Dreams, Realities and Talks....

[Siddarth and Rahul meet up at lunch after a long time. They were college friends and have known each other for many years. Though they live in the same city, they hardly get a chance to meet. These days everyone is just too busy; there is hardly any time for a friendly meet-up or a sustained friendship.
After all the talks about family, friends, relatives, children, spouses, they are done with their ordinary 'catching up'. The food is finished, the waiter has taken away their dishes, the table is almost empty. They order coffee and after a short pause they break into a rather intense discussion.]

Siddarth: You know Rahul, these days I hardly get a good sleep. I keep getting these very wild dreams. Don't know what has happened to me.

Rahul: Ah, but Sid, it is obvious. If you have so much running inside your head, how will you sleep? Look at me - no pains, no gains, no strains.

Siddarth: Yeah, maybe. You know me too well; I am always onto something or the other. My mind is restless. It is OK if I have a day or two without sleep. But what about these dreams? They worry me - really! I keep remembering them the next morning and for days to come until I get a new one.


Rahul: So, what do you dream about?


Siddarth: Well, it is a long list of subjects. It varies; it could be getting late for an important meeting in office or getting late to save up some money for future. It can be….it can be like getting late to buy a bigger house or getting late to do a medical check-up. There are many more such things. You know, there is some sort of a pattern here - all these dreams are about 'getting late'.

[Rahul thinks hard, looks at his friend's eyes and then starts....]

Rahul: What happens in the end? In your dreams I mean?

Siddarth: Quite a lot of problems come my way - that's all that happens. I end the horror night with a feeling that I have not managed to get my daughter married off. Or, I have been fired from my job. It depends on the dream and the situation I was in.

Rahul: Hmm, that sounds interesting. Have you ever tried meditating? Or, do you do any physical exercise? These things help – I read somewhere.

Siddarth: No, there is absolutely no time. I wake up at 7 in the morning, take the daughter to the school, drive to work, keep slogging for 10-11 hours, come home to help wife, check the stock rates, prepare for next day's work, check prices of properties, look for some good insurance schemes – these days I have hardly any time to breathe yaar.

Rahul: But dude, if you have no time to breathe, how will you have time to sleep? (with a smile) What about the weekends?

Siddarth: Weekends are another story. We have parties. Friends invite us. Sometimes the colleagues. Wife wants me to go shopping. I am again hands-full!

Rahul: Don't you enjoy these outings? These must be chilling right?

Siddarth: Where? How? These are even more horrible than my dreams. All our friends are better off than us. The colleagues are no different. Each has at least two cars and one big house. Most of them are doing holiday trips every year and sending their kids to the best of schools. I feel like a tiny fish straight out of some muddy water. Then when it comes to shopping, I feel like I am getting a tight slap on my face each time the credit card reader asks me to enter the pin code!

Rahul: I see, I see. I have some tips buddy. Hope it helps. First, look at yourself standing in front of a mirror. Ask yourself a question - how much have I achieved so far? Do I have a place to live? Do I get to eat what I want to eat? Do I get to wear what I want to wear? Do I get to go where I like to go? If you get 'yes' to all these, then you are successful. I tell you - you are successful. No matter what others say, you are successful. This is because, you have managed to come this far. And you have come this far only through your effort and through no one else's effort. When that young boy from small town came to this big city, all of us saw a spark in his eyes. Remember those college days? Have you made it very big? No, maybe not. But that is not the point. The point is - you have not made it big YET! Life is a long journey dost.

[Siddarth gets thoughtful and starts thinking about the early days when he met Rahul in college. Rahul is still the same, has not changed. The world around has changed though. Siddarth is now a senior professional in his field, Rahul is still the 'common man'. Rahul works in a small book-shop, earns just enough. Rahul does not earn enough so that Siddarth can invite Rahul to his apartment. Rahul is not in his league, not part of his society. But how strange! None of those friends that earn more than Rahul has ever helped Siddarth this way! He has attended several trainings, multiple sessions and what not. But no one has taught him these life lessons. He wants to hear more from Rahul....]

Rahul: So, the next time you start thinking that you need to do this or that and you are yet to reach where you want to see yourself etc etc, just take a small pause. Just chill! Take a deep breath. Turn on your favorite music – the music that you once loved to play in hostel – walk down your memory lane, think of what you have achieved from your very beginning. Stop thinking about that one task that you could not complete yet. Think about the one you did complete. I know you like reading a lot - why not try out a fiction? I am not asking you to stop looking for a better stock plan or a newer house but stay grounded to your reality. What you think is what you dream! If you think about too many things not done, you will get these horror dreams. Consider those as 'To-do' items; they are needed to be prioritized. They can be done tomorrow with a set plan – with no unnecessary rush, no unnecessary stress, and no unpractical expectation. When you close your eyes, you should have a success story. When you wake up, when a new day starts, have a new zeal to achieve one new thing. You will be just fine, filled with finer dreams.

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