Naivete

I believed if you were good at heart, meant nobody any harm and went about your life peacefully, you would be fine, that you would be -- if I can allow myself to say it -- happy.

I believed that love could never hurt, that it would never shrink the heart, that it was the most beautiful emotion in the world.

I believed that if you found what you loved doing, you never had to work a single day in your life, that you would relish getting up from bed and facing the world head on.

I believed that the world was a lovely place to be in, that people were mostly good at heart and believed in a honest life well lived.

I believed in myself, that no matter what, I would always overcome and triumph.

Now I know.

1. Give. Never take. Never want to take. Never ask anybody for anything.
2. Never whine.
3. Read. Everything.
4. Value time. And being disciplined. These are no-brainers.
5. You will never cherish being lazy.
6. Purity. Honour. Truth. Honesty. Integrity. Dignity. In thought, word and action. Above everything else. If you're not there yet, try and you will.
7. Ego. Desire. Anger. Renounce the ego. Desire and anger will disappear on their own.
8. Value people and relationships. But don't go overboard with it.
9. 'Silence is golden'. There's a reason why it's a proverb. Don't talk unless necessary. Allow for meaningful conversation to happen, but don't go looking for it.
10. You will never cherish watching TV.
11. Write. Everyday.
12. Hold your tongue. Don't gossip. Never speak ill of others.
13. Never give in to the lure of "cool".
14. Be warm, to everyone. But don't be stupid.
15. Help when asked for. Venture advice when asked for. Don't be presumptuous. But learn to judge when someone wants help or advice but is too proud to ask for it. Develop and use your discretion in such cases. After having helped/ advised, forget about it.
16. Learn from the past. Then forget it.
17. Be grateful. Always. Even for the tiniest of things.
18. Respect everybody. Trust nobody.
19. You don't know everything. You haven't experienced everything. You're not God's gift to mankind.
20. Everything passes.
21. Patience is a virtue. So are resilience and persistence.
22. Dream.
23. Eat well. Sleep well. Stay fit.
24. Refrain from judging. You're the pigeon one day, the statue the next.
25. Watch children. Listen to the squirrels. See birds fly. Gaze at the stars. Look at colours deeply.