Realizations of a quarter-century survivor.

When you are young and you think about how life would be when you've grown up, you generally think/imagine the good stuff that's going to happen. But as they say, life has it's own course, own way of unfolding; sometimes in a way better than you had imagined and sometimes in a way worse than what you could ever imagine.

A friend and I were discussing sometime back, how old one really is? Is it the number of years we have spend on this earth or the number of years we feel in our hearts? I feel it is the latter. For me age is defined by our personality, by our aura, by our way of thinking and living. You are as old as you think you are, said Muhammad Ali. So as long as I feel young in my heart and mind, body and soul, I don't mind getting older!

Don't we all learn something new, experience something new as we reach the age, when we finally start feeling like a grown up? I definitely did and here I'll try to put down the things I've ''realized'' over the past few years, things I know happened for a reason, things I know happened for good, things which have made the person I am today. 

Realizations of a quarter-century survivor *

I know, I make it sound like it's a courageous thing ;)

• You realize no matter how much you want to slow down, you have to keep moving forward to keep up with the world.
• You realize not all friends are going to be there with you in the end, even those whom you expected to be.
• You realize, in the end, it's just you. You alone can make yourself, you alone can break yourself.
• You realize, sooner or later: Things may not always happen for a reason, but 90% things happen for good.
• You realize the friends who do stick around, end up being a part of your family. 
• You realize you can make friends with people of all ages. Younger. Older. Age doesn't matter in friendship. Compatibility does.
• You realize it's high time you start taking care of your body!
• You realize it is necessary to prioritize people in your life. Not everyone can hold the same importance always.
• You realize yellow can actually look good on you.
• You realize it is better to let go than to hold grudges.
• You realize you need to tune out people at times.
• You realize watching a movie all alone in the theater actually feels nice.
• You realize you have a right to pamper yourself.
• You realize your mother can be one of your closest confidantes.
• You realize you are a good enough person, when your father reaches you for advice.
• You realize the importance of signs.

*To be updated as and when realizations occur.