Keep Your Limits

Hello,

Whenever a person stumbles in life, he/she looks for the reasons why it happened, whom to blame, makes excuses, keeps thinking about it and kicks self or just forget about it, saying that it  happens.

Frequently I come across quotes that make me say, hmmm, that makes sense. I must remember that. I am afraid, it lasts a couple of days and then I see something else and say, oh, I knew that, I read it before.

Here is a little conversation between two siblings about what the younger one wants to do and why.

Meera

Keep Your Limits

Sagar called Sapna to help him move a dresser so he could reach for the things like coins, pens, pencils and such that dropped behind it. Sapna did not come, she did not even give an answer. 

Sagar called again. No response. He took off his gloves, which he thought gave him a great edge in lifting weights at the age of seventeen. Of course, he gave up lifting weights in favor of Karate but did not part with the gloves. 

Sagar went to Sapna's room. 

She slumped at her desk. Her teary face and a bunch of tissues in the waste basket told a story that Sagar wanted to investigate. 

"Sis, what's up? How about helping me push my dresser a few inches to get my stuff out."

Sapna pouted, "I don't want to leave my room. Go away."

"Okay, I'll leave, after you tell me why you are so upset."

Sapna sulked and played with some tissue.

"Come on, sis, I am your friend." Sagar moved some tissue aside and sat on her desk.

"Mom says I can not take gymnastics, modeling and art."

Sagar frowned, "Oh, you want to drop your soccer?"

'Nooooo, I want to play soccer and take these classes too. All my friends are doing it."

"Hmm, that is tough. They all sound interesting. Let's see if we can sort it out."

Sapna looked up, "What's there to sort out? I want to take these and Mom says no, keep only two."

Sagar went hmmm again and said, "Well, you are going in the ninth grade after summer. That's high school, you'll be getting tons of homework."

"So?"

"Let's see a day has 24 hours. About ten go to sleep, two for eating, eight in school and that leaves four hours for soccer, gymnastics, modeling and art And your schoolwork."

"I don't need ten hours of sleep and I don't have all the classes everyday."

Sagar nodded, "True. Sapna, from what I know of high school, we do get tons of reading and lots of homework," He made a face, "And all that takes time. Maybe you'll have to rethink your choices."

Sagar jumped off the desk, "I'm going to let you think about it and move my dresser later."

Before Sagar stepped out of her room, Sapan said, "Bhaiya, I decided."

Sagar turned to face his sister, "And?"

"Well, I'll just keep soccer for physical exercise and art for relaxation and the school courses. I did so want to do modeling, I could have learnt so much about fashion and stuff."

Sagar smiled, "Fashion and stuff? Anyway, you made good choices. Randy Pausch said, 'Don't over-do, keep your limits.'"

Sapna wrinkled her nose, "Never heard of him, who is Randy Pausch? "

"A writer. He also said, 'No one is in charge of your happiness except you.'"

"He sounds sensible."

"Yes, he also said, 'Smile and laugh more' and ..."

"Have you memorised all his quotes?"

" No, just some. He also said, 'You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.'"

"Huh? That does not make sense."

"Never mind, think about it and listen to this, 'Don't have negative thoughts of things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.' Forget about fashion and gymnastics."

Sapna shook her head, "Are you for real, Bhaiya? Throwing all these quotes at me! I still like gymnastics and I'll learn about fashion from magazines and stuff."

Sagar said, "Go for it, dear sis." He smiled as he left her room.


The End


© 2014, Meera Desai Shah

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