Year 10 - Happiness is the Path

Godyears begins year 10 this month end.

I was still an intern after passing my MBBS when I started this blog back in 2005. I had no idea if I would pass an entrance exam for a postgraduate seat, get into a good college, pass from there or even be a good doctor.  Literally lakhs of words later, I am here: a consultant anaesthesiologist having done thousands of surgeries over the last 7 years, saving limbs and lives while always struggling to find a decent pair of scrubs that fit me.

The blog stats continue to bring a smile on my face.

Year 6 - 2 blogs, 322 posts, 3333 comments, 072702 page views.

Year 7 - 2 blogs, 361 posts, 3990 comments, 100908 page views and 06 published stories.

Year 8 - 3 blogs, 432 posts, 5936 comments, 143942 page views and 10 published stories.

Year 9 - 3 blogs, 499 posts, 8227 comments, 291886 page views and 19 published stories.

Year 10 - 3 blogs, 601 posts, 11722 comments, 573318 page views and 30 published stories.

If the past few years were hard in real life, it was made easier because my blog carried me through. The posts reflected my inner conflicts on many an occasion, the truth hidden within fiction and fables. Godyears was having a ball – stories getting published, an online column, the odd title here and there. Meanwhile, I worked in the background, be it in the operation theatre or in real life. There definitely was a sense of disillusionment... a feeling that I was not doing what I wanted to do; being who I wanted to be.

I was too busy making a living to lead a life.

When I took up the #100HappyDays challenge during the first week of January, I started off by showing you all my wish board: the stuff I wanted to attract towards me this year. Sounds silly, right? Something straight out of a television comedy sitcom? Well, here is the wish board anyway… so how did I fare?

 

The wish board I made on Jan 1st, 2014

Well, let’s see.

• I wrote more posts this year than I ever had (93 in Godyears, 99 overall).
• I won quite a few contests from various publishing houses across the country and even beyond. Eventually, I ended up having 8 short stories published in 7 anthologies (click here for the entire list) this year alone, twice having two books released in the same week. (I’m pretty sure that must be some sort of a record, right?!) 

  

  The journey so far...

• I attended a book launch for the third consecutive year in a row as an author. 
• Speaking of launches, nothing prepared me for the surprise call I got to test drive a new sedan before the rest of India alongside the top 50 bloggers of the country. Whisked away to Goa, that was truly an amazing experience for all of us.
• Goa may have been a unexpected journey but I did travel more in this one year than I have ever traveled in the past, visiting friends from the past and forging new ones too. Blogging for so many years ensured that I was never a stranger wherever I went, always having at least one friend from either my real or virtual life who I could catch up with wherever I landed.

  

  Dhaba dinners to 5 star luxury, old classmates to online 

  friends & bloggers, Grand Hyatt to Fort Kochi and Zuri

• I won a blogging contest for the first time in my life. Can you believe that? Nearly ten years of blogging to finally get a win! It was a biggie too, a pass to this year’s INKTALKS which I did attend, living in luxury while hobnobbing with celebrities and truly inspiring personalities.
• I came across more actors and celebrities this year than in my entire life, even assisting a movie crew in lending a touch of authenticity for their medical field themed movie.
  
• Oh ya, and I won the Best Creative Writing Blog in India title at the country’s first live conference and awards ceremony. Just in case I forgot to mention that bit.

You see… I actually got pretty much everything I wanted in my wish board and much much more, save for the odd one or two that will carry over to my 2015 wish board now. And all I really did was follow what made me happy. 

When I did take the time to open up and write from my heart, it was lovely to see that the blogosphere responded, showering the posts with love ( Her Happiness matters to Me, the Suicide prevention post, the posts on Ellen Degeneres, Maya Angelou and MeghanVogel [who replied back personally expressing her gratitude]). The interview by the medical community and guest posts on writing (for Indireads and A Daily Romance) and life lessons intermingled with the fun posts ( Snoopy 1 and 2, my bid to be the Prime Minister, and the Malabar food post) and contest entry winners (As free as the air, Snoopikos, my homage to Star Trek and the Strongest one among others).

You know it is a good year when even your dog
starts winning prizes!

So what was different this year? Not much. I just ACTIVELY chose not to let the sorrows and pain affect me anymore. I incorporated some pretty deep and insightful words into my life:

"There is no path to happiness. Happiness is the path."

- Gautama Buddha

I let the blog be a straightforward reflection of my life instead of a veiled metaphor. I deliberately stopped writing negative posts (the world has enough pain without me adding my two cents of woes), even though my mind itched to have its opinion heard on so many a torrid world event around me. In real life too, I cut out people who I distrusted from my life and made an effort to be there for those who were happy to have me instead. I chose to embrace the person I always yearned to be: honest, cheerful and most importantly, happy. 

And the world finally responded in grand style.

Of course, having a trophy sitting at home
with your name on it helps too.

My advice to you?

• Find what makes you happy and ACTIVELY pursue it. Don't put it off for tomorrow if there is an opportunity today. As a doctor who deals with life and death, I can assure you 'tomorrow is not something you take for granted, no matter what your astrologer tells you.' 
• Find who makes you happy and ACTIVELY be a part of their lives. You cannot choose your co-workers or blood relatives but you CAN choose who you want to talk to and be around. 
• Find where you want to go and ACTIVELY plan to go there. The world will not collapse today if you take a break and live your life (unless you are Lord Vishnu or 'the guy who is in charge of pressing the red button launching nuclear missiles', in which case, ignore this point.)

I have it easy. Writing is my 'happy place'. It would have sucked if bungee jumping was my 'happy place' instead - can you picture me jumping off bridges every week?? 

Writing, which started off as letters to penpals and classroom jokes, has now given me more awards, accolades and opportunities than I could have ever imagined. I'm on a list alongside Amitabh Bachchan and Narendra Modi, for crying out loud! All this while I am sitting inside an operation theater. 
So just imagine what you could do if you choose to follow your passion... if you choose to make time for living your life instead of just making a living. 

What's coming up in Year 10 of Godyears? Expect more happy posts, lots of annoying gloating posts, a few controversial ones alongside a few shameless posts begging you to buy some upcoming books featuring me (a lot less than this year though, I assure you. The need to do something different has begun once more) and plenty more insights and surprises along the way.  

Coming in 2015.