Hustlin’ and Bustlin’

Written by Nandini Sethi

---

I often sit idle and wonder,

Why some things are the way they are,

Why we romanticize pain, 

And idolize exhaustion. 

I am a burnout, 

And it is not fun. 

I lack discipline, 

And it is not cool. 

I sit face-to-face with a screen at a godforsaken hour in the night,

Validated by bosses and colleagues, 

Who, like me, 

Have no life. 

When I wake in the mornings,

I avoid sunlight and people, 

Sticking to a cup of hot coffee, 

That makes me feel less like a human and more like a machine.                    

In the evenings I choose to make dollar bills,

Forget dinner,

And create problems,

Not just for myself, but for people who like me, 

Look for validation. 

Well, I’m giving you the validation- 

You are better than everyone else,

You’re richer, busier, wiser,

Just take my advice and put your riches, busyness, and wisdom to better use:

Find yourself a real world filled with real people,

Romanticize romance, 

And solve problems created not by you, but what life throws at you.

Who knows, maybe amidst all the hustle and virtual actuality, 

You may find yourself a life to live. 

---