its a tradition and everybody has been through it more or less.During CA preparation no body bothers to say that its ok to go slow and take 6 years instead of 4,it's ok to take your own time and pass ,to prioritise self and move forward slowly.

Friends, this is not just about CA..Life of any other student aspiring to take education from good institutions is more or less same.Depression,suicide are heard about so frequently.In recent times have seen children moving abroad for studies and then being unemployed suffering from extreme stress due to burden of educational loans back home.

When I think about it from other perspective it's all about race to be good better best.Being mediocre is outdated.

We as human beings have evolved over centuries because of our intelligence.But this intelligence has now become a tool to be always ahead.We are forgetting that the planet has limit to offer and everyone is struggling to achieve more and more.

This feeling of wanting more has made us forget the concept of average.Story always starts from being good and never from being mediocre.

Why is everyone expected to excel.We are here for experiences.If we watch around everyone is hustling and bustling for something better ,something more good, to be on top.This makes workplaces centre of humans working as machines utilizing resources to give optimum output at least economical cost.Insecurity and fear of being replaced is seen gripping employees at all levels.Is life really only about all this??

Progressing is good but at what cost is something which we need to ponder regularly. Who won't like to become Ambani or Shahrukh khan but they are different individuals and we are different..Every individual needs to understand that every DNA is unique and so is every individual.

Why are we competing? Why are we struggling? Money is important but how much is something we seriously need to consider taking emotional and physical well being into consideration.

What's the use of work which doesn't allow you to spend time with family for which you are toiling?

What's the use of work where your creativity gets dumped?

What's the use of work where you don't get to enjoy small moments which add to rich life experiences?

Work is important but at a point we need to know and have courage to say NO.Prioritising wellbeing we may have to compromise on our financial or social status but then What's the use of machine like life.Materialism till what levels is something very important.Materialstic achievements are endless.But one needs to understand the crux.. Car is a car whether a nano or rolls Royace and finally both get stuck in same traffic jam..2bhk or 5 bhk ..one needs same space to sleep or walk..Ambition is not bad but how realistic and how much feasible needs to be thought of.

Balance is an important aspect and this needs to be inculcated since childhood.Pressuring kids at school to excel in studies all extracurricular activities to be all rounder can be burdensome and child gets used to feeling of being in competition always.

Why don't we instead tell kids to be happy, healthy, gain good knowledge, inculcate good values and its ok to pass with average grades..

How many times do we see marksheets in our lifetime once we start working?

Our lifeskills can help us live good enriched life.Marks are just stepping stones.

We need to stop glorifying hard work also.Hardwork is key to success only when it is in all spheres of life and not just education and career. Hard work is essential for building good relations, for building good body ,and healthy mind too.

Our natural state of being is to be happy.But today stress is seen to be natural state in majority of population.People resort to smoking, drinking ,drugs for busting stress but do these things really help.

Time is to really pause and understand what for what...students enrolling in courses for securing admissions to top institutions and then toiling endlessly, employees working 12-15 hours and then carrying stress home,entrepreneurs working around the clock..are all these caring about their physical and emotional wellbeing..are they in good mental space,are workplaces offering comfort zones to people who work there as second homes.

Are values of empathy,love,cooperation, compassion still intact?Are we able to nurture our creative sides(our real stress busters)while earning livelihood,are we able to spend time with loved ones,can we eat food with peaceful mind ,can we introspect ourselves and our bodies to know whats going on internally while we are progressing externally are few important questions we all need to consider is what I feel strongly always.

Evolving is continuous but it has to be a happy and healthy process .Its all about balancing and choosing own pace. At the end of day it's now how much but how well that matters.Being happy healthy mediocre rather than sad rich individual ..think about it.....