Friday, December 14, 2007

Invest in your passions & Experience to know the difference

I drive a small car which I have owned for a long time (about 10 years now). Its not that I didnt feel tempted to change this to a big or different car, but I mostly shooed the idea away since I am a big believer in the philosophy that one must only buy stuff which one really needs. I convinced myself that I didnt really need another car and what I had was serving the purpose of taking me from point A to point B. Mind you, one of my passions is driving.

A couple of days back, I had the good forture of driving a Honda Accord from Mumbai to Pune. It was my first experience driving a big highly refined car. I was totally impressed by the thought process of the designers in creating a machine which actually assisted and made the job of the driver easy. The power was amazing, allowing me effortless overtaking or speed maintenance on the e-way. The comfort and ergnomics of the seat was unmatched. The AC was actually pumping fresh oxygen into the cabin. While I drove in the wee hours of the morning, my buddies actually slept in the back of the car all through the journey and didnt wake up until I parked the car (wonderful suspension). I could go on and on highlighting the good points, but thats beyond the scope of this article. I actually emerged from the car at 4 AM feeling fresh and quite energised.

Normally, whenever I would do this journey (and longer distances) in my small car (and there were innumerable such journeys done in the last 10 years), I would actually crawl out of the car, be totally fatigued and be ready to hit the sack. I realize now, why it would actually happen; the cabin the small car (at least mine) was not totally sealed, so it would let in the pollution. Secondly the non-assistance by the car (suspension, steering, seat adjustments, etc) would actually make you struggle to keep the car steady and running.

What I realised is that one has to open oneself for experiences to actually develop an understanding of what all the universe has to offer (I am extending the experience to beyond purchases and including absolutely any kind of experience), develop a deep connection to your passions, and actually go out and get the best equipment to drive/support your passion (for all the spendthrifts, best does not necessarily mean the most expensive). So if I really enjoy driving, then I must go out and buy myself the best car (within my means ofcourse).

This is against buying or doing stuff which brings temporary joy. I have observed that there are many people who buy stuff on impulse, or just because they feel it could bring them some joy, or because the neighbor has it so I must too, etc. Its not that these purchases bring these people any lasting joy or peace. I know for a fact that these people who indulge themselves so, are not really any better off in terms of "growth" due to these purchases....basically all not so great reasons to sign the dotted line.

Moral: If you have a passion for something, go all out to experience that throughout your life.