Do you get picked up by friends, colleagues, etc. as a party pooper? Typically if they know you make some healthy choices in life – like eating salads instead of deep fried foods, do they stop inviting you to a party?

I got this funny feedback from a friend that his wife’s friend told them matter of factly “We had a wine drinking party at home and each person had to bring their own Wine, since wine costs….we thought your husband would prefer a SIP in a mutual fund rather than a SIP of wine…”. If you choose to drive an Indica over a Honda City – you might be preparing for an early retirement. If you prefer walking over driving you may be making an environment friendly choice. If you choose public transport vs. own vehicle you may be making a sensible choice in Mumbai at least. If you cycle instead of driving….!! Most important lesson is other than your immediate family you do not owe an explanation to anybody. In Mumbai at least renting an apartment to live makes more sense than buying it.

I frankly do not know whether it is so blunt always, but of course there are people who find it difficult to make the tougher choices of life. I call them the ‘long term choices’ vs. the ‘short term choices’. Eating a Gulab Jamun (30 seconds in the mouth, 30 years in the waist) vs. eating a salad – may just be a long term choice. Saying a salad is a sensible choice is getting emotional – and after my Shimla experience – I do not want to use emotional words!!

Similarly many people believe that if you choose to eat simple food (snake gourd not Rajma) it is an economic decision. Here again it is about choice. You can choose to eat rich food, drink, smoke, etc. but you can also POSITIVELY make a choice of eating simple daal chawal, rising up with the sun, going down with the sun, etc. BY CHOICE.

After all financial responsibility of my life is only towards my immediate family is it not?

Please leave comments if you have been picked by people surrounding you on the basis of your eating or spending habits, just for fun!