Everything looks so simple in the mornings. There’s a fresh crispness in the air. Washing your face with splashes of chilled water, brushing your teeth, having a bath, eating cereal while listening to some great beats. It’s the best time of the day. Every action speaks rejuvenation, cleansing and a fresh start. Like every little tension and pressure of the night before is smaller and perhaps less worth the worry in the morning. It’s then that the world looks simply…different. I can’t seem to quell the happiness, enthusiasm, sheer joy and excitement of a new day. I can’t wipe the smile and eagerness off my face. There’s this feeling of immense possibilities…a feeling that I can conquer the world! I talk to myself, smile, laugh and simply skip all the way to work.

It’s only in the mornings that you truly are thinking straight and acknowleging how wonderful life is. It’s only then that you know that you have a whole day ahead of you and so much can happen in a mere 24 hours. It’s only then that you are fearless and happy and ready to take a few risks, plunges and face the music with spunk! This is probably the only time of the day when people truly just believe in themselves before drowning in their day to day tasks and goals and missions. It’s the only time of the day that they are brave and gradually as the hour hand moves forward our spirits wane downwards. We forget that morning enthusiasm and get lost in feeling that there is only so much we can do and it’s difficult to achieve and forget the promises we make to ourselves every dawn. The promise that ‘come what may am gonna give it a shot…coz you know what? I may not be the best but I’m good and hard working and today might just be my lucky day!’

I just finished reading ‘The Alchemist’. I know the book is a sheer walk in the clouds…omens and signs and faith and God. A lot of it might be so so unbelievable…but there is an iota of truth in it. It not only says believe in your dreams but the most profound thing it says is…just dream. there’s no harm in building the fantasy in your heart and mind and perhaps doing a little bit to move towards it. Yes, you have to live your life and do your best and there’s no time to feed mindless fantasies…but if you just believe, there will be this teeny part of you that will hold onto the hope and perhaps subconsciously guide you towards that dream.

I haven’t lived very long. And most of you will probably say am just a kid. But I know one thing…the only thing that has ever held me back in any way at all has been the ‘fear of failure’ and we all face it in our own little ways. While trying a new sport/game with friends, while taking on a new project, while thinking of giving IIT/major competitive exams, while taking on any sort of responsibility, while falling in love…all the time. It’s that tiny hesitation that holds us back from giving our bloody best, because it is easier to know you didn’t get it coz you didn’t try that hard than to know that inspite of trying you weren’t good enough to realise your goal. What we forget is that simply aiming for that goal and giving life our all is the most beautiful, learning, cleansing experience of all!

There are some of us who know we are good. We also know that over and above brilliance, what makes one successful in life not just talent but a combination of sweat and luck. Yet, we hold ourselves back in fear that maybe if we put our all into it, we might just realise that we aren’t half as good as we thought. We say we wanna do great in life but can have only realistic ambitions…deep down we think ‘we’re not really gonna have mansions and holidays in venice and put our kids though stanford and take a yacht cruise across the pacafic when we’re 60.’

But then we forget the purpose of dreaming. That the purpose lies in the possibility. The possibility of realising them that simply makes us happy. There’s no harm in dreaming about it…and fantasising and smiling through your everyday thinking well maybe it’s gonna happen. And you never know, it just might. At the end of our lives nobody is gonna hold a gun to our head or accuse of not having become that millionaire or not having become that famous physicist or that brillaint best selling author or not having the biggest house in the city. Nobody is gonna say, you said it but you never did it. Atleast you dreamed you will and some of your dreams you did make come true. Nobody ever has the right to question or demand that you. Our dreams are our own…to realise or hold or give up. They make us happy and holding onto them gives us a reason to push ourselves that extra mile to perhaps achieve even a quarter of it. What we get on the journey is a lot of satisfaction, joy and peace because we dreamed and we weren’t afraid to live life to the fullest.

I think the Alchemist is right. Look for omens and signs. Everything in life can be interpreted the way you want it to be interpreted. By omens, I think the book simply says dream and look for the bright side in every situation…that will give you courage to go on and keep that lamp burning without mulling over the disappointments and pitfalls. Don’t let the strife of day to day life disillusion you or intimidate you or make you lose confidence. Let it instead make you proud and stronger and more determined. Let yourself dream. It’s the one gift of freedom you can give yourself.

And again…it might just happen. I think I’m going to do some great things in life. In my own little way, I am. I know it. And that makes me happy. I think that’s what life’s about…the labour of realising the greatness. It isn’t about becoming great but trying.

So let go. Beat down that little devil of hesitation in your hearts and simply allow urself to fly away in your minds because only what you can see in your own minds eye will materialise in your life. Take the world with a storm and be happy.

so simple…isn’t it?