I Made It. Did you?
14 years ago…
When I was a kid, I visited Mumbai for the first time. It was my first big city and I was mind blown by the tall buildings, the general hustle-bustle, and endless possibilities. My elder brothers had started working and were staying in small flats in South Mumbai. My family found the place small and old, the city dirty and shabby and the traffic deplorable. They clearly did not like Mumbai. To a girl in Class 9, the city and lifestyle excited me. My brothers had an independent lifestyle where they would go out at 11 PM to sit at Marine Drive or go to important meetings in those giant towers (Meetings can be fascinating to a child! Now, I try to avoid as much as possible.) Even the city seemed alive with energy. No doubt, it is a city of extremes. Right next to slums, you have amazing malls or luxury developments. You have laborers and dabbawallas working next to businessmen and Bollywood stars. The culture breeds active energy but the city itself is dipped in history and art. It is just sensational to experience Mumbai for the first time. I was completely entranced by my brothers’ lifestyle and I had made a promise to myself that one day I will live in Mumbai independently. I will work in a fancy job where I go to meetings and get important phone calls. I will go out at night and explore art and theater. This was my dream as a kid. Well, I grew up and forgot about this childish promise.
Present-day…
I am a true Mumbaikar in four short years. I never have time and am always on my phone or laptop. I have too many meetings that I can never get over with and I only go out for fun at night because the traffic is manageable and offices run late. Sounds hectic? It is and frankly, I love it. I can describe my past few years as running from one goal to another. I don’t think I have taken a breath to just relax and relish an achievement such as my marriage anniversary, promotion, job change, salary hike or the first 100 likes on my blog. Once I have achieved something, my mind jumps into What next? The drive works for me to reach higher but also left a pang of under-achievement. I kept thinking that I have not done anything substantial yet. Yet, life goes on and in Mumbai, it goes on faster.
With COVID season putting a cramp on travel plans, I ended up vacationing at a hotel in Mumbai overlooking the skyline and the beach. I sat at the window-sill for hours. I felt a peace looking at the Mumbai skyline. It is a piece of beauty. It is not consistent or just tall towers or a gorgeous beach line. The skyline’s ups and downs truly embody the spirit of Mumbai — a city of dreams.
And, the realization crept in that I have already made it. I fulfilled a childhood promise to myself. Yes, it will keep on changing but I am already successful. I have fulfilled my childhood ambition and I will run, jump and plunge myself into other opportunities and more success to fulfill my current ambitions.
We compare ourselves to peers, colleagues, and friends and it sometimes makes us feel less appreciative of what we have done for ourselves. To all my readers, think of your story — something you wanted and something you have. Stop comparing yourself with people around you and compare yourself with your past. Aren’t you successful? So, You have made it too. Be proud of yourself.