โ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ข๐น๐ฑ ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ ๐ง๐ฎ๐๐ด๐ต๐ ๐ ๐ฒ ๐๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐๐น๐น๐ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ โ The Power of Focusing on One Thing at a Time
Our school WhatsApp group taught me one thing: memory fades, but enthusiasm doesnโt.
Reunions, Nostalgia & Why We Remember What We Truly Lived.
Please read on..
Something that happened to me recently in a school WhatsApp group made me wonder โ Was I Sleepwalking Through My School Days?โ.
It wasnโt easy to keep in touch with friends back in the 80s & 90s.
People moved to different cities or colleges, and the only way to stay connected was through snail mail. Telephones (Yes, landlines) existed in very few homes. Mobiles were non existent in those days.
Once someone shifted homes, letters would stop or get lost. Slowly, friendships would fade. Of course, there were exceptions, but that was the reality for most of us.
Today, with social media (plenty of platforms), it seems effortless to find & reconnect with anyone. Yet, try searching for that one friend you lost touch with 20 or 30 years ago โ and youโll realize itโs not that simple.
Names have changed (my brother shortened his second name โSampangiramaiahโ to โSampaโ after moving to the US), some now use their full Aadhaar versions (mine went from โMurthy Sampangiramaiah Narasimhaโ to a much simpler โMurthy SNโ), & others go only by their first names.
And the profile pictures? Pets, gardens, mountain views โ everything except themselves!
So, when someone new joins an old school or college WhatsApp group, itโs quite a moment. Recently, a long-lost friend joined our school group, and it triggered a three-day storm of messages โ almost 300+ across time zones. He single-handedly woke everyone up, checked in on families, careers, & life updates.
It was heartwarming to see stories resurface โ mischievous classroom escapades, pranks on teachers, school trips, stage dramas gone wrong, competitions, and crushes. But as the messages poured in, I realized something strange: few of those moments didnโt even ring a bell for me.
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I started wondering โ where was I when all this was happening?
Was my memory failing, or was I justโฆ not fully there back then?
Assuming my memoryโs fine, the only other explanation is that I probably wasnโt PRESENT ENOUGH to remember. Maybe I was physically there, but not emotionally involved โ half-engaged in my studies, friendships, or school life.
It made me think about how we often go through life that way โ half-attentive, multitasking, distracted.
We remember experiences that we lived fully. When we were completely absorbed in a project, a conversation, or even a silly school prank โ thatโs when memories stick.
And thatโs where I believe the real โPower of Focusing on One Thing at a Timeโ lies.
When you give something or someone your complete attention โ no distractions, no split focus โ it turns ordinary moments into lasting experiences.
Makes you wonder โ how often do we truly do that today?
In our work, our relationships, or even with ourselves?
Would love to understand your experiences and thoughts.
