No Stress! No Regret!

The three simple rules:
1. Think
2. Act
3. Face the consequence

Thinking comprises of taking into account not just what is practical but what we want, what the ones we love want and the emotional nature of the consequences. It includes scenarios both of honesty and of white-lies. It comprises thinking with a clear head and not revolving around the same set of thoughts with the dumbness causing confusion of a moron. And more often than not, it is about getting your way (something that turns you into a dominating know-all of sorts). It’s about thinking hard and smart. And it takes a 1000 times less calories (if one can count) than worrying or wishful thinking.

Acting comprises taking action and in fact more importantly TAKING INACTION. Inaction is something we are taught to hate since childhood. When stuck with a nasty situation or decision, we ache for action. We feel the suffocating need to do something. Even in the face of certain failure we want to “try our best” so that we do not feel ashamed for not having tried. We have apparently been fed a little too much of the “At least you tried” curry while growing up. How ridiculous will it be then to “give up” simply after calculating the odds and concluding “it isn’t worth the trouble”. Doesn’t sound so ridiculous to read, but try doing it and know firsthand the reaction of not just your loved ones but yourself.

I have had my share of ridicules thrown at me, ranging from “if you had just tried” to “you didn’t because you couldn’t” and after all that I have been through, the only conclusion I can make is that inaction has served me well. But the most difficult and most important learning to be acquired before inaction can do you any good is learning to “Face the Consequences”.

Facing the consequences with utmost shamelessness (synonym: humbly), in my inconsequential opinion, exists only in a certain breeds of people. One of them would be the breed which has gotten the precious and rare exposure of highly competitive environments filled with intelligent people without the direct and tangible reward in terms of money. This exists in premier education institutes. The certainty of a job, uncertainty of pay-offs, inexperience of luxuries and abundance of stubbornness gives birth to the “irresponsible, wasted and lazy” persons who go on to live a life sub-optimal as judged by popular wisdom.

Like any other disease, it affects to varying degrees. Some get completely wasted, some slowly stumble back to the regular path as they grow out of it. But one thing is certain, the true ones never regret a bit of it.

Maybe the epitaph of one of them would say:
“He achieved nothing in his life but he lived and he died a happy man.”

I think the first part would anyways be true for almost all of us…

Sail along… No Stress! No Regret! And take the few decisions you actually can!