Focus on Small Changes

But even more astounding thing was going to happen, the reason for me to write this article. I always used to have winter blues, so severe that would make my hairs prickle at the very onset of November. I hated the cold since it gives all the laziness leaving you bed-ridden and dormant for almost all the times. Beside this, I had a kind of natural antipathy towards this season during which I would find myself in a hibernation-like state.

But this year was different when my annoyance with myself for weaknesses like these had crossed the threshold and compelled me to change. So, I faced my fear head-on. I brought my book in the balcony in the blistering winter morning. The cold wind was pricking like needles on my exposed face and hands. But, the credit also goes to the book, ‘Super Survivors’ by David B. Feedman which demanded exactly an environment like this.

It connected citations of people who had borne challenging deformities with the psychological research on finding the contributory factors towards success. Midst of reading, I paid attention to the activities going on in my neighborhood. It was delight to see the kid in the nearby house waving me hi. Looking at him, I wondered “If a 2-year can smile through the icy-cold wind, so can I.”

I continued strolling in the balcony. But, the situation now started to be getting difficult because my body kept getting colder and colder, taking away my endurance as the time ticked on. The moment of surrender was coming close while I was fending it off as far as I could. My face was frozen by now and my limbs started to shiver, making it all the more difficult to pay attention to the written words. For a moment, I doubted myself, ‘Am I being my own enemy?’ because I couldn’t spot anyone in their balcony like that.

But soon, the light rays of sun touched my head. They were warm and soothing. I never found sunlight this delightful that I looked l up and said, “Thanks”. So the perseverance was paid off and I got the signal that what I was trying was not craziness. It was about stretching myself a little beyond my own set level and discovering the newness. There’s no alternative to it. A similar thing to what they say in the sprite commercial, “darr ke aage jeet hai.” It makes sense.

Past 3 hours, I witnessed the fighter airplanes proudly skimming across the sky one after the another. That was a great show with somersaulting style and meticulous patterns followed by the jets. I had always loved watching them on Republic day. Only that, I would not be awake by the time the show starts.  Now I was, awake and in supreme love with winters which bring flowers of new colours and crops of special kinds. Kinnow and carrot are just my favourite winter delicacies. And the misty fog, I feel, is nothing less than supreme for its smell which resembles that of wet mud. That time, the air is moist and rich with pollen grains making it pleasant to inhale.

“The idea is not to follow a routine but instead take yourself one level up everyday because major changes in life don’t come by taking large steps but by breaking the small shackles.”