dailyprompt Archives - Hope With Anirban

Say “Yes” to Life

The author writes why saying “Yes” is as important as saying “No” to life.

Daily writing prompt

How often do you say “no” to things that would interfere with your goals?

I don’t usually say “No” but I wish I had said it more.

I think I’m not clear about what I want.

Sure I want to buy a house, buy a car, a bike, and have a certain net worth. But I don’t think I’m clear on my purpose in life.

I mean I don’t value money or any kind of scarce resource more than time.

I value relationships, time, people, etc. more than money.

In fact I say “Yes” more than I say “No”.

I want to meet more people, have more interactions, go out more, read more books, learn more courses, etc.

I don’t want to work more to earn money. I want to do what’s best for me.

And earning money isn’t the only thing in the world.

It is important but it’s not everything.

I think being a good human being is what’s most important. And to be a good person, we need to interact more, talk to more people, understand ourselves, write more journals, etc.

So yeah I don’t say “No” much but I do say “Yes” to things that might interfere with my goals.

I mean what is life more than a journey towards your goals.

And if you say “No” to the things that would enrich your life in the journey, there’s no point in living such a life.

So I say “Yes”.

Thanks for reading this line! It means a lot.

If I had to travel across the country, I’d do this…

The author writes about why he’d choose a business class air travel option over others for travelling across the country.

Daily writing prompt

You’re going on a cross-country trip. Airplane, train, bus, car, or bike?

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If I am going on a trip across the country, I would use my credit card reward points to book a business class airplane ticket at a discount.

At least that’s what I would really do.

I am not a good bike or car driver. And I don’t want to waste my time travelling in a bus or a train.

I value my time and time is money.

So yeah if I had to travel from Kolkata to Bengaluru, I would never, at least for now, travel in a bus, train, car or bike. I would take the airplane.

Because I really don’t want to waste my time.

And I know there’s the “viewing the scenery while travelling” part which I would miss.

I’m sure I want to know the culture and I wish I could travel by train, bus, car or bike.

But I would be lying to you if I said I would go on a bike trip because I won’t. I would realistically get a business class airplane ticket.

Thank you for reading this line. It means a lot!

How I Turned My Failure Into Success

The author writes about how he failed in high school and still managed to complete his MBA years later in spite of other people’s negative remarks.

When I was in class 11 in high school, I failed and was detained for one year.

I was asked to change schools and study in class 11 again.

It was a failure for me. And I felt very bad about myself at that time.

I felt like I was not enough and that I was somehow flawed and not normal.

I remember a few remarks from my relatives about me failing one year and it stuck with me.

Whenever I wanted to feel good about myself, those remarks about failing one year would haunt me.

“How can I be a successful person knowing that I failed a test in class 11?”

“I am a failure because I failed in my studies.”

All kinds of negative self-talk started in my mind since then.

But fast forward 10 years, I have completed my MBA in Data Science.

I have completed a post-graduate degree.

And I am proud of myself.

I have persisted and not given up.

I have worked and I have achieved my version of success no matter the size.

My failure in class 11 set me up for success by making me more ambitious.

After I failed in class 11 I wanted to show my relatives that I can do much bigger things.

If they want to make me a black sheep of the family, I’ll show that I can be different in a great way.

That I can be different from them by getting an MBA degree and someday starting my own business.

And I know the importance of forgiveness and that it’s normal for those remarks by relatives.

I do forgive them for what they said, and I also know that the fire inside me for greater dreams has been lit up and there’s no stopping now.

I am grateful for my failure in class 11 and my relatives’ remarks. Because they were fuel for my successes.

Thank you for reading this line! It means a lot.

The Opening Sentence of My Autobiography

This author explains with a story why “This is the story of a lucky man…” is the most appropriate opening for his autobiography.

If I ever write an autobiography I would begin it with “This is the story of a lucky man…”.

Why?

Because it is the only opening sentence that could make sense.

I could begin with “The secret to success is hard work…” or “Don’t give up ever…”, but I think that “This is the story of a lucky man” is the most appropriate one.

