In today’s wired, networked, Whatsapped, Instagrammed world finding the space to insulate oneself, review, realign and do a reality check to assess whether we are staying true to ourselves, our goals and dreams without veering away from the chosen path is easier said than done. While in the past we had members of a joint family sometimes getting in one’s hair, today, thanks to 24x7 TV, social media and gizmos galore — almost everyone in your circle and outside of it is in your inbox, notification list, message folder, chat threads and on your screens. There is no dearth of opinions, posts, forwards (good, bad, indifferent), flaunting/sharing this that and the other leaving one exhausted and on occasions feeling inadequate.

Therefore it is important to shield oneself from the deluge and stay true to one’s path. Looking deeper, understanding where people are coming from and what drives their agenda is critical to remaining anchored and holding one’s ground in the midst of this on your face invasion of your space — which you can overlook if you want to at some risk of getting cut-off. What helps one to stay firmly rooted is the faith in one’s core beliefs and values and clear focus on one’s goals. It is easy to stray away and hop on to the next bandwagon if one lacks conviction and staying power. Great achievements take time after all.

In the bargain one tends to draw comparisons mostly unfavourable and under value one’s own accomplishments and progress. The grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence and at times it might seem as if one is not getting anywhere at all. Hence it is vital to bear in mind that each one of us has a unique and one- of-a-kind identity. Our journeys, in pursuit of our goals small and large (the ultimate being self realisation ) are just as singular and different from the other person’s and we are in a sense specially chosen to traverse the path laid out for us. The route may be circuitous, tortuous or never ending but by hanging in there without giving up (course correct by all means when you need to — would be foolish not to) it will be well worth it when you “arrive”. Also remember that you have to pretty much walk your path alone and it often amounts to ploughing a lonely furrow if you want to achieve something different, worthwhile and off the beaten track.

By clinically insulating yourself periodically and doing a reality check you will get a good enough picture of where you are and where you are headed. Else every time we succumb to the temptation to compare, belittle ourselves and change track we are losing precious time, energy and deviating from the path that would take us closer to our goal.