What I Wish I Knew About Life
Dreams, Failures, and the Journey In-Between
When I was 18, fresh out of school, I had two dreams: to be a footballer and to escape my small village for the big city. Life felt like an open field, and I thought I’d sprint straight to my goals. But life doesn’t work like a football match where you know the rules and the final whistle is predictable. It’s messy, unpredictable, and, more often than not, humbling.
I’m 25 now, working in an MNC in Bengaluru, far from where I started but still figuring things out. Along the way, I’ve had my share of wins and losses — many of which I wish someone had prepared me for. If you’re reading this and standing where I once stood, here’s what I wish I knew about life when I was younger.
1. Dreams Need More Than Passion
As a kid, I’d spend hours on the football ground. I believed if I loved the game enough, success would follow. But like Robert Greene writes in The Laws of Human Nature, “People only see the results, not the thousands of hours of effort behind them.”
By the time I was 20, reality hit hard. Without the right resources, training, or connections, my dream of becoming a footballer faded. That failure stung, but it taught me something vital: passion needs direction. Hard work without strategy is like kicking the ball without aiming for the goal.
2. Success Isn’t Linear
In my village, success was painted as a straight line: study hard, get a good job, earn respect. Coming to the city shattered that myth. Life here is a lot like the lesson Morrie shared in Tuesdays with Morrie: “The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn’t work, don’t buy it.”
At first, I chased the corporate grind blindly, thinking the next paycheck or promotion would make me happy. But I realized success isn’t just about climbing a ladder — it’s about building a life that feels right for you.
3. People Matter More Than You Think
Moving from my village to the city, I thought independence meant doing everything on my own. But the loneliness of those first few years made me value relationships more than ever. I remember rereading Tuesdays with Morrie during one of those tough days. Morrie’s words hit home: “Love is the only rational act.”
Whether it’s family, friends, or even colleagues, the people around you shape your life. I’ve learned to prioritize calls home, show up for others, and seek connections beyond small talk.
4. Embrace Failures, but Don’t Settle
When I didn’t make it as a footballer, I thought I’d let my younger self down. For months, I felt like I was living a second-choice life. But then, I came across the idea in Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl: “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”
I stopped seeing my job as a compromise and started using it as a stepping stone. Life doesn’t owe us our first dreams, but it does give us the power to create new ones.
5. Your Home Never Leaves You
No matter how far I’ve come, my roots are always with me. I used to feel embarrassed by my small-town background — my awkward English, my “simple” upbringing. But the older I get, the more I value it. The humility, resilience, and warmth of my village life keep me grounded in this fast-moving world.
A Note to My Younger Self
If I could go back, I’d tell 18-year-old me to breathe. To not get too attached to one dream or too anxious about the future. Life won’t always go as planned, but it has a strange way of working out if you stay open, curious, and kind.
So, to anyone out there chasing big dreams while feeling small, know this: You don’t need to have it all figured out. Keep moving, keep learning, and don’t be afraid to start over when life demands it. Because sometimes, the detours turn out to be the most meaningful parts of the journey.
