Aditya Verma, was despondent, addicted to Netflix, and eating his way to diabetes while stuck in a job he despised. He revealed how he turned his life around in a popular Twitter discussion.
We’ve all experienced times when life feels a little too much for us. Some of us turn to food for comfort, while others turn to drink, drugs, a sedentary lifestyle, and other vices. Aditya Verma (32), a former banker, went through the motions as well, but chose to make a few tweaks.
In a now-viral Twitter thread, he described what he did to get himself out of a rut, as well as the lessons he learnt along the way. The thread has over 15,000 likes and over 4000 retweets.
Aditya worked as an investment banker for nine years and claims to have been sad, nervous, and addicted during that time. He was diagnosed with pre-diabetes as a result of his lifestyle, but he believes it was the finest thing that could have happened to him.
He claims to have experienced a “full-blown meltdown” between 2018 and 2022, and that he developed a “victim mentality,” which he compares to a sickness. He describes himself as “helpless,” “constantly moaning,” and “blaming everything and everyone.”
In the next tweets, he discusses how sometimes you need a slap in the face to realize you’re too comfortable.
He remarked, “Every day felt like a year spent on the battlefields.” But, after only 1.5 years, I don’t recognize myself or my life, and I don’t believe it very often.”
Aditya has learned the following 13 life lessons in the previous year or so:
“Victimization is a sickness.”
Aditya describes himself as a “textbook victim,” but he no longer identifies with that image of himself.
According to him, “you will become free with radical responsibility.”
“Sometimes what you need is a slap in the face.”
He claims to have been trapped in a “self-sabotaging circle” and decided to make a change when his health and marriage began to deteriorate. 3. “You’re too at ease.”
He argues that moving out of one’s comfort zone is necessary since he went from being a “pleasure-seeking addict” to undertaking “hard” things. He claims that accomplishing difficult tasks “makes life simpler.”
“You only have power over yourself.”
Aditya claims he used to blame everything on others – his work, his employer, his stress — but now he only considers the things he can manage.
“You’re slowly destroying yourself.”
He recalls being weak and foggy-headed, unable to exercise at all, which led to pre-diabetes and painful lungs. But now that he has included physical activity into his routine, he claims to be “in [his] greatest form ever.”
“Seek assistance.”
He confesses that asking help might be frightening, and he attempted to handle everything alone for a long time. But, as he points out, the decision to go to treatment altered everything.
“Make time for yourself.”
Aditya was proud of his own business. He learnt to be alone and to avoid being distracted all the time. “Your mind is clamoring for an explanation. Pay attention,” he advises.
“Be thankful.”
He claims that through keeping a diary, “rewiring” his brain, and embracing wealth, he shifted from being “cynical” and “glass half empty” to one that fostered thankfulness.
“First and foremost, love yourself.”
He also claims that after years of disliking his own reflection and considering himself to be weak, he began to feel proud of himself for taking responsibility of his life.
“First and foremost, love yourself. If you can’t do it, why should anybody else?”
“Stop seeking happiness and start focusing on being less sad.”
Aditya, who was miserable because of his 14-hour work days and relied on excessive drinking and online gaming to cope, put his foot down by quitting his job and selling his PS4. “Elimination is potent,” he observes.
“We’re all going to perish.”
We all believe that we have all the time in the world, that there will always be tomorrow, but does time slow down for anyone? Aditya chose to quit looking forward to tomorrow and instead prioritize meaningful family time and hard work, he adds.
“Fear is a warning flag.”
He chose to confront his concerns front on, stepping outside of his comfort zone. He resigned his job and chose to pursue what he loved most: writing.
“It will seem longer than it is.”
According to Aditya, he doesn’t recognize the past version of himself. He struggles to comprehend how far he has progressed. He concludes his thread with the quote, “We have two lives, and the second begins when we realize we only have one.”
