Compromises - I never like them

Compromise is one word that I always hated through out my life.  It’s something that bounds a person to sacrifice things that is close to heart but is beyond means.  No matter how hard one tries to avoid it, someday or the other, one has to face it, upfront.  Usually, our utopian world gets shattered due to hard facts of reality.  If we can control things at that moment, we rule…and if not, we compromise. 

The wrist pain in my hand compelled me to get myself a good wrist band which I was searching since last week.  Also, to protect my legs during Parkour practice, my Sensai advised me to use shin guards.  I searched every sports shop for them, right from local to international brands.  My Sensai told me that I would get the wrist band for about Rs 200/- and the shin guard for about Rs 300/-.  After trying numerous shops I was quite disappointed as I could not manage to get good quality stuff. 

Even Reebok and Adidas disappointed me.  However, Nike made me happy as I got good quality stuff in their store.  The only problem was price…Rs 1000/- for a pair of wrist band and another Rs 1200/- for a pair of shin guards literally made me frustrated.  But then Nike is Nike…Hating the compromise factor, I decided to purchase them.  After all now I am earning sufficient to meet my expenses.  I ended up shopping for Rs 9000/- thereby getting a sports bag, sipper, elbow sleeves, knee guard, sports cap, 2 sports T-shirts and a push up stand along with the stuffs I wanted initially.  And when I came out of the mall, there was a sense of satisfaction within me as I accustomed my lifestyle such that I can manage my expenses within my means.  Things like these make me feel that I am far away from the bloody world of compromises, at least financially.  Now that’s what we call – living in our utopian world. 

Today my Mom informed me that Bali Aunty, my Maasi is about to get married next month on June 19^th.  I took it as good news only to learn that it’s nothing but a big compromise with life.  She is 34 and wasn’t married yet.  Not for the reasons that I claim for myself.  But for the reasons she never wanted in life. 

My friends know it very well that I am a slum-dog, who is not at all a millionaire. 

My roots belong to Gaddigodam, a slum in Nagpur, where I spent close to half of my life.  My maternal grandpa was a Coolie and my maternal uncle used to drive an auto rickshaw.  My father belongs to a family where in, his father used to be a tailor.  Indeed, my historical background would lead anyone to conclude that I was from a poor background.  It’s only that my father managed to study hard and fetched himself a semi government job from where we started building our future.  Today my family earns sufficient to manage a decent life.  But that’s my family…not my maternal grandpa’s family. 

Today my grandpa is in his late 70’s and can not even walk properly.  My maternal uncle got paralyzed, four years ago.  And since then, he is on bed like a vegetable, who can just talk and do nothing else.  To add further, my maternal grandparents always had a tension in their minds, as to who would look after my Maasi, who could not get married due to extreme poverty and heavy medical bills of their family. 

And today, when my mom told me that my Maasi agreed to marry a divorcee who already has a graduate daughter and a son, I was completely torn. 

Isn’t it the irony of life, that when I shopped for Nike’s and Zodiacs, I heinously forgot my roots and the family, where I geminated from.  Truly writing, I could not have been a good monetary help to them in the past as even I was struggling 2-3 years ago.  But the very fact that I did not even try for it, makes me deeply grieved.  I could have made the difference only if I wasn’t in my utopian world.  I just forgot that I stayed four long years at my Nani’s place during my childhood.  And when it was my turn to help them and provide them support, I just got lost in my aspirations of a better life. 

Even today, I can’t make much of a difference to them.  But at least, I can try my best to support them monetarily and mentally where ever I could. 

I always talk about making big in life…but now when I actually assess myself, I find that I failed on many smaller things that I could have changed for a better life of others.  Living with this thought, is nothing but a compromise, which I am making these days with my life. 

Toning For Fitness

So now I am completely on the roadmap of making myself fit through a psychology called Jeet Kune Do (JKD)

It all started on April 01^st 2009 which was the first day of my JKD training. Before that, I was dumb & lame, fitness wise. Ever since I left my school, I hardly did any exercise. College days passed by…and when I came here to Gurgaon for work, I could not realize how time moved and I gradually became fat, just like an air balloon. Especially when I went to Germany and US, I had to survive on all the fatty foods that those people eat. Since I never burnt them through physical workout, it just got added to my body and disfigured me completely. Even though I was back to my country, my belly continued to grow. So I jokingly started referring to my belly as – Daulat, jitna badhe utna achha. He he he…how silly was I…actually, it was nothing but an excuse to support my lethargic attitude towards fitness.

