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What was stopping me from quitting my full time job? It is a huge leap of faith, after all. A consistent salary is not easy to give up, no matter how soul crushing the job may be.
This is what R and S have to say about changing careers, especially now, at the ripe 40 mark?
S says: Maybe it was the midlife crisis, but around 40 I distinctly wanted different things from my ‘career’. It didn’t seem as though I was doing anything creative at my 9-5 (I’m kidding… it was always later than 5) job.
For several years, I’d toyed with the idea of taking up writing—even having my own blog. It stirred up all my creative juices — and a well written page gave the kind of satisfaction I’d rarely experienced at my daily job.
So what was stopping me from quitting my full time job and taking it up as a full time career?
It is a huge leap of faith, after all. A consistent salary is not easy to give up, no matter how soul crushing the job may be. And to be honest, my soul was fairly okay — if only a little bit jaded.
On the other hand, I wasn’t getting any younger. If you watch any decent motivational video, they ask that you do everything you can possibly do in your lifetime, lest you have any regrets on your deathbed. And I didn’t want those!
Anyone I consulted advised me to hang on to my ‘stable’ job in these ‘uncertain’ times, and times never seem to become certain. So I stuck on to it— contenting myself to have other pursuits as a mere ‘side-gig’.
R says: One thing that middle age had no role to play in my life was, change in career.
Because the moment I was out of my Engineering course, waiting to join my job into the ever absorbing arena of IT or Information Technology – I had discovered my passion to write.
I started off with writing, ‘Letters To the Editor’.
I discovered I had a voice or an opinion on anything that I was exposed to and an earnest urge to voice or write it out.
And that was the time when I was like — ‘Oh shit!’ I am not pursuing a career where my heart would be. And of course feeling miserable that my ‘heart’ and mind had taken so long to come ‘out of the closet’.
It is then I realized why I liked the stage so much — it gave me an option to write my speeches and have a crowd listen to it!
In any case, a lucrative job offer in the path I had chosen vs a complete change in career to maybe something on lines in journalism, was a choice I had to make, and well the non risk-taker in me chose the former.
Would these side gigs be enough for me on my deathbed? I don’t know. I might have to lie on one to find out! And I am definitely in no hurry.
Would my living self live happier, more fulfilled if I had pursued the career of my choice, yes for sure!
A good chunk of our lives is spent with work, and to say I am happy with my job because it pays me well is fooling ourselves.
However, we can’t ignore the fact that our jobs pay our bills and well they pay for our luxuries. It would not be a wise decision to pursue our passion at the cost of our bills or the well-being of our family.
S says: I think we can — once our responsibilities lessen. We are now the sandwich generation — with growing kids and ageing parents. Every stage in life seems ‘forever’ but it usually isn’t.
We all get our day in the sun, sooner for some — later for others. Don’t they say slow cooked beans are the best ones?
Um, dreams here are beans in case you were wondering!
Image source: Fat_Camera via getty images, free on CanvaPro
We are an author duo who love writing together. We have written a couple of books together, Tete a tete with R&S and Anu and Isha. read more...
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People say that women are the greatest enemies of women. I vehemently disagree. It is the patriarchal mindset that makes women believe in the wrong ideology.
The entire world celebrates International Women’s Day on March 8, 2024. It should be a joyful day, but unfortunately, not all women are entitled to this privilege, as violence against women is at its peak. The experience of oppression pushes many women to choose freedom. As far as patriotism is concerned, feminism is not a cup of tea in this society.
What happens when a woman decides to stand up for herself? Does this world easily accept the decisions of women in this society? What inspires them to be free of the clutches of the oppression that women have faced for ages? Most of the time, women do not get the chance to decide for themselves. Their lives are always at the mercy of someone, which can be their parents, siblings, husband, or children.
In some cases, women do not feel the need to make any decisions. They are taught to obey the patriarchal system, which makes them believe that they are right. In my family, I was never taught to make decisions on my own. It was always my parents who bought dresses and all that I needed.
14 years after her last feature film Dhobi Ghat, storyteller extraordinaire comes up with her new film, Laapataa Ladies, a must watch.
*Some spoilers alert*
Every religion around the world dictates terms to women. The onus is always on women to be ‘modest’ and cover their faces and bodies so men can’t be “tempted”, rather than on men to keep their eyes where they belong and behave like civilized beings. So much so that even rape has been excused on the grounds of women eating chowmein or ‘men will be men’. I think the best Hindi movie retort to this unwanted advice on ‘akeli ladki khuli tijori ki tarah hoti hai’ (an alone woman is like an open jewellery box) came from Geet in Jab We Met – Kya aap gyan dene ke paise lete hain kyonki chillar nahin hain mere paas.
The premise of Laapataa Ladies is beautifully simple – two brides clad in the ghunghat that covers their identity get mixed up on a train. Within this Russian Doll, you get a comedy of errors, a story of getting lost, a commentary on patriarchy’s attitude towards women, a mystery, and a tale of finding oneself, all in one. Done with a mostly light touch that has you laughing and nodding along.
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