My 7 Rules of a Life of Contentment !

When I joined college, I knew that I am about to step into a new phase of my life and this was the right time for me, to imbibe into my lifestyle, all the learning I had from my past mistakes.

There are two kinds of people ~ one, who live in groups and two, who are happy with one or two close friends. I always belonged to the latter kind.

From the time I began understanding Friendship, I had 4 beautiful, true and honest friendships; 2 bad ones; and 3 just cool types. My 4 lovely friends were ~ Sharanya (Class III), Shubha (Class VII till now) Pallavi (Class X till now) and Priyamvada (My drop till now). Out of them two people were really special, Pallavi and Priyamvada. Both of them touched my life in their own special ways. :)  (*Both of them are two extremes of this world!) I really cherish their friendship from the core of my heart.

But the 2 bad ones (I wouldn’t like to name them as one of them, though not in touch, is pretty much around :P ) were really ‘bad’ because they took away a lot from me and I was hurt. Apart from that, many-a-times, a lot of people broke my trust which, if not anything else, made me kill a lot of my precious time and robbed me of my ‘trust’.

NOTE: All these statistics are from the time before I joined college.

And therefore, my first decision was that in this new phase of my life I will not make any close friends. I had decided that I will stay friendly with all the new classmates but will never share my problems and weaknesses with anyone. I will not depend on anyone for anything and will be responsible for everything that is happening in my life. And I was correct! This was a perfect decision. I was able to meet more people, made my decisions according to my own free will, was able to concentrate better in the class and on my studies, made my own notes, studied in seclusion, felt more independent and was not hurt by anyone’s behaviour. If I was happy, it was due to my own and if I was sad, it was because of myself.  I was learning to keep my emotions under my control.

The second thing I imbibed into myself was to live a completely organized life. You know, discipline is something! Though most of us repel from it, but it adds a lot to your life when you practice it. I felt this when I adopted it. I used to wake up at 8, did yoga, took a bath, did my pooja, had my breakfast and off to college! I was very attentive in class and made meticulous notes. Not just that, I revised everything that I read in the evening! (sounds too good to be true..right? But I did maintain all this!) And guess what, within no time, I became the apple of my teachers’ eye! :) Along with that I read novels, watched TV and sketched. In short, I was making the best use of my time. :)

The third decision was to be happy with myself. This is one thing which is extremely important in our lives. I had accepted myself as I was and I was really happy with the life I was leading. My first decision helped me a lot in this. It was very clear in my mind that if people like me, they are welcome and if they don’t, I didn’t care! I was sure that I do not have to put on an act to impress anyone. This restrains you from being dependent on others for making your decisions and also for your happiness!

Next was to do everything that I undertake, with perfection. Be it my studies, making my notes, sketching a picture or cleaning my room and decorating my house. I made it ‘Perfect’. I studied nicely even for a small class test which was something I never bothered about earlier. From doing a small experiment in the classroom or making a college assignment, I gave my best effort to all of it. Everything was up-to-date and organized. :)

The other very sensible decision I made was to prioritize each and everything in my life. The first and foremost was my family. Second was I. Third was my career and rest everything and everyone followed next! This is one truth that I witnessed then and many more times later in my life that no matter you give anyone the biggest priority in your life (because obviously, you are an emotional fool) no one is going to give you the same position in his/her life. Harsh, but true! So this was again a very sensible decision of my life because this assists you in understanding the responsibilities you carry!

To think positive and be optimistic was the next one. Sounds cliché, doesn’t it? But I really believe in the theory of vibrations which says that whatever vibrations you send to the universe in the form of your thinking, your words and your deeds come back to you in real life form.(*For details, refer, ‘The Secret’ by Rhonda Byrne) It is easier said than done. But, it is certainly not impossible. With practice, one can achieve this too. :)

The last and the most important one was do not expect. I thought this could only be achieved through adopting sainthood. :P I could not do it initially. But as I started following the aforementioned 6 rules, this seventh one followed automatically. The 1st one made me stop expecting any favours or any form of honesty and dedication from others; the 2nd made me stop seeking any help from others and made me independent; the 3rd made me grow out of the fear of rejection; the 4th one made me confident about my work and helped me stop expecting appreciation; the 5th one made me understand that everyone has different priorities in life and helped me stop expecting the same treatment from others as I did to them; and the 6th is obvious!

The basic ‘funda’ was to keep it simple! From the time I remember living my life through my conscious mind, this was one of the best, happiest and most constructive time of my life. The best part was, as I always say, I felt ‘content’ with myself and my life. I took charge of my life and was able to get my mind and my brain under my control. :)

Destiny had its own plans though! Life took another drastic turn and I again lost control on myself. Now after 5 years I am again trying to imbibe these things into me. This time it seems more difficult because there have been many more experiences, many new bondings and a lot more. But I am determined!

I am going to adopt these self-designed, 7 rules of a life of contentment once again. :) I owe all that to Gayatri Mata's Blessings. She helped me then and I know She will help me now!