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The Race Against...
We are all running in a race. A race, where I dont know the end line, I dont know what lies for the winner, I just know that the guy next is running and if I dont, then surely I am gonna be a loser. Its only this feeling that makes me run, against the unknown, the unseen...
How many of us today are happy? How many of us don’t feel incomplete and craving for more? How many of us, can say today, true to their hearts as to what it is that they want in life and what they are looking out for – what gives them pleasure, what makes them happy… not me, I admit!
I remember it was June 2000, when on a typical June day (it is quite hot then in Udaipur), during my second year grad exams, it showered heavily and the climate turned very pleasant. Vaibhav, a very close friend of mine, and I, went to our regular hangout – Pandtiji’s Bread-Pakoda at Fatehsagar lake in afternoon. Rishabh, the third link in our friendship trio, (through intuition surely) also reached there searching for us, in around an hour.
The weather and the nature were at its wonder. It was drizzling and we were having rounds of chai and bread pakodas. Out of the habit and that age of getting elderly shoe, we tried to be a bit philosophical. Rishabh was to say – “Ashish, think, what does one need to be happy? Today, this 1.5 Rs. worth chai and 2.5 Rs. worth bread pakoda can give all the happiness one thinks of; it’s just that we keep on thinking of greater things, forgetting the worth of such small pleasures”. It followed by a healthy (and philosophical) discussion and few more rounds of chai and bread pakodas. The reason I remember it even after nearly 6 years is the fact that, even today, it is all one needs, all I need, to feel great. May be the chai costs 2 Rs and bread pakoda 3 bucks, and the climate of Udaipur is as pleasant as ever. Agreed, at that time, worth of money for 5 bucks is not something same as it is today for me. But the point I am trying to make it is whether my newer needs of today are dependent on my needs changing or it is governed by something else?
One sees people around running madly in all possible directions. Yeah, most of them seem to be doing great in lives and setting standards for the rest to struggle and crave high. But when one look back at times, the success and sense of achievements, which one used to get from smaller wins, is not anymore. One is running, and struggling to keep the pace with the guy next to him. He doesn’t know whether the path he is taking is really the one which will take him to his destination or not. He is rather not even aware of what his destination is, should be?
I remember my first year grad results day. I have never been a great student, but say the blessings of lady luck, that I managed to score reasonably well in my academic exams. I was working then as a trainee in NIIT centre. Immediately after I knew about my results, I was send for a task with my senior-Vikas. After about two hours of running and getting the work done, while returning back to the centre, I told Vikas, that I aint feeling some sense of achievement. Logically, I should be feeling happy that I have scored beyond my expectations, but somehow the feeling isn’t coming. I would always remember what he said – “Ashish, this is your entry in the real world. You will achieve success and wins over and over, but you might not always be able to celebrate and enjoy them.” I realize the meaning of those words now.
Today when one changes a job, people congratulate, for going in a better company, higher salary, perks, onsite, whatever. But the guy isn’t happy coz even after all that, he sees someone getting all of that and even more. The standards are not with one’s own wishes from life, but from what the guy next to him is getting.
How many of us can correlate with the fact that at times even the success of our closest friends makes us restless. One gets a feeling of not being successful in life, not being at a substantial position, whereas till yesterday things were perfectly fine with one’s work and life.
For most of us coming from service class families, our parents used to earn fraction of what we earn today (I do have heard of something called inflation). They used to support the entire family and we never ever felt that we were underfed or that our necessities were not met with. Today, for us, with all those fat salary package are never fulfilling our needs. It’s always less, like a mirage…
How many times have we heard – “When I settle in life, I will do …” The word settle has a very subjective definition, for some, it is a salary package of X amount, for others, it is a 2BHK fully loaded (with all amenities obviously) house. For others, it is after spending Y no of years onsite and after getting to a particular designation. Ask our parents what they used to think of the meaning of settled when they were of our age. If it is the case today, ever imagined what our kids would define as being settled???
The aim here is not to point that one should leave the competition and go to mountains forever (which I am sure some of us, including my self, at least fantasize of at times). The point is whether all this struggle and fight is making us happy and more at peace within our souls? Whether in this run, are we missing out something vital which makes us human? Whether we are able to rationalize and justify the run in itself? Are we doing to justice to people close to us, our families, and friends and off all of them – ourselves?
I am not trying to challenge the way we are today, nor am I suggesting a new system, all that I can try and aim for all is to take a pause and find out a rationalized answer to What We Are, What Are Our Strengths, What We Really Want and then gather our energies and proceed for the same!
