Journaling your thoughts and experiences, they say, serves you well, for with the passage of time, it invariably gives you a peek into the journey they commonly call life. When you are on-board the fast moving train of time and cross the many stations of life which often pass in a frenzy, it helps to go through your journal and reflect upon the many stations of your life that you may have crossed in a daze. Your journal makes you realize how some of the stations amused you, while some rattled you, some served to build your faith whereas some served to test your faith, some served to give you joy, at the same time some were intended to make you cry, some served to change you forever, and some you wished in retrospect that you hadn’t crossed ever.
While we are all moving forward in the fast moving train of time, almost the entire world found itself crossing the most challenging station that, very few, if at all, honestly contemplated, that they would ever be compelled to not only cross but also take a grinding halt. It almost appeared as if someone played a cruel joke and pulled the chain to make the train stop at this scary station. Events and things, that we thought, would be confined to reel life portrayed in Hollywood or any other Film Industry, suddenly got projected in the real world without any whistle of warning thereby giving us no opportunity whatsoever to remain prepared. But is this not the central theme of life? Is this not the very essence of existence? Is this not the very definition of the real word? Is this not what spontaneity and thinking on your feet all about? Of how do you deal with the situation in hand when you have no template? How do you solve a problem when no formula or script is handed down to you? How do you analyze a situation in the absence of a frame of reference? How do you decide when you are at a forked path of which path is indeed the right path? It is precisely in these moments when these questions haunt your mind that you live your life in its truest sense. It is precisely when the continuum of life is disrupted that you are invariably, for good, compelled to reflect and take a stock of good and not so good things in life. It is precisely when you stare at an uncertain future and do not bat an eyelid and tackle the problems of life head-on; you realize that you are a survivor who will not only come out unscathed but also, by all means stronger and better.
It is precisely the reason why I thought of journaling at this juncture. My plan for the year 2020 was set. It wasn’t very different from the previous years and I certainly have no complains about that. For I love the rhythm and pattern of my life that comprises of meeting so many wonderful people year on year, month on month, week on week, day on day and helping them make one of the most crucial choices of their life. It is exciting and deeply fulfilling to walk, but a few steps, along with my students in their wonderful journey. I was and still am fully prepared for treading on this exciting journey. Over the course of my life as a counselor, I am used to assuaging the many big and small anxieties of my students. Their anxieties also invariably follow a rhythm. Will I get admission in my dream college? Will I be able to tide through the finances? Will I get my Visa? Will my GRE/GMAT/SAT/TOEFL/IELTS scores suffice? Of the various admits, which one do I choose from? Am I making the right choice? Will I be able to adjust in the new world? How will my roommates turn out to be? Will I be able to handle my long distance relationship? The list can go on and on and honestly, I am more than happy to answer each of these questions or even more and be a part of their journey. I was and still am fully geared up to calm down my students and hand hold them to cross the shaky bridge across the tumultuous river confidently.
However, with the outbreak of COVID-19 and the consequent lockdown, I found a new laundry list of questions haunting and bothering my students. When will this end? When will the situation improve? Should I accept the Admit or wait? Should I defer my semester? Should I drop my plans? Given the current situation, how will the financial markets be impacted? Will the world be beset in recession? How will this impact my career? How do I take a call given all the chaos around? How do I convince my Parents that I still wish to go now? And many more on similar lines. Day in and day out I am bombarded with these queries. Being a counselor and a human first, and having faced many disruptions in life and emerging stronger, I endeavor, at all times, to guide my students in a manner that they do not regret the choices that they make and the moot principle to make such choices is fearlessness and equanimity. You have a situation in hand. I agree the situation is difficult, I understand the situation is unprecedented, I concur the situation is without any template to rely upon. But so is life! How on earth can allow the situation to bog you down? Why are you allowing the chaos to dull your senses and impact your decision making? Life will be chaotic, and life will throw curve balls at you. Life will pull the carpet off your feet and make you go off balance. So what would you do? Fold your cards? Call it quits? Withdraw? Or will you take the bull by the horn and face life head-on? Life will compel you to make choices amidst the realm of inbuilt limitations and each such choices will have consequences that you will have to live with. So, you might be wondering why am I giving you this pep talk right now? How will it help you? Well my only limited intent and goal at this juncture is to help you get out of the panic zone. Life isn’t over. So what if this situation does not have a template? We will together create a template that will serve you well. So, what if this situation is unprecedented? We will together create a new precedent and we must. We have no option right now. Am I correct or I am wrong here?
Life is like a game of chess. You can strategize and maneuver your way around only if you are cool, calm and collected. If you panic and get stressed out, in no time you will be checkmated. If you jump the guns and make hasty choices, you certainly will fall flat on face. Do you want this situation to check mate you? Do you want to fall flat on your face? If not, why are you panicking? Stay calm. With the cards that life is serving us, calmly think through how will you play it? Do a 360 degree analysis of the situation and plan your next move. Do a SWOT analysis of the situation and decide on the next course of action. And please be assured that I am here to help you remain cool calm and collected. We are there for you to help you do a 360 degree analysis and take the right call that will eventually serve you well. We will together to a SWOT analysis and take a call. I honestly believe that no problem is so big that it cannot be resolved with equanimity and detachment. You do not need a template or a frame of reference. All that you need is a balanced temperament that helps you move forward and face thing heads on.
A few years down the line, I hope when I look back at this station of life after the passage of time, I am left with a feeling that I wasn’t bogged down nor did I allow those who matter the most to me (i.e., my students) to be bogged down. I hope this chapter leaves me with a smile when I reminiscence the amusing tales of lock down, the many question and answer sessions with my students, the many new dishes that I tried every day, the many domestic chores that I helped my family with, the many phone/video calls that I participated in, the many shopping sessions with a mask on my face and hand gloves on my hands that made me feel as if a surgeon was out for shopping by directly stepping out of the operation theater, the many Video Conferences with my students that I looked forward to reduce the anxiety of my students, the many friends who joined me virtually to help me celebrate my birthday during lockdown and the many small and big moments with my family that I otherwise would not have got the chance to spend given my demanding work schedule…
It has been almost 10 years now that I joined the field of counseling and even today, I am in touch with most of my students wherever they are. And I sincerely hope that 20 years down the line when I get to reflect on this station of life, I stay in touch with many more students with whom I experienced this unique phase and successfully crossed the bridge over the tumultuous river of life…
STAY SAFE!
STAY CONFIDENT!
STAY CALM!
LOAD MAT LO!
CHILL MARO!
JAAN HAI TO JAHAN HAIN!!!
Hiren Rathod.
Much needed motivation🙌✌️