It is by sheer happenstance that on this day, the day that I decide to foray into the world of blogging, that I rewatch one of my favorite scenes in film. A scene that has had a profound impact on the way I aspire to live my life. The scene is from the movie Dead Poets Society in which John Keating, played by Robin Williams tells his students: “Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary!”
At the time of my first viewing, I must say, I was not overcome by some sudden rush of inspiration in the way that movie dialogues generally tend to invoke.Though I was not aware at the time, I did not fully appreciate the magnitude of what had been said. In fact, it would take several more views, and several more years of age and wisdom, for me to finally grasp the inherent power and beauty contained in those words.
Do you ever have one of those Monday mornings where you think back on how criminally you wasted time during the weekend? Where you start to think of what new horrors the coming week in your life would bring? It was indeed on one of those gloomy, retrospective Monday mornings that It dawned on me. I was doing nothing meaningful and significant with my life (some may vouch for that thought’s validity even now, but lets leave that aside). I had to seize the day, I had to make my life extraordinary, the way Mr.Keating wanted his students to do. In the immediate weeks and months of that day, I kept pondering the question over and over. What I could possibly do to achieve those things?
In a world that is populated by 7+ billion souls, it has always been the primal urge of every human being to stand out. As time passed, I came to the realization that each of us is already distinct. Our differences go beyond caste and creed, race and religion. They are nugatory both superficially, as well as in the grand scheme of things. I could now take one thing off my chest: the guilt of not having set myself apart, simply because, I now knew, that I didn't need to make a conscious effort to do so. The only thing left to do now was to formulate a way to make my life truly special. The only way to do that, I believe, is to pursue intellectual superiority. At the end of the day, the only thing that can make the difference between a great life and a mundane one, is the intellect one possesses. The thoughts, ideas and opinions that one gathers and engineers are going to be the proverbial keys to opening a treasure trove of greatness.
It is one thing to pursue one’s dreams on one’s own, and an entirely different one to do it in the company of fellow beings. It is with you, that I shall travel, on a hopefully inexorable and magical journey through various realms and facets of life. My Imaginarium so to speak.
For those of you that have made it this far into this first entry, fret not, this blog will not be as boring or moralizing as it may have sounded so far. Think of it is as being the mission statement, the statement of intent, the vision. This blog will be a potpourri of my thoughts, ideas and experiences in a wide range of interests of mine that include Sports (particularly Football and Formula One), Books, Movies, Music, Economics, Philosophy and the Sciences.
So till the next time, carpe diem, people!
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