Plans, objectives, schedules, targets, failure, success; I sometimes marvel at the triumph of the corporate community for having ingrained their business vernacular so deeply into our lives that our entire existence has turned into a herd-like jostle to the top.
Our dreams, goals, and aspirations play the