700 Words

I have never been a huge fan of birthdays. I am not too convinced why celebrate this one out of three-sixty-five days just because you were born on this day many years ago! Maybe some people feel great about their birthdays, which is good for them, as one should find reasons to enjoy and treat themselves. Additionally, my view is that one should try to cherish most of days in a year. Of course, this is a little dramatic and people who think they can enjoy all the 365 days are just being naive.

Since past few years, I started a ritual. I started giving myself tiny challenges which would last up till my next birthday arrives. Whole one year. I don’t clearly remember since when I started that but I remember a couple of challenges I took. But before I tell what my challenges were, I would like to speak why these challenges?

Generally people say that move out of your comfort zone, stretch the horizon of what’s possible, I tried shrinking some of the luxuries I had taken for granted. Luxuries such as having hot water shower in winters, treating myself with the sweet dish I absolutely love! Once I impromptu walked 2–3 km away from my college to have this dish because there was no sweet shop near my university. I craved it so much! In India, we used to go to a lot of weddings. Apart from the glitz, Indian weddings are famous for their food and sweet dishes and what not. I couldn’t imagine not being at someone’s wedding and not having this dish. So, I gave it up. For an year. To test how much self control I can have. Simple. And impulsive.

Technically speaking, maybe there’s no clear benefit of these challenges but surely it was little more exciting (and sometimes painful) than just blowing off candles from the birthday cake every year! Though I appreciate that so many lovely people still do it for me almost every year.

There is another one that I just cannot forget. One I took up casually without thinking of the path ahead. The challenge to take a bath from the normal temperature water. No hot water in winter, no cold water in summer. Just regular water, be it hot or cold. Ouch. Although I have written about it another small blog, I will briefly summarise it here. Where I live, the temperature goes from 5°C in winters to 45°C in summers. Summers were fine but winters were harsh, even torturing sometimes. I even thought of backing out many times. But I endured. I didn’t give up and I continued this challenge for almost 500 days as far as I remember.

This year, I am planning to keep up the ritual. Calendar just went past my date of birth and after giving it very minimal thought, I have decided.

I have decided that I will write. I have been thinking about doing it since past couple of years but, boy, I lack discipline. I have decided that this time I will try to write every week and publish it. Now publishing is an important part here. I journal sometimes but it is easier to write and keep it yourself. I want to take chances and put it out. I want those two random people to read it. It frightens me and thrills me at the same time. I will write something, anything, even absolute garbage many a times, but consistently, every week.

So, here goes my first step of this new challenge of 2020. Not that 2020 has not given us enough challenges already but there is a fight outside and there will be a fight within, I hope to win both.

I don’t know how to pull off the seven hundred words limit I set for myself but I will think of something to stuff here and there. And now I think of it, I have things to say, things to tell, to write. All I had to do was start writing, and it will eventually build up to something. That something might not be great initially, but down the line it will look better. At least I hope so.

So, aiming at the better, let me click the publish button on this first part of my 52 weeks challenge!

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