How My Life Changed from Being Orthodox to Exotic
A family member of mine was visiting me once for the night. He was yawning, tired of the 5-hour drive, his eyes as heavy as a bag of potatoes with sleepiness. I suggested politely, “You can retire for the evening, you look tired, we can chat tomorrow”. “It’s only 11:00 pm” came the reply yawning.

So all this breaking away from the norms, the urge to look and do different created a culture. A way of life. That lifestyle is now followed by the majority I believe. The originality of this movement, Do whatever you want, is now lost, to say the least.

Lately, it only translates to just do opposite as much as possible to what everyone else is doing. Don’t account for your personal will only if it leans on the side of the old ways. Otherwise, it’s just fine.

How Tradition Became Exotic

Since custom has its place in our lives, the new custom was to be fashionably late for work, for meetups, and basically for everything. Be always occupied in activities not because you like them but because they are the talk of the town.

This has become the new normal. The old ways now stand unique. Since we are so enticed about breaking away from the society, we feel that being able to do the things right way (read: the old way how it was done originally before all that do whatever you want thing) exotic. It seems out of the ordinary.

This burning itch to look different has now again brought the spotlight on how to wake up early in the morning. How to live your life with discipline, how to be a gentleman. A plethora of articles are written on how to be organized, live a life of purpose. There is an entire movement with articles, apps and routines to help people wake up early in the morning.

So where do I fit in?

What was once a routine has now become a fashion. After more than two decades of my seemingly mundane, extremely boring, colourless, dull, and stock lifestyle has made me an icon of perfectionism. What adds to the personality is my ability to do it without much effort.

Still, people don’t appreciate me for what I do. They like it because it is extremely opposite to what people are normally doing. What was once a common practice, a stock, a custom has now become unique, out of the ordinary, highly customized, and against the new form tradition.

Going to bed at 10’o clock is exotic (seriously).

Being able to limit your life to a few things so you have free time seems like a fairy tale. Ironed clothes, being on time is like playing a character from a movie because who does that today? Nobody. That’s what makes it so exciting.

Rest in peace “Do whatever you want”.

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['Ahsan Chaudhry']
['Life Lessons', 'Inspiration', 'Self Improvement', 'Life', 'Creativity']