Doing what one's heart wants to...

I guess it has been a long time since I wrote on this page. Two reasons for this- a) Office work has increased a bit these days; b) Hyderabad is pretty cold these days (around 10 degrees Celcius) and my health suffered the brunt of the low temperature.

Today, as I was browsing through an edition of India Today magazine, I came across an interesting article which talked about "people who do what they want to". It was a nice read and it quoted various people, from different walks of life, from a police officer to an industrialist to a software professional to a consultant...All these people had quit their jobs, which they felt as drab (Rewarding...financially but not emotionally) and not something their heart resides in. Remember, all these people don't have money as their prime motive. They had abandoned their high-paying well-established jobs to pursue what they feel like. It is to be noted that not all these people start their pursuit after attaining financial stability. There were a few, who, disregarding their future and financial disposition, had embarked on their journey.

I really envy these people."Following one's own heart" is one strong maxim (The Golden Rule)which I would want to adhere to- always. But many a times, I don't feel like I am going by this rule. Of course, going for a nap in the middle of office hours or shaving off my head (as I did a few weeks earlier) fall under the category of doing what I feel like doing. So do many of my petty activities. But it is life taken in a broader perspective that is mocking at my inability to follow The Golden Rule. One simple yet daunting question which keeps me troubling time and agian is "why do I live?". My heart says for sure that it is NOT for writing a piece of software. My heart says that it is for something intangible but the "conservative safe-player" reminds me of the alluring pay (which my father doesn't get even now;-)) and continues to keep me churning out code which makes sense to my machine but definitely not to me.

One solace which I would like to take is that all the people aforementioned set out on their journeys only after they felt they could no longer continue with their profession betraying their hearts. I still haven't acquired such a stage. When I do, You'll be the first person to know ;-)