Frankly, “having it all” had a different meaning to me at various stages of life. While growing up, moving to a standard college and then getting a job in the US or somewhere great was my “having it all”. It drastically changed when I completed my engineering degree. An engineering job, get married to someone who accepts me as it is, and settle down in Bangalore became the “having it all”.
When rejections started happening both in personal and professional life, “having it all” was far from reach. Again jumped on a different opinion of a satisfying job, a bit more pay, and a compatible partner. But life always humbles you when you have your “having it all”.
Chasing success, money, a partner, and so-called validation from society was the meaning of “having at all”. But I noticed that none of the times have all of these come together. If you have money and success, then a partner may not be what you wish. If you have the partner, then money may be missing.
If we define “having at all”, we will never be able to attain those. It is too much of philosophical sentences, I agree. But at my current age, which is 33, single, and happy with my expectations in job, society ends up tagging me as a failure. While I am here, earning well, sitting on the weekend with not much noticeable tensions.
But here’s what I’ve learned: as we age, the meaning of “having it all” fades. What remains is how you feel about your own life when no one’s watching. What remains is how you sleep at night, how light your heart feels on a Saturday afternoon.
I do doubt myself, become vulnerable, and think why this had to be this way. But if we have an answer, then where is the curiosity left?
