Calvin and Hobbes cartoon strips by Bill Watterson present a heart-warming, beautiful and befuddled stage of childhood that we all have been through. He is in a phase where life’s preposterous rules make no sense at all, everything in the world is unfair, there is not enough time to play and to watch TV, studies are equivalent to suffocation and the greens on the plate just make him sick. These were the very situations we faced when we were kids, when we were restless and when the conventions of life didn’t suit us. He challenged and questioned all pre-conceived notions till he was satisfied with the answers (or was kicked out for being annoying).
So here are 7 life hacks for a better living from Calvin and Hobbes:
- When in doubt, dance!
A little dance party never hurt anyone, shake you bum, throw your hands in the air and have the time of your life, a half an hour dance party will give answers to all your *oh, so complicated* life problems that no therapist could ever give you in 100 hours long sessions and the best part is you’ll burn up some fat while decoding the secrets of life.
2. Love is weird
Oh, so true Calvin, love is a strange, funny, complicated little thing. Love works in mysterious ways, it can be an instant mood buster or an instant mood refresher, either way it affects us in way that makes our lives go topsy-turvy, our heads a little dizzy, our hearts a little fluffy and our brains a lot messed up. But the mystery remains that one who is in love is in hot soup and one who is not in love is dying to jump into it.
All said and done bachon ‘pyaar vyaar sab dhoka hai, padhlo beta mauka hai’
3. Math is insanely dangerous
Math like life is tough, scary and drains the energy out of us if taken seriously. Nutella conversely takes us into its warm embrace and assures us that all is right with the world. So forget math and dig deep into a nutella jar because the former will just bring infinite problems to you and the latter one will make you cozy, comfy, content and calm all at once. *drools* nutella is heaven in a jar. Keep one with you at all times just in case you get dumped, lose your phone, get kicked out of the house and the like happen.
Hence proved, math=dangerous unlimited attacks while nutella=dance party in a jar.
4.Our parents did the best they could
This is true, our parents DID the best they could, they may have made mistakes at times, may have messed up, but they were no experts in parenting and learnt on-the-job. Don’t hold any grudges against them, spend time with them and never ever let any of your actions embarrass them. And as cliché as it may sound do everything you can in your power to make them proud. After all we were not born with hands-on tips for how to handle US or for better parenting. Even they are first timers on being parents.
5. Go outside and seek adventure
Not the gym, nor the club where you are a privileged member, Chuck your laptops and tablets, wear your sneakers, move your lazy bums and play in the park, on the swings, go for a run, just be outside and take the beauty all in. Feel the sunshine on your skin. Breathe the fresh air. See miniature and cute past versions of yourself running around like maniacs and do all the crazy stuff from your childhood. There is a certain magic in the outside world.
6. Pick yourself up and move on
“The incey wincey spider
Climbed up the spout
Down came the rain
And washed the spider out
Out came the sun
And dried up all the rain
And the incey wincey spider
Climbed up again.”
It’s time to learn something from cutie incy wincy from our kindergarten days
7. Don’t let schooling interfere with your education
That would be the worst thing to do. We all like Calvin are pretty smart and wise and at times struggle with simple math problems, intelligence is in no way based on our marks. Look at the bigger picture, marks won’t ensure a content and successful life; grades won’t guarantee a rich living. Have your own set of rules regarding education. Read as much as you can: books, magazines, newspapers, blogs, read anything you lay your hands on. Go beyond you course structure. You’ve got to throw yourself out there and explore. Challenge yourself and believe that only good things are going to happen.
The one thing to hold on to for the years to come by is to not let your imagination die. Keep it alive and kicking, that is what is going to make life in this unfair yet beautiful world bearable!