Let me explain why.

When I was in class 11 in school, I couldn’t study. I simply couldn’t sit down and feel like studying.

I’d play video games from morning till midnight daily because I couldn’t study and this was my way to escape my boredom.

I was going to therapy but I kept changing therapists because I wasn’t satisfied with their counselling.

Four years later I started taking a degree course in Bachelor of Business Administration and I scored 70% in the aggregate results.

I was able to study sometimes and I believe it was due to the medication that my psychiatrist had given me.

And that’s how I also completed my Master of Business Administration in Data Science last year.

When I was in class 11 I didn’t know what I didn’t know.

I was lost and I didn’t realize it.

I was lucky to have found good psychiatrists and therapists.

Without them I’d still be helpless.

But it is not psychology, psychiatry or self-help that helped me.

It was luck.

I didn’t know that if I took medicine I’d be able to study.

But the events in my life forced me to take medicines.

I wasn’t voluntarily doing any of it. The universe helped me do it.

It’s as if the universe had chosen me to suffer and to heal my own suffering.

And I learnt a lot of lessons that way.

Actually none of us can take responsibility for our successes because none of us can explain the sheer amount of luck that’s involved in these processes.

So yeah I really think I would begin my autobiography with “This is the story of a lucky man…”.

Thank you for reading this line. It means a lot to me.

If you feel like a failure, read this…

The author writes about himself being a failure all his life and how he found meaning and purpose in spite of that.

I think I’ve been a black sheep of my family. I’ve been failing at everything I attempted to do for the entire 26 years of my life.

But I think I’ll be successful in my life.

When I was in class 11 at my school, I failed a year. And I was detained and I had to repeat a year.

And I identified myself with a failure. And it can get demoralizing sometimes but it taught me a lesson.

The lesson was “No matter what happens, failure is a stepping stone for success. It’s not the end of the world.”

Even after failing multiple times, if you can keep going for a lofty goal in life, you’ll be successful.

In fact if you’re working hard to succeed even after failing multiple times, you’re a “successful person” in your own right.

When I was studying for my undergraduate degree, I wanted to start a career in copywriting.

I even bought a course after asking money from my parents.

And I ended up leaving the course half-way because I found it was very difficult for me.

And that was also a failure.

But it also taught me the same lesson- to keep moving forward.

I know I don’t do well in classroom environments when a teacher teaches me a fixed curriculum.

I like to learn on my own. And I thrive in that way.

And that way I’ve completed my MBA in Data Science(online mode), I’ve completed many small courses.

I’ve started a business in 2020 and failed(which is a win because I learnt many business lessons).

I’ve never stopped believing in myself. And every day is a battle I still continue to fight.

And as I said if a person continues to work hard in spite of failing multiple times, they’re a “successful person” in their own right.

Life isn’t the same all the time. It changes. You change.

And nothing lasts forever. “This too shall pass” as they say.

So success is just around the corner even if it’s too small to notice.

But it’s by being grateful for those small successes that we learn to change our identities from a “failure” to a “success”.

Thank you for reading this line. It means a lot to me.

What are my thoughts on the concept of living a very long life?

I think being satisfied is more important than the age you are at.

I think the question of living a short or long life comes up because when we grow older we become weak and various diseases affect our health.

In short, it’s not pleasurable to live a long old life.

So if I write “Life should be lived now to the fullest rather than waiting for a day in the future when we would have ‘enough’ money for retirement”, I would do injustice to the fact that irrespective of whether you live now or later, the most important thing is to be content and be satisfied with what you already have.

So if you are young and trying to enjoy life now, but you still want more, more of everything, then you’re not living life.

And if you are old and have enough money for your retirement, but you hate every moment of your life and have a lot of regrets because you lost your youth and good health, then you’re also not living life.

The truth is you can enjoy your life at every moment of your life if you are content and happy with what you have.

Believing in a higher power may help to have such a tranquil mindset.

