Shefaly tagged me in a meme – on [tag]Lessons, in Hindsight [/tag]. Essentially , what have you learnt from life…

• Don’t double guess your instinct – the number of times that i have – because i felt guilty about having strong first impressions, has caused me a lot of trouble and heart break. Today if my instinct says no… on something, I follow it….
• Forgiveness is a good idea, forgetting is stupidity . If you forgive someone for doing you some harm, great. It is always a good idea not to wallow in negativeness. But, be sensible about it … don’t let that person close enough to harm you again. Again from personal experience….I was a fairly stupid youngster 🙂
• Don’t wallow in self pity it doesn’t do anything except make you feel even more miserable……. go shopping, go out with friends, go on a holiday, read a good book, get involved and don’t obsess on something you can’t change.
• Pamper your Self – always a good idea. When the world seems crumbling around you, when time seems slipping out of your hands, when things seem like they can’t get worse ….. go and pamper your self. That doesn’t mean binge…. it means pamper your self. Go to the parlour, get a massage, go to a footspa, chill out with loved ones….. The world becomes a lot better when you are pampered. And most of us forget ourselves in the midst of all the chaos in my life.
• Have a life outside work – For a long time I didn’t. Now i do….. This includes people outside your professional circle, hobbies, interest groups…. It is actually good fun. i wish i had thought of it earlier !
• Don’t try and live your life based on other people’s expectations.… it will truly make you unhappy. I did, and i was. Now i don’t, and I am not…
• Keep time for your self – something i never did until 5 years ago. This is beyond your profession, hobbies, and special interests. Some time that you spend with just yourself…. It is actually a trip..

Update: the last one came to me when i was getting home from work….

• And, Lastly – you are more than your job, and your life is more than work. Don’t lose sight of that. I did… I was a horrible family member. I asked my brother if he could push his wedding date — i was launching a channel… and i was kind of miffed when he didn’t…..I was that silly about work. Not, definitely not, a good idea…

Thanks Shefaly – that was a fun meme. I tag Sunil, Charu, Amrita, Abi, and Peter …