It feels like such a relief when a school year comes to a close. No more exams, no more stressing over early mornings. And the best part, it is that time of the year when children love school. Until, they receive results, of course. The only drawback, life goes for a toss with no schedules to follow. We all start behaving like we are on a long vacation.

I am not sure if this should be attributed to ageing, but a time table helps me live my life with some discipline. Never before did I realise the value of going by the clock. But as we age, the body reminds us we are creatures of habit.

For the longest time in life, I was unaware my habits defined who I was. I had succumbed to so wrong habits that I had cultivated in ignorance. It is only with awareness that I have understood, everything is fluid. Goals can change. Old behaviours can be unlearned and new habits can be formed. Whoever said, anything worth the while would be easy?

With that in mind, one of the habits I have been trying to break is that of spiraling into negative thoughts and therefore emotions. if you are susceptible to being the victim, it is easy to let go of facts and hallucinate. However, the day you realise, you are the only important person in the entire world, letting go becomes second nature.

And when you do not bother about the world, your focus keeps coming back to yourself. To your goals. To your happiness. And getting trapped in to anything negative loses ground.

If you make it a routine to work on yourself and your goals, life begins to change. But does it mean you do not meet other people? Not at all. But when you choose to be in the moment, with friends, with family and with yourself, happiness is the only thing constant. When you engage with others without historical references burdening your mind, not only are you able to handle them better, you are free from distress.

P.S. We are creatures of habit. As long as we are aware what habits we are clinging on to, and what is serving us, we are in control. But the day we get trapped by being in autopilot, emotional health can slip out of hands. It is best to stay aware and fluid. It is best to understand we are the most important person in our world. That is the key to focusing on ourselves as opposed to sulking in misery or past traumas.