So be grateful for what you have. Be content and satisfied with what you already have.

Thanks for reading this line. It means a lot!

What could I do differently?

I could read more fiction books. Because reading shapes the mind and stories can change lives.

I think I could read more fiction books. I could prioritize reading every day.

I think I underestimate the power of reading fiction books.

Right now I’m reading ‘Jane Eyre’ by Charlotte Brontë. And I absolutely love it.

But I want to read it faster.

I’m only able to read it before going to bed.

During the day I’m able to read it sometimes, but mostly I feel like I need to be more productive by studying data science or looking for a job.

But I guess I need to prioritize reading more.

Because it is important for shaping my mind.

I believe stories hold the power to change a person, not non-fiction books.

So I think this year(2026) I want to read more story books/novels/fiction.

And that’s what I could do differently, instead of going through my life in the usual mode of just chasing after money.

Thanks for reading this line. It means a lot!

My Hardest Decision: Overcoming Anxiety To Pass My Exams

Daily writing prompt

What’s the hardest decision you’ve ever had to make? Why?

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The hardest decision that I ever made was to trust my parents when they forced me to take the class 12th board exams despite my mental illness.

I had been mentally ill in 2017. And I was admitted to NIMHANS(National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences), Bangalore for 2-3 months and came back to Howrah.

And I was so depressed that I couldn’t get out of bed or take a bath properly.

Plus I was diagnosed with bipolar affective disorder(BPAD).

And I think it was one of those days when my parents were really worried about me.

So they forced me to take the practicals and board exams of class 12.

I remember when our car reached the school I was feeling very scared. I thought that I couldn’t take the practicals. And yet my parents forced me to go to school and take them.

I performed pretty badly but passed. And I remember I couldn’t answer some of the viva questions.

And in the board exams I performed okay.

I passed my class 12th board exams in 2018 without dropping any year.

And for this I am grateful to my parents.

If they hadn’t forced me to take the exams I wouldn’t be here completing my MBA graduation.

If they hadn’t been there for me, I might have dropped out of school. But it was because of them that I was able to take the exams and pass out of school.

So this was my hardest decision I’d even had to make. To trust someone else more than how much I trusted myself.

Thank you for reading this line. It means a lot.

I wish I had learned to prioritise myself earlier in life

Share a lesson you wish you had learned earlier in life.

I wish I did what I did in life – for myself.

I wish I had prioritised myself while doing something.

This is a lesson I learnt later in my life.

Earlier in my life I did it to please others.

But once I realise that if I continue doing things for others, I will keep feeling low and eventually give up.

I’m still working on doing stuff for myself.

And I don’t claim to be perfect. But I’m trying.

When I prioritise myself and do things for myself, I feel more satisfied.

Thanks for reading this line. It means a lot!

My “Perfect” Emergency Preparedness Plan Wisdom

Create an emergency preparedness plan.

Well I already feel anxious after reading this prompt…

And I feel like I don’t want to think about it.

All I want to do is avoid making this plan even though I know that making a plan is important.

Because I feel anxious and I want to stop feeling anxious.

But jokes aside, here’s my perfect plan-

Keep enough stock of food
Save money every month
Have an emergency fund
Make a household budget
Have investments
And at the same time stay sane

Maybe this is not the most perfect plan but it is a plan.

Many people won’t even make a plan.

But I did.

And regarding the last point “And at the same time stay sane”, it should come on top because without a calm mind you will make deadly mistakes.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, most people suffered a lot due to improper planning.

And many didn’t even have a plan.

And again regarding the staying sane part, I have anxiety and bipolar disorder and personality disorders.

And I got discharged from NIMHANS, which is the most reputed mental health hospital in Asia, my family was able to sustain me and themselves because we had a plan.

I stayed in NIMHANS for 3.5months approx.

And I feel we were lucky to have a plan.

So this is my perfect emergency preparedness plan with an imperfect sequence of activities and a somewhat informal writing style.

Thanks for reading this line. It means a lot!☺️