Wanderings with Nikhil

Navigating Life's Journey, One Adventure at a Time.

nostalgic Indian culture storyteller

( A happy man full of affection ) There was a time when this question used to scare me. “Where do you see yourself in 10 years?” It sounded less like a question and more like a judgment. As if life were a race and I were already expected to know my finish line. People…

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“I Don’t Know Where I’ll Be in 10 Years… But I Know Who I Want to Be”

Daily writing prompt
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

( A happy man full of affection )

There was a time when this question used to scare me.

“Where do you see yourself in 10 years?”

It sounded less like a question and more like a judgment. As if life were a race and I were already expected to know my finish line.

People around me had answers ready.

I want to be a CEO.”
“I’ll be settled abroad.”
“I’ll have my own company.”

And then there was I.

Silent.

Not because I lacked dreams… but because my dreams never fit into timelines.

The Day I Stopped Chasing Distance

One evening, I was sitting on the terrace, watching the sun melt into the horizon.

It struck me—
The sun doesn’t rush.
It doesn’t worry about tomorrow’s sunrise.
It simply shines… fully… today.

And that day, something inside me whispered:

“Why are you so obsessed with distance… when life is lived in moments?”

My Answer Changed That Day

If someone asks me today:

“Where do you see yourself in 10 years?”

I smile.

And I say:

I don’t know… and honestly, I don’t wish to know.”

Because life is not a Google Map…
And I am not a pinned location.

What I Truly Want

But yes… if there is something I wish for…

It is this:

I want to become a good human being.

Not famous.
Not powerful.
Not extraordinary.

Just… kind.

Someone who can sit beside another human and say:

I am here… you can speak.”

Zindagi ka safar itna lamba bhi nahi hota,
Ki insaan insaan na reh paaye…”

The Art of Being Present

We often think helping someone means solving their problems.

But sometimes…
helping means just listening.

I remember a small incident.

A friend once called me late at night.
He didn’t need advice.
He didn’t need solutions.

He just needed someone who wouldn’t interrupt.

That night, I said very little.

But after the call, he said something I will never forget:

“You didn’t solve anything… but you made everything lighter.”

And I realised—

You don’t need to be strong to support someone.
You just need to be present.

The Fear of Hurting Others

One of my biggest fears is this:

That I might unknowingly hurt someone.

Because words… once spoken… don’t return.

Words are not just letters,
They are silent arrows,
Once released,
They find a heart…

And sometimes,
The wound stays forever.

So I try…

To speak gently.
To pause before reacting.
To understand before judging.

Because kindness is not weakness.
It is awareness.

Sharing Grievances – Not Just Happiness

We all love sharing joy.

But real connection happens when we share pain.

I want to be that person
whom people don’t hesitate to call when life feels heavy.

Not because I have answers…
But because I have ears that listen without judgment.

Dard baantne se kam hota hai, yeh suna tha kabhi,
Aaj mehsoos kiya, jab kisi ne mujhe suna…”

Life Is Not a Destination

We are taught:

Study → Job → Success → Happiness

But life doesn’t work like a checklist.

Sometimes happiness comes in small, unnoticed ways:

  • A shared cup of tea
  • A random smile
  • A silent understanding

A Small Story

There was an old man in my neighbourhood.

He didn’t have much—no wealth, no big achievements.

But every evening, he would sit outside his house and greet everyone passing by.

One day, I asked him:

“Baba, what have you achieved in life?”

He smiled and said:

“I made sure no one felt ignored when they passed my door.”

That day, I understood—

Greatness is not loud.
It is quietly kind.

What 10 Years Really Mean

10 years is a long time.

People change.
Dreams change.
Even priorities change.

But if something must remain constant…

Let it be humanity

A reflection:

I may not know where I’ll be,
But I know how I want to feel:

  • Peaceful
  • Kind
  • Useful to someone

If Life Asks Me Again…

If life asks me again:

“Where do you see yourself in 10 years?”

I’ll say:

“I see myself sitting beside someone who needs me…
and telling them—
‘You’re not alone.’”

Final Words

We don’t need to conquer the world.

We just need to touch a few hearts.

Because in the end—

People won’t remember your position…
They will remember your presence.

Insaan banke jeena mushkil nahi hai,
Bas thoda sa dil bada karna padta hai…”

( It is not hard to live like a simple human being, but you have to be big-hearted.)

