Thoughts on Getting Older

I've lived 22 years now on this planet. 22 years may sound like a great deal of time at any other job, but when it comes to living life, 22 years doesn't sound too “old” at least to me. I decided to write about aging and my thoughts today as it would fit perfectly into the mood.

I solemnly believe that as a kid you wish to grow old and as an adult you wish you were a kid.

The irony of life is that it gives birth to death. Not many take serious note of this fact.

I think the biggest difference that's occurred in me this year is the realization of the value of time and focusing on what I want from life. That's what I've done this whole year. Sit, read, listen, talk and imagine all with the purpose of driving towards my ultimate goal as such. I've cut down the gazillion goals I've had and am focused now on just one – setting up of the FJM group.

People as I've noticed aren't so focused. Growing older doesn't quite directly imply that you'll focus on something more. Rather, growing up just clouds everything and you tend to get more dispersed than focused. It takes effort to stay focused. It takes determination and constant working. That's the hard part I feel. Just saying you want to do something isn't quite enough. It's a good start but working to get there, that's what's focusing is all about.

Working to get “there” has made me realize the value of time. As I read in a marketing book, value must be placed more on time than on money. Time is money and not the other way around. This year has made me realize the value of time, and to appreciate it the most. Of course, that doesn't mean that I don't “waste” time so to speak. People around me would tell you I watch the TV, get on hours on the internet, hear music, sleep longer than necessary, etc. and hardly “study.” But then what I mean by realizing the value of time is realizing what you want to be and set out a “plan” or a schedule. That's what I've done this year – set up a plan, a schedule to get where I want to be. Now I know many that'd say that planning is a wasteful activity, but then I believe that having a plan is much better than not having one. At least you know the where, when and how.

Also, growing older gets me afraid. I look at the changes taking place around me and so many things keep chaining. When I was smaller those huge brick like phones with antennas on them used to cost big bucks. Today they're no more produced and touch screen phones are available at costs much less than that their ancestors cost at time of their introduction. Looking at my granny and my parents has got me to realize that someday I'll be them, and that someday technology may be just too complex for me. The thought of getting outdated is scary.

Another thing I've observed is that Aging gives an opportunity to gain wisdom and knowledge. At birth we're born ignorant of everything. But the process of gaining knowledge and wisdom starts from the time we come out of our mothers and that process is expected to go on till we take our last breath.

A last thought about getting older. Getting older on the on hand feels nice. I feel empowered. I feel smarter. I feel as though I can grab hold of more opportunities. Getting older does feel good. However, on the other hand, being a kid seemed so much fun too. I didn't need to be empowered. I didn't need to be smart. I was taken care off. As a kid, I had zero responsibility and 100% ignorance – a magical, mystical and seductive combination. Sometimes I truly feel I could trade everything I have right now just to go back and be that kid. But then we all know that's not possible. The past was great fun. The present seems a content life, much differently lived from that of a kid but then one has those moments where you act kiddish and live care free life, and if you know me, you know I have a load of such moments. It's moments like these that keep me happy even though I keep growing older.

Think Big. That's what they used to say.

Most successful people would tell you to think big. They don't tell you (in books, articles, etc.) to think of opening that one food outlet by the street, instead they tell you to think of opening a national or even international chain of food outlets. Of course we all know (we as in both successful people and people like myself who are just staring out) that you just can't open up that international chain of restaurants, instead you have to start out most probably with that one single outlet somewhere locally and build up.

The bottom line they stress on is to think big, think big and figure out how to get there within a set frame of time.

I am a big thinker. I think about owning a global bank, real estate firm, investment firm, education institution, and so on...

When it comes to thinking, here is what I've observed: The world (generally) loves to encourage thinking big in your younger years, and tends to discourage you (more often than not) thinking big as you keep getting older (say about high school onwards).

As a kid, I could go on and on telling people that I wanted to be an astronaut, a scientist, a doctor, a “rich man”, etc. and people around me would smile and say, “nothing is impossible Floyd, put your mind to it and you'll be what you want to be.” This encouraging acted like sweet music to my ears and I developed the habit to think big/dream big.

Skipping forward to present times, now it's a different scenario. I still dream big, think big, that's remained the same. But the people around me instead of encouraging me tend to discourage me. For example, when I tell Nana that I want to own an investment firm and be one of the best fund managers in the world, she goes like “Don't count the chickens before they hatch. Go and study and get a job to start out with.” However, at about the same time my 8 year old cousin calls up and tells her he wants to be the best magician in the world, she says “Yes baba, you can do it!”

For some reason, generally speaking, the older you get the more pessimistic most people become. Hell, the older you get the more pessimistic you become. I have no clue why, but optimism gets replaced by negativity/pessimism. Suddenly, the world becomes this hard place where nothing comes easy and it's almost impossible to beat the odds. Again, we all know this fact. But what I fail to understand is why people mostly give up or give in to such thinking instead of saying something to themselves continually like, “nothing is impossible, I just need to be smart and persevere.”

It's no wonder then, with such pessimism or such a skeptical outlook that is ingrained in the masses, passed on from one generation to another, that you have so many of them struggling to just make it out of the rat race.

I have to be frank here. The odds of me owning a bank, investment firm, real estate firm, restaurant, etc. seems so very not in my favor, but then does that mean that I must give up the thought and settle for something less? It is much better to play it safe, to get in amongst the herd, instead of just giving greatness a shot? Does it mean that I must stop dreaming?

I hear people telling me “don't just dream, do something” and those people I take note of for two reasons. The first reason being, they're right in saying “do something,” for doing is much harder than dreaming about doing it. The second reason being, they act as a good source of “motivation” fuel.

It's time to end this post. In the end I'd like to say, keep thinking big, keep dreaming. Of course you have haters and doubters all around you, but if your heart/subconscious/that inner voice tells you something, you're better off following it (or gambling on it) rather than just having it irk you every so often. Don't listen to people that want you to be like them. Don't be amongst the masses if you don't want to be amongst the masses.

“Think Big, Dream Big.” - Donald Trump (I guess he practices what he preaches).