bus-stop cudn't be worse; with the study-material in hand, she, trying to memorise the Latin names of the organic compounds,for the chemistry class.Lectures are really interesting,when she is prepared for them.Else, it isn't any better than netherworld!! At the end of the day,results for the weekend test,are displayed on the notice board,she is fizzeled out that she is n't the top dog. She decides to spend yet more time on her studies, even if,it is atthe cost of missing her favorite cartoon show on TV ! Tired and restless , she reaches home , with just one thought..... She has to top ,the following test!!
Two years downstream,this girl lands up in some not-so-bad Engineering/Degree college,with a group of very similar nerdy oafs.Still, trying to top the class,still ready to spend sleepless ,nervous,jumpy nights,with books!
Only if...only if she could prove that ,...She, is the Best!!
Question!
FOR WHOM???
When i heard these two words,for the first time from a friend, my reaction was, but obvious.
How selfish, to even ask that!!I could think of a hundred reasons... My brother always topped his class, my Mom would be happy,if i did well in my sybjects............many more!!
But after a li'l thought ,i felt it is the only valid question,that a person needs to to ask himself; and find an answer better than ...." for parents....." or "for teachers...";to 'Succeed' in life.
Now,how one defines success, matters a lot for the understanding of this question.
......For whom??....
A student manages to get into a reasonalby good college for his under-graduation, and then into a reasonably good ,well-paid job.But , who can get him back,those hundreds of sleepless nights that he spent,so, that he makes his future 'secure'. And after all the effort, he can never be any sure,of the outcomes. And again the 'reasonably'-good makes a difference. It isn't the best.When he looks back, to the days he spent in just trying to prove himself to be the best , he might feel good for the effort.But then he ll ,sure as anything, feel bad about not being able to join basketball coaching , as a friend of his had done! For whom??
He ll only feel bad!
Every child from a very tender age,is taught in schools, that they need to be the best. Being first in the class, studies-wise ,makes a student ,good ,or otherwise.He needs to study social-studies,whether he likes it or not.Thus, getting used to being influenced by the crowd around ,from childhood.In fact he is being 'taught' to get influenced by his environment!
Who knows,he might grow up and evolve into a Ram gopal verma, or a Sachin tendulkar.But ,he ll not, because Ram Gopal Verma needs to study physics.And sachin Tendulkar is busy memorising Robert Frost's poetry!Or,worse... Shakespeare has a Mathematics test tomorrow.
And then, why does one even need to excel ,by force, in any field.If he is good enuff , its positive. And if he has fun doing something ,there s nothing that could be better!!Why compete ??
In this urgency and keenness, to be the Ace,one always forgets what he wants in life.What he wants to be.What he really is! Being one's true self is something ,our system can never teach its products.Not everyone can be number one. Every person is significant in himself, even if he isn't an achiever. And then,it doesn't really matter.Why should there be a comparision at all,when life ,and experience is diverse for each one of us.Each person receives lessons ,in his own way, the outlook he develops towards things, is always unique, depending only on what his life has taught him.
I, live for myself, and only for myself.Whats the fun doing things ,that i am not comfortable doing!?Whats the need for us ,to see the future, that isn't certain. Whats the need to be, what someone else is,only because,people think they re cool!
We urgently need to learn, to appreciate ,that others can be better than, what we are. It does make a difference.That doesn't make us bad!! It only betters us.It makes us better persons.Competetion,in itself,is one hurdle we need to get over.To whom do we hav to prove,that we are the best?? We can never change what we are. We ll remain ,this way ,for ever.Then, whats the whole heck of getting into competetion ,losing yourself into it , trying to get over, and failing to be happy!!
Losing the best days of our lives, trying to compare ourselves with others. Losing the lovely school days , trying to get better scores, and failing to be happy.
Failing to be happy!
Here it comes, my definiton for Success.
Being happy ,with the person ,i have made out of myself ,at any point in life,is what success means to me.If i get to know ,that i am dying tomorrow,and i am not sad about it,I think i am ,successful. I dont have ungranted wishes , unachieved goals , or unattended desires! Taking life as it came.Not regretting my actions.Not complaining!!I have lead my life , through these eighteen years, and i feel, i ve done justice to myself.I don't care how good i ve been in the race. Life isn't the race alone. Life has taught me a lot more than,just trying to excel. It has taught me to be myself. It has taught me to be happy, being myself. To be successful, where most others fail!!
No Comparision!!
PEACE!!
4 comments:
I'll tell u what Priyanka? I woke up at 5.45 every morning went to class at six and then had evening coaching classes as well. I managed to score 92% in my boards. Then again I had coaching classes for engineering entrance exams. Today I sit with a bunch of people u termed as oafs, who scored 73% in their boards and dint even write the entrance examination. And when I asked myself that question why should I struggle so hard, I started retreating. That question, my friend, is a sign of defeat. Giving up. because Once it is asked by that annihilating voice inside our heads, u r gonna give up.
I would rather say, instead of taking it easy, take it up as a challenge to top ur class. If these nerds can do it, well so can we sans all that slogging stuff because we were born intellectuals or so we assume.
Well then why not prove to ourselves that no matter how silly the competition, we must be able to be at the top. Thats when we are winners. Else we'd be sitting at the back cribbin and complainin while the others will shove us over and keep movin ahead of us.
I cant stand to see these people, whom I KNOW are lesser mortals than I am in every aspect are better than me in a field where I've already beat them once. And I wanna give it up to them. Show them what I'm really made up of. If we cant give our 100% in the "studies" part of our life, we're gonna be losers all the way.
=====================
P.S. I'm really sorry about the reeeeely long comment hope u don mind. By the way, do u blog often? Would u like to see every post of yours read by an average of 20 people who not only read it fully but also add comments? I found one such superb blogging community. If u wanna join I'll send u the invite. Its an amazing place for blogging. I quit blogger long ago.
lol..thanx for the loooooong comment Vinay!
Thats my whole point. Do we really hav to prove ,to jerks,that we are better??
And if u think its about, they doing better than us someday , professionally, career-wise,....i think there will surely be companies which will be ready to accept people as they are , and for the good they have .The satisfaction with life ,and work that u get get outta a no-competetion-no-pressure-preperation must be better than an outcome , of a tensed & strssed preperation.
And then ,there are schools which have already accepted this, and have started off with a no-examination idea.Sadly,there are just one or two ,of the sort!
thanx a ton,for being here.
do come back,
me.
P.S. : i had a 92% in my tenth boards, and a 93% in my 12th boards too.But, i am happier with a 74% in engineering , with loads of time for basketball,music,partying, blogging and orkutting!! :D
Hi,
I may be a little late in posting my comments on these. Its interesting to read both your comments on this, thats what provoked me to give mine too, hope you guys don't mind. Well I've come a long way(3 years!!) out of college and so you guys might be interested in learning about my experiences. Partly I agree with Vinay and partly with Priyanka. College days are always special so you shouldn't be spending time only studying all the time, now when I look back at my college days I always think that I could have given more time to my extra curricular activities than studies. But again you can never neglect your studies, so you need I guess you need to find a balance between both, which is hard to do. But guys one thing is for sure, don't waste your college days, otherwise you will be really regretting about it...
awesome post... i regret i didnt read it before... i have always tried to prove sumthin to sumone... i hate the feelin of livin the life for others... i wanna get rid of it... how many days shud a person compete... i dont think thr will be an end for it......
Post a Comment