In Hindi

“मुझे नहीं पता मैं 10 साल बाद कहाँ रहूँगा… पर मैं कैसा इंसान बनना चाहता हूँ, यह पता है”

(photo of a simple, affectionate man)

एक समय था जब यह सवाल मुझे डराता था—

“तुम खुद को 10 साल बाद कहाँ देखते हो?”

ऐसा लगता था जैसे यह कोई सवाल नहीं,
बल्कि एक परीक्षा हो।

लोगों के पास तैयार जवाब होते थे—

“मैं बड़ा बिज़नेसमैन बनूँगा…”
“मैं विदेश में बस जाऊँगा…”

और मैं?

चुप…

जब मैंने दूरी का मोह छोड़ा

एक शाम, मैं छत पर बैठा था।
सूरज ढल रहा था…

तब लगा—

सूरज को कोई जल्दी नहीं होती…
वह बस हर दिन पूरी तरह चमकता है।

और उसी पल भीतर से आवाज़ आई—

“तुम दूरी क्यों नाप रहे हो…
जब ज़िंदगी तो पल-पल जी जाती है?”

मेरा जवाब बदल गया

आज अगर कोई पूछे—

“10 साल बाद खुद को कहाँ देखते हो?”

तो मैं मुस्कुरा कर कहता हूँ—

“मुझे नहीं पता… और मैं जानना भी नहीं चाहता।”

मैं क्या बनना चाहता हूँ

हाँ… अगर कुछ बनना चाहता हूँ तो बस इतना—

एक अच्छा इंसान।

जो किसी का दर्द सुन सके…
जो किसी का हाथ पकड़ सके…

इतना भी क्या दौड़ना इस ज़िंदगी में,
कि इंसानियत ही पीछे छूट जाए…”

सुनने की ताकत

कभी-कभी मदद का मतलब समाधान देना नहीं होता…

बस सुनना होता है।

एक दोस्त ने एक रात मुझे फोन किया…
वह सिर्फ बोलना चाहता था…

मैंने कुछ खास नहीं कहा…

पर उसने कहा—

“तूने कुछ किया नहीं… पर सब हल्का कर दिया।”

किसी को ठेस न पहुँचे

मुझे सबसे ज़्यादा डर इसी बात का है—

कि कहीं मेरी वजह से किसी को दुख न हो जाए।

शब्द सिर्फ शब्द नहीं होते,
ये तीर होते हैं,
जो दिल में उतर जाते हैं…

दर्द बाँटना

खुशी तो हर कोई बाँटता है…

पर सच्चा रिश्ता तब बनता है जब हम दर्द बाँटते हैं।

दर्द को बाँटने वाला मिल जाए अगर,
तो आधा सफर आसान हो जाता है…”

ज़िंदगी कोई मंज़िल नहीं

ज़िंदगी एक सफर है…

जहाँ छोटी-छोटी बातें ही बड़ी खुशी बन जाती हैं।

एक कहानी

मेरे मोहल्ले में एक बुजुर्ग थे…

हर दिन दरवाज़े पर बैठकर सबको नमस्ते करते।

मैंने पूछा—

“आपने ज़िंदगी में क्या हासिल किया?”

वो मुस्कुराए—

“मैंने यह सुनिश्चित किया कि कोई मेरे दरवाज़े से अनदेखा होकर न गुज़रे।”

10 साल का मतलब

10 साल में बहुत कुछ बदल जाता है…

पर अगर कुछ स्थिर रहना चाहिए—

तो वह है इंसानियत।

अगर फिर पूछा जाए…

अगर फिर कोई पूछे—

“10 साल बाद कहाँ रहोगे?”

तो मैं कहूँगा—

“जहाँ भी रहूँगा…
किसी के काम आ रहा होऊँगा।”

अंतिम शब्द

हमें दुनिया जीतने की ज़रूरत नहीं…

बस कुछ दिल जीतने हैं।

नाम नहीं, काम याद रह जाते हैं,
और काम नहीं, तो बस एहसास रह जाते हैं…”


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2 responses to ““I Don’t Know Where I’ll Be in 10 Years… But I Know Who I Want to Be””

  1. David Burton Avatar

    There was a time I couldn’t even answer that question. Over the years we evolve and look at what matters most to us.

    1. Nikhilbinnu Avatar

      thanks

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