Life is not long, but the moments we actually LIVE make it worth living…
Ashish
How many of us today are happy? How many of us don’t feel incomplete and craving for more? How many of us, can say today, true to their hearts as to what it is that they want in life and what they are looking out for – what gives them pleasure, what makes them happy… not me, I admit!
I remember it was June 2000, when on a typical June day (it is quite hot then in Udaipur), during my second year grad exams, it showered heavily and the climate turned very pleasant. Vaibhav, a very close friend of mine, and I, went to our regular hangout – Pandtiji’s Bread-Pakoda at Fatehsagar lake in afternoon. Rishabh, the third link in our friendship trio, (through intuition surely) also reached there searching for us, in around an hour.
The weather and the nature were at its wonder. It was drizzling and we were having rounds of chai and bread pakodas. Out of the habit and that age of getting elderly shoe, we tried to be a bit philosophical. Rishabh was to say – “Ashish, think, what does one need to be happy? Today, this 1.5 Rs. worth chai and 2.5 Rs. worth bread pakoda can give all the happiness one thinks of; it’s just that we keep on thinking of greater things, forgetting the worth of such small pleasures”. It followed by a healthy (and philosophical) discussion and few more rounds of chai and bread pakodas. The reason I remember it even after nearly 6 years is the fact that, even today, it is all one needs, all I need, to feel great. May be the chai costs 2 Rs and bread pakoda 3 bucks, and the climate of Udaipur is as pleasant as ever. Agreed, at that time, worth of money for 5 bucks is not something same as it is today for me. But the point I am trying to make it is whether my newer needs of today are dependent on my needs changing or it is governed by something else?
One sees people around running madly in all possible directions. Yeah, most of them seem to be doing great in lives and setting standards for the rest to struggle and crave high. But when one look back at times, the success and sense of achievements, which one used to get from smaller wins, is not anymore. One is running, and struggling to keep the pace with the guy next to him. He doesn’t know whether the path he is taking is really the one which will take him to his destination or not. He is rather not even aware of what his destination is, should be?
I remember my first year grad results day. I have never been a great student, but say the blessings of lady luck, that I managed to score reasonably well in my academic exams. I was working then as a trainee in NIIT centre. Immediately after I knew about my results, I was send for a task with my senior-Vikas. After about two hours of running and getting the work done, while returning back to the centre, I told Vikas, that I aint feeling some sense of achievement. Logically, I should be feeling happy that I have scored beyond my expectations, but somehow the feeling isn’t coming. I would always remember what he said – “Ashish, this is your entry in the real world. You will achieve success and wins over and over, but you might not always be able to celebrate and enjoy them.” I realize the meaning of those words now.
Today when one changes a job, people congratulate, for going in a better company, higher salary, perks, onsite, whatever. But the guy isn’t happy coz even after all that, he sees someone getting all of that and even more. The standards are not with one’s own wishes from life, but from what the guy next to him is getting.
How many of us can correlate with the fact that at times even the success of our closest friends makes us restless. One gets a feeling of not being successful in life, not being at a substantial position, whereas till yesterday things were perfectly fine with one’s work and life.
For most of us coming from service class families, our parents used to earn fraction of what we earn today (I do have heard of something called inflation). They used to support the entire family and we never ever felt that we were underfed or that our necessities were not met with. Today, for us, with all those fat salary package are never fulfilling our needs. It’s always less, like a mirage…
How many times have we heard – “When I settle in life, I will do …” The word settle has a very subjective definition, for some, it is a salary package of X amount, for others, it is a 2BHK fully loaded (with all amenities obviously) house. For others, it is after spending Y no of years onsite and after getting to a particular designation. Ask our parents what they used to think of the meaning of settled when they were of our age. If it is the case today, ever imagined what our kids would define as being settled???
The aim here is not to point that one should leave the competition and go to mountains forever (which I am sure some of us, including my self, at least fantasize of at times). The point is whether all this struggle and fight is making us happy and more at peace within our souls? Whether in this run, are we missing out something vital which makes us human? Whether we are able to rationalize and justify the run in itself? Are we doing to justice to people close to us, our families, and friends and off all of them – ourselves?
I am not trying to challenge the way we are today, nor am I suggesting a new system, all that I can try and aim for all is to take a pause and find out a rationalized answer to What We Are, What Are Our Strengths, What We Really Want and then gather our energies and proceed for the same!
Life is not long, but the moments we actually LIVE make it worth living…
Ashish
posted by Savy | 4:15 AM
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