One fine day, I was reading The Argumentative Indian by Amartya Sen and came across a line that stayed with me "Not fare well, but fare forward." After understanding its meaning, my constantly running mind started connecting it to every part of my life. I realised how often we, as humans, do things purely out of emotion instead of practicality. We get caught up in finding emotional ways out instead of working steadily and providing for ourselves. We let thousands of unnecessary thoughts occupy our minds. Growing up has taught me, time and again, that life is not a race but it's also not a movie driven by feelings. You need to think practically. Because, truthfully, emotions are only valued by those who are already settled (emotionally, financially, socially). For the rest of us, we live in a world where people rarely care about other humans unless it affects them directly.

So why am I talking about emotions when this phrase "fare forward" is about perseverance, about doing what must be done even in the worst situations? To answer that, let me tell you about a boy 23 years old living away from his family in a new city. He's surrounded by people he barely knows, trying his best to build a career. Every day he makes small efforts, spends heavily on education, and keeps moving forward.And then, one fine day, he calls home. His mother picks up, tired yet calm. His father is in the hospital. She's handling everything alone.That's when negative thoughts creep in "What am I doing here? Shouldn't I be with them?" In that moment, doing something for his family makes him realise how much of life he hasn't truly lived yet.But he also knows he can't leave college, or internships, or deadlines. So what should he do? Follow the flow and let things continue? Or drop everything and run home to help?The answer, perhaps, lies somewhere in between balance. At 23, life begins to test your relationships, career, friendships, professional goals everything starts demanding strategy and sacrifice. And often, it's your family that silently bears the cost of your growth.Parents may not say it, but they always need you. They just never want to stop you from moving forward. I wish I had the courage my parents have to keep giving, silently, without expecting anything in return.The moral of the story is Live your life. Help your family. Do your karma without expecting fruits. Don't cut the roots of your own tree because they're the ones that keep you standing when everything else feels uncertain.