The Gift of Trampoline

Future. It is something we don’t know about and yet we think about it the most. Sometimes thinking about the future is exciting to what comes in the future. However most of the time it is worry. People wonder what would happen in the future. I am people.

The worry and uncertainty of the future has become ever more ever since we have been hit with the pandemic. It has changed the way we look at it. It has shown us how drastically things can change for the bad or good.

We all have certain dreams and visions as to how we want our future to look like. What kind of job we would want to do. What kind of lifestyle we would want to live. These expectations bring pressure. While I wouldn’t say having expectations are bad, they can stress you out. We wonder what would happen if things don’t work out the way you planned it. If you are unable to find success in your passion. You have perhaps chosen a path which does not have a direct path. You took something unconventional but are not sure if you would succeed. What happens if you fall flat on your face in something which you enjoy doing. These are all the questions that have constantly run on my mind.

Fortunately for me, I got a chance to ask Darpan Vasudev, a life coach and motivational speaker, any question for a school event which I would perhaps want guidance for. So I asked him “I am always told to pursue my passion no matter what, however people also tell me to be flexible with my options. SO at what stage of my life should I start reconsidering my options if things don’t turn out the way I have planned.”

Since you are reading my blog, I assume you all know I have a passion for writing and content creation. This is something that I would like to continue in the future as of now. However it is a risky career and things could not work out at all.

He told me that while Writing might take time to build a career in, there is no such thing as it won’t happen. He says that these questions have arised due to lack of self confidence in my abilities. Writing is a great career. Words have an ability to move people and are a powerful tool. He asked me to remember this phrase that If my passion doesn't hurt or harm anyone, I will pursue it no matter what. His call was for me to have confidence in my abilities and work towards them.

I accept this as a valid answer for my case. I am sure a lot of you might be like it didn't answer your question and that is what I thought too. However, I realised that he just gave me a different perspective to my problem. My question showed that I have doubts in my passion and don’t trust my abilities. He just asked me to back my abilities.

I also mentioned that even if it is not working out, it is still my passion.I have not lost interest even after not being very successful. If I had lost interest in it, then I am sure the answer would have changed.

And finally, I am very aware that I come from a place of privilege. I have the luxury to take more time than usual to work on my passion and follow my dreams. A lot of people unfortunately are not that fortunate. They might be the only hope for their family and hence need to get a job ASAP. If I fail, my parents are there to support me. I would like to call this safety net a Trampoline. It is an important message that we need to be aware of hence I have titled this blog the “Gift of Trampoline”. I have been blessed with a trampoline that if I fall , it will help me bounce me back into the world and on my feet again. However for a lot of people it is a concrete floor. If they fall, they would hurt themselves and also find it much harder to bounce back in this competitive and fast moving world.

This however gives me a stronger purpose to use this privilege. I have been gifted with it.. If I don’t take the risk of doing something different that might be of small help to the world who would.

Hence this answer made sense to me. Self Confidence is something that I have struggled with and am still struggling with. I am sure a lot of you are too.

Self doubt can be a big hurdle in the way to follow our dreams. However, how to push yourself in that moment and telling yourself “ I can do this”, makes all the difference. We can use this power and make this world a better place.

Follow your dreams, believe in yourself. If I can try to do it, you can too.

Think about your future but not to an extent that you forget to live in the present. After all,it is what you do in the present that will affect your future.

I would quote a phrase from the movie Kung Fu Panda here that sums up well-

“'Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. ' That is why it's called the present." - Master Oogway

Stay safe, stay healthy.