Tips from Alice in Wonderland

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”

“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.

“I don’t much care where–” said Alice.

“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.

“–so long as I get SOMEWHERE,” Alice added as an explanation.

“Oh, you’re sure to do that,” said the Cat, “if you only walk long enough.”

― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Recently, I came across these lines and thought them to be quite profound and interesting. I must have read this book “ Alice in Wonderland” when I was about 15 yrs or so.In the above dialouge and exchange of words between Alice and the Cheshire Cat, we see some valuable and important points that needs to be incorporated into our lives.

Think about your life. How can you take a road, when you don't know where you want to go in life.? That’s why direction in Life is important. Firstly, know your current standing, make the wise choices and chalk out a plan of action. As it is said, time and tide wait for none. You never know, how quickly time goes away. Dont be in a position that after 5 or 10 years, dont regret for not making the choices, the right ones and letting the time go by.I know from experience and have seen people waste their time uselessly. In india, during youth make simply waste their time by sitting out in their favourite places (called Adda) like, a Cafe or Restaurant, on near bus stands and walls and all that they do is to simply, look at girls walk by passing comments etc. It might seem, lot of fun and enjoyment but, will get you no where except trouble and wasted life.

How can you get “there”, when you don’t know where that “there is”?

This is called, Goal setting. What is your goal. Dont simply dream that, yeah I will be a Doctor or a Engineer. You have to have a more realistic and solid plan of how you are going to achieve what you wanted. Use tools like – SMART specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and timely.    

Know where you are going. Imagine this, suppose the Captain of a Aircraft makes the following announcement “ Dear passengers, I have a good news and a bad news.The good news is that we are flying at very high speed and the bad news is that , we don't know where we are heading to”. So going at a high speed, without knowing where you are going is simply useless and dangerous.

Association and the company that you keep is another important thing. It is said that, a man is known by the company that he keeps.Keep your self with like minded people and people that motivate and not that ones that drag you to the bottom. Don't become blind and follow another blind man so that, both of you fall in a ditch.

Take help and guidance. Dont be shy in asking people.You will be surprised how much people can tell you and teach.I know some people say, I am a self made made and I want to experience everything for myself.But, two things might happen. By the time you gain all the experience,you become old it might be too late to act or forget you past experience. I once saw a person wearing a tea shirt which had these words “ Been there , done that but cant remember anything”.

Alright, when I get some time I plan to read the whole book “Alice in Wonderland” and come up with some more useful tips. Till then, if you get a chance you read it and let me know how you went.