When was the last time you did something for the first time?
Your answer (most probably): I don’t remember.

I heard this question in an ad some time back and this very simple question got me thinking. Although it was supposed to be a tacky line for the ad, it turned out to be a very difficult question for others whom I asked and myself. None of us could remember when was the last time we did something we liked doing, let alone, doing the first time.

Think about it. When was the last time you did something you like doing? When was the last time you got together with friends to watch a movie, or share gossip over a cup of tea? When was the last time you spent an entire day with your grandparents like you used to in younger days? When was the last time you sat down and poured over all those pictures of yesteryears and thought about the good old days? When was the last time you read a good book that made a difference in your life? When was the last time you went out for a long drive and saw the sunset at the beach? When was the last time you danced in the rain?

It certainly is a scary question but more than that, it makes you think. Think about your daily routine and you will realize what a mess your life is. How devoid it is of excitement, pleasure, adventure and passion. We tend to associate these words with special moments only. In our everyday lives, these feelings don’t seem to play any part at all. And most of you would think: how can they? How can you feel excited, passionate, adventurous or pleasant every single day?

The small things that make our everyday more meaningful for others and ourselves are not hard to come by. Feeling excited everyday requires a positive attitude and love for what one is doing. I love going to my university and there is a certain feeling of excitement towards what the day holds for me. There are days when the mere thought of going to the university kills all feelings, but then, I’m human too!!

Excitement can come when you listen to your favorite song. It can come when you think of doing something different or new. You can feel excited about baking a cake, or learning how to drive, or getting new clothes made. You can feel pleasure when you buy a flower from a roadside kid and he smiles at you. Pleasure can be when your husband appreciates your effort at something or your child brings a drawing with “I love you mom!” written on it.

And when you feel passionate about your life, you can not only make your life exciting and maybe a little adventurous, but also face the challenges that come your way. And too much passion can lead you slightly astray. A perfect example being that of myself straying away from the initial question!

But then, maybe all this does kind of answer my question. If we have a positive attitude towards life and are willing to do something constructive, we would automatically start doing new things more frequently. I believe there are two things that are needed to do something new: initiative and a passion for living.

Doing something new is not just going to some foreign country and seeing the sights and sounds and riding on a roller coaster, or bungee jumping or driving a Ferrari. Doing something new can start right at home. Redecorate your room. Now that’s doing something new and it isn’t all that difficult. Treat yourself to that new dress you badly wanted. Or better still, the most new thing that you can do is doing something for others. Get your mom that antique vase she wanted or get that tool kit your husband has been talking about since ages. And gradually, work towards doing things that are more new and more meaningful. Spend a day at SOS and bring smiles on the faces of many orphans. Now that’s doing something that is new. And make sure you make a habit of it!

Saying and writing such things might be easy but when it comes to practical life, nothing seems to materialize. Somehow, all our plans and efforts seem to fizzle out as we get caught up in the race to be successful and rich. And while running this race we seem to forget what our initial goal was. And when we do realize this, it’s too late to turn back and start anew.

But it’s not about changing your life and packing up all your stuff to go and live with the monkeys like Anthony Hopkins did in Instinct. It’s about doing something you always wanted to do but never got a chance. It’s about doing something new, something that could put that zeal back into your life. Something that could make you realize that you have a purpose in life.

What with the war in Iraq and the problems that are present in our own country, life seems depressing. Only through our individual effort to improve our own lives and of a few others around us will we be able to make everyday (almost!) a happy and fulfilled day. So go ahead and try something new. Something new that makes you happy and brings smiles on the faces of others too. And then, you can answer this question again and again and again…

“When was the last time you did something for the first time?”

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