Just check out my belly in the photograph below, which were clicked on 21^st and 22^nd February 2009 respectively.

Finally on March 31, 2009, after listening to an ISB Hyderabad lecture on Youtube, I decided to move towards my true north (see one of my blog below). Subsequently, I started chasing my childhood passion for Martial Arts, especially JKD. Since April 01^st 2009, I started my JKD training with many problems. Due to my body full of fats, I realized that I will not be able to execute technical aspects of JKD realistically. And believe me, for the first two weeks, I was highly frustrated as my body used to pain a lot and I used to sleep more and more due to exertion. Those days I was preparing for my exam and so exertion was becoming a hindrance for my studies. So I took a break of about ten days to concentrate on my studies. And after my exams, I re-started my training with full rigor.

During my interaction with Shailly in my office, I learnt her technique of reducing fats. She revealed that she used to follow a diet pattern along with some gymnasium exercises and reduced about 10 Kgs in 2 months. It was then when I realized that even our juniors can motivate us by their deeds. I spent countless number of hours on Youtube and Internet to check out how to loose fats. I learnt that even celebrities like Sonam Kapoor and Adnan Sami were overweight and lost 30 Kgs and 100 Kgs respectively. Hooooooooo…quite shameful for me…isn’t it?

I weighted myself on 4^th April, 2009 to learn that I was of 68 Kgs. I calculated my Body Mass Index (BMI) which placed me in a category called – overweight. Subsequently, I was awakened…and then started a mental & physical journey towards toning myself for a human like body. Since that day, I used to follow the below mentioned diet plan…

After training – a full plate of Papaya along with sprouts including peas, almonds & pulses and cabbage soup flavored with boiled tomatoes, spinach and black pepper.

Noon – 2 chapattis with some cooked vegetables & dal

Night - 2 chapattis with some cooked vegetables

6 glasses of fresh Mixed Fruit juice (sweet lime, pineapple, Pomegranate) along with 1 glass of Mango Juice during the entire day.

I gave up rice completely. Many a times, I used to feel like eating more…kyaa kare? Mom cooks very delicious food…but then, sticking to our diet plan is more of a mental attitude. I considered myself in a testing time and continued with my diet plan strictly.

My exercise regime is very exhaustive. Right from crunches to push ups, from stretching to breathing, the entire warm up exerts me a lot. And the technical aspects of JKD including punches, carats, blocks, kicks along with few parkour techniques are enough to burn those extra fats in my body. Moreover, during my childhood days, my Sensai Virendra Lautkar taught dynamic tension – an art through which one can create physical tension in our own body which burns those extra fats and makes our body rock solid. So I started practicing dynamic tension at home itself.

In just 40 days, I can feel the difference. I have lost 3 Kgs since then. Today, I am more energetic than I used to be earlier. Though after my training, I feel like sleeping more and more…due to exertion, but when I wake up, I feel completely energized for the entire day. I can feel the strength within myself. Even my team members in my office have started complementing me for reducing the curvature of my belly. My friends tell me that I am growing slimmer day by day. My Mom tells me that I am looking younger than what I used to look 2 months ago. Yesterday my Sensai Gunjan Sharma told me that I have been progressing well in terms of reducing fats.

I don't aspire heavy muscles like Arnold or Sylvester...but I do posses a desire to make myself light, toned and rock solid with all those cuts and curves visible on my body. Bruce Lee is still a God to me...And JKD is a path to find God within...It's just the beginning...I have to dwel myself deep into the JKD psycology with timely introspection & analysis through meditation, so as to make myself a true martial.

Fitness is a lifelong journey which I never intend to stop…I have learnt my lesson - Working is good as it leads us to good life. But Workout should not be ignored, as it leads us to a healthy life.