Exams are over. Now what?

Finally, the ticking of the clock has stopped sending panic signals to your brain. Finally, you can rest your head on a pillow with no worry to wake up on time. Finally, you can breathe and feel human after churning like a machine for 16 days.

Exams are over for a CA student- this is not a phrase. It's freedom. It's a wave of fresh air that pumps life into your veins again. It is an opportunity to explore the world beyond attempts, PASS and FAIL. It is a window to be you.

But, how do we leverage this goldmine? (leverage, opportunity cost…typical lingo of a typical CA student..!!)

Do you expect a mind stuffed with a 6-month strategy, the last-day revision plan, summary notes and mock practice to have enough energy to ponder other options?

We are so exhausted that all we crave is rest and sleep. And, it is fair. We deserve peace.

And, there's so much to do. YouTube will bombard you with a plethora of options. There will be gurus enlightening your path. Click and everything gets landed at your fingertips.

All this is good. But, how about taking a pause and meeting yourself?

Hey, come on, I hi-five myself in the mirror every day.

No, I am not talking about mirror selfies (duh..!).

How well do you know yourself?

Know thyself is a dangerous philosophical advice. It's not a cool self-help trend. It is a muddle of complexities and contradictions.

• Why do you choose tea over coffee?
• Why do you believe in God?
• Why do you feel anxious about sharing your vulnerabilities with your close ones? Do you fear being judged? Or is it abandonment that haunts you?
• How do you relate to your parents? Do you adopt their imparted values or do you question their validity? Do you impose your rules or do you accept their notions while maintaining your boundaries?
• What thoughts keep you awake in the night and how are they linked with your personality?
• What are the foundational values of your life? Did you consciously cultivate them or were simply acquired?
• What are the non-negotiable rules that will preserve your esteem?
• How do you view money? An instrument of security or freedom?
• What's your identity? Is there any idealistic version of “YOU”? How your behaviors align with that version?
• What kind of relationships do you want to nurture? Transactional as a medium of moving ahead or a collaborative where there's a sense of belonging and empathy?
• What are the activities that help you curate meaning?
• What makes you envious and how does it map to your deepest desires?
• What pulls you backwards and stunts your growth?
• Why do you keep on repeating the same mistakes? Is there any underlying pattern ruling your decision-making? Do you seek help to reflect the root?
• Are you a creator of joy or a consumer of pleasure?
• How much your environment influences your opinion? Are you rigid or flexible in your thinking?
• What are the biases that encroach your mental state?
• Do you have a routine or a free- floating life charms you?
• How do you perceive education, love and success?
• What is that one thing that makes you lose track of time? The one thing that absorbs your attention. The one thing that hooks you to the present moment. The one thing that dissolves your ego and urges you to surrender. The one thing where winning or losing is not a question. It's you and your complete engagement. Are you truly engaged or distracted?

Hush...!!

I can go on and on. Self-discovery is a ceaseless journey. It is an uneven path to travel. I am neither asking you to be spiritual nor am I requesting you to dump all your ideas of skill building, travelling, partying, binge-watching, and chilling. It's your hard-earned right to enjoy.

I am urging you to pause and reflect on your choices.

• It is essential that they are deliberate, well thought and not a mere product of influences and voices inside your head.
• It is essential to learn to push the fear of wrong decision-making.
• It is essential to harness mental strength to deal with the consequences.
• It is essential to develop maturity to sit with our difficult emotions instead of suppressing them with doom-scrolling.
• It is essential to acknowledge the role of responsibility in life and how it sucks to be responsible for everything that happens to you.
• It is essential to learn the skill of living.
• So are you ready to meet yourself?

See you on the other side. Take care.