If you have passed out of your college or have started working, some occasions make you think, “may be, I finally did grow up!” These are those occasions…
1. Becoming a cynic:
Life doesn’t always give you everything you want. When it doesn’t, the disappointment can turn the healthiest person into an awful cynic. When someone offers a very hungry cynic a chocolate, they would still hesitate a bit and think, “What does this person want from me? Maybe he hates me and is trying to poison me.”
There is a reason to this behavior too. We have been taken advantage of so many many times that our brains are always on a high alert to avoid the probability of being a victim again and the misery that follows.
2. Dodging friends:
You find meeting your friends, which, at one point, was the most important thing (more important than your future and career), has taken a back seat. The everyday meet ups turn weekly, then monthly, and yearly… and before you even realize, you are meeting your friends only during occasions that mandate your presence.
“Let’s meet next week and kick ass”, we plan. But when the actual time nears, we all know that we’d rather relax at home or run errands and do mundane chores than travel even a little distance and deal with the social anxieties. Even the phone calls with friends that once were incessant, have now drastically dropped.
3. Caring more about money than relationships:
Isn’t it true that when we did not have enough money, we were least bothered about it and only once we start earning, we hesitate to enjoy with it? Maybe it’s because we have realized that everything in this world revolves around that green thing- MONEY.
We start LOVING money, and USE our loved ones.
Also Read: Amusing Ways How Our Definition of Love Changes With Age
4. Realizing the importance of parents:
You start realizing the sacrifices your parents have made to bring you to a position you are in. Although, you wish you can repay them, you know you never can. You want to do everything for them, but you also have to plan for your family. And once you’re married (be it a man or woman), you inevitably become more concerned with you own family than parents. Which may not be entirely wrong.
You know that you are going to bring your kids up and expect nothing from them, just like the bird that teaches its babies to fly and expects nothing in return.
5. Avoiding places frequented by a lot of youngsters:
Imagine going back to the same places where you used to hang out as young kids and watching the other youngsters behaving the way you used to behave once upon a time. It is going to make you cringe and feel ashamed, coz you remember that you had once been as silly and stupid as them.
It will fill you with nostalgia and you will begin to regret growing up.
6. Hating loud music, loud laughter and anything remotely uncivilized
Remember those loud pubs, bars and cafes you used to chill at for hours together while head banging and singing along with the deafening songs being played by the DJ? Screaming at each other was the norm… Well, all that is just going to be too much to handle now. “What’s up with will all that noise and commotion and the uncivilized behavior”, you think and you can imagine them as Neanderthals from caves.
7. Beginning to notice the flaws in the government, the country & the world
“Why are there too many potholes on the road?” That’s the root cause of all the “Whys” in India. The nagging discontent then grows and grows towards just a limited area, to a city, to a state, to the country, to the continent, to the world, and then to the entire planet. A deep dissatisfaction in the way things are the seedlings for your growing interest in philosophy, meditation & yoga.
8. Always looking at things from ROI perspective
When I said ROI, I definitely meant what I said. Return on Investment! Be it time, money, assistance or even a smile. We are always thinking of ways to get returns on what we invest.
9. Can’t handle much alcohol
Oh! So you think you can drink those three bottles of beer like it was been no big deal, and get away with it? Oh! No, you don’t. Not until you’re rewarded with headaches, body pain, acidity, and many other problems the next day. Turns out your older body is not that immune to alcohol anymore.
Also Read: Crazy Things Women Do at an All Girls Night Out
10. Feel more tired than before
Those days, where you would travel the entire city with a single day and still have the energy to go for a night out with friends- long gone are those days. As you grow older, you want to take rest even if you have just stepped out to see the direction of the sun (exaggerating, of course!). And the night outs- they don’t happen anymore. Sleep is very important.
11. Being happy with few friends
Making friends gets more and more difficult as you grow up. Personally, for me, it’s mainly got to do with the growing cynicism and the declining trust factor. Better keep the friends you already have close, ‘coz hun, you sure aint gonna make any new best friends. Do not bring misunderstanding and egos and set the existing relationships on fire.
12. Vacations become planned events in life
Vacations! Sigh! Days when you would think “Dude, let’s go to goa!” and set off immediately- those days are only going to remind you what you cannot have anymore. With growing responsibilities and dependencies, forget taking a vacation, you cannot even think of going for an unplanned dinner.
13. Beginning to look for good investment options
Saving for the retirement was never a thought that would have crossed your mind when you were in school or college. But the inevitability and fear of growing old will surely kick your ass to think about savings and investment. So you begin looking for the best profit making ideas? Banks, FD, LICs, mutual funds, cryptocurrency, trading… you pick your choice of indulgence. (psst… many undergo huge losses with volatile investments. One must have a fair knowledge about the chosen investment)
14. Understanding the politics- everywhere
Did you ever think there could be something called politics and that it was being played by your own friends? No. You never did. Politics was something bad and only the politicians played. Right?
Wrong! You begin to realize, it’s being played by everyone, right from friends, family, colleagues and sad to say- by you too. You know it, but you don’t want to accept it, do you? You’re not the evil one. The others are.
15. Making career more important than parties or get-togethers
Did someone say party? Well, tonight you have to work on that presentation. What about the time when your friends planned for a get together but you had important clients coming over?
Wait! Did you say you have started enjoying your work more than heading out for a party? You’re such a grown up, Dude!
16. Learning to deal with failures
After having been handed out failures in a platter at every step of life, you now are immune to them. It’s like you get hit, you fall and then you dust yourself up and stand back up. No biggie! Bring it on, life!
Also read: Tips and tricks to excel in corporate
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