How 20 minutes of Kayaking cracked me up

Vijai Kanth
Aug 27, 2017 · 2 min read

The Introduction:

From the last few months I’ve been stuck in the monotonous hustle of everyday life. Wake up-Work-Study-Sleep-Repeat.

I was just recovering from a major loss in my startup, going through a lot of personal revelations, was trying too hard to stick to my commitments, and at the same time, preparing for the one of the most competitive exams in India — CAT. Yes, life was pretty messed up.

But the point being, I can hardly remember the last time I took a break.


The Story

Yesterday at work, all our computers went down, due to a power shortage. And one of my colleagues suggested that we hit the road. Do something different. So we drove 20 kms on the coastline to find ourselves in front of a beautiful lagoon with kayaks in it. The last time I did kayaking, it didn’t really end up well. So I was skeptical about doing it again. But hey, you can never say no to a frustrated mind. And I was really having a bad day. So I did it.

The moment I stepped into the waters, I felt alive for the first time. A volcano of adrenaline exploded inside of me. I could feel the blood reach each and every corner of my body. It was scary, yes, but it also made me feel alive. For a moment, I had forgotten everything that was happening in my life. All that was there, was me, the kayak and the waters. Present. Just present.

Life seemed very fragile at this moment. It was as if I was looking at the world through a bird’s-eye view.

And then I realized the most important thing —

Don’t be afraid to die. Be afraid to be alive. Because at the end of the day, if you’re not doing what you genuinely like doing, it’s not worth living at all.

Our lives are filled with so much clutter. And sometimes we are absolutely clueless about where we’re going. But let me tell you something, it’s ok.

If you are doing what you like doing, it’s ok to be lost sometimes. It’s ok to be clueless. But if you’re not doing what you like doing, it’s time you take your paddles and Kayak. Take a break. Reflect on your vision and goals and align everything accordingly.

I believe that the 20 minutes of Kayaking I did yesterday helped me reflect on my vision and goals. It helped me understand that everything around us is unpredictable. And one must be ready, always.

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