Only ’10 Minutes’

Many friends of mine often tell me, ‘I love writing but I am overstressed, always running out of time, how do you find time to write?’. Many say, ‘I would write when I retire, and many say, ‘I love writing and wish I get time to write one day.’  

I guess the same is true for other hobbies and interests. I keep hearing, ‘I wish if only I had time, I would have loved to pursue my painting, or I would finish all books which are there on my book shelf after my retirement, or I would start meditation when I take a break from work, or I would spend good time with friends and family when I retire, so many post retirement plans…. Every act which interests you is postponed till retirement, when the body would slow down, so the mental ability.

I tell them, I don’t feel the constraint of time, because reading and writing is my PASSION. I would find time for it even if I am 200 per cent overloaded.  It just needs a bit of discipline and loads of passion. I wrote my three books when I was overloaded with my job and family responsibilities, only because of a writing discipline, and I never felt the stress of it.

How one can differentiate PASSION from the other activities one does?

Many people say, ‘though I do not have time but I make sure to spare 30 minutes for Yoga or play badminton because to maintain a good health. Taking care of health is a much needed, but it is not same as passion, it is a routine activity, it is a give and take relationship. The day you do not see benefits, you would surely lose interest in it.  

But when the same becomes your passion, you would not think about the benefits but the happiness that it brings to you. When it is one’s passion, it satisfies the core of one’s soul. I can spend hours reading without even realising the time. I can paint for hours without even thinking if my painting would be loved by others or not. There is no give and take, it is just experiencing the love of doing it.

We keep hearing from learned and successful people, ‘turn your passion into your work, and you would do wonder. This is indeed the Truth. If playing tennis is your passion (and not the sole purpose of fitness) then legends are made. But let us face the reality too, how many of us have the luxury of pursuing our passion as work? 80 per cent of the people work in a field which they had never thought of or wanted to be in. The hard truth remains, we have to earn a living, and one must not regret the field we land in. That is part of life. But a passion is a passion, which is trapped inside you, kicking hard to come out, and you must let it come out, rather end up as unsatisfied soul till your death. The things which you postponed till retirement then is gated to the next life because, in truth, you never prioritised your passion.

In my early days of writing, when I was trying to get my book published, and was contemplating the cost of it, one of my friends told me, it is your passion, money does not matter. I always remember his lines, whenever I am in doubt about the time and money I spend for my writing.

Most of us forget our passion once we get into a job or marriage (in Indian society particularly). Our priority completely changes. I too went through the same; I did not read or write anything until I entered my Forties. We try to achieve our lost passion through our children. We want them to do what we wanted to do, completely forgetting that they are individuals on their own, with their own set of passions. Our Passion stays in our heart forever, unrealised. Like your Karma is your own, you also must own your PASSION.

So, when you say, ‘I do not have time. Take a moment to think, is it really that you do not have time? Whom you are trying to fool or justify? If you miss writing, reading, painting, dancing … then you must take out time for yourself. Time is never really a constraint when it is about passion.

And only ’10 minutes’ is good enough to start.

One must ponder, ‘Why cannot I spare even 10 minutes to do what I would have loved to do?’ People might argue, what would happen in 10 minutes? It is too less. Yes, less but enough to start pursuing your interest. 10 minutes is good enough to read 20 pages of any book, 10 minutes is good enough to write poetry, and for me, 10 minutes is enough to prepare the draft of a story. 10 minutes is good enough for meditation, 10 minutes is good to make a call to your friend, and 10 minutes is enough to change the outcome of any Sports competition.  Make a habit to devote at least 10 minutes to your passion (or interest) — before you start the day of your work, or at lunchtime or before going to sleep, or while commuting or make it a weekend habit. Make your passion, your interest as part of your life activities, do not postpone it to retirement or next life.

So next time, before you say, ‘I would have loved to do it but I do not have time’, just spare a second to think, ‘Can I spare ’10 minutes’ to it start with?’

Rakhi Sunil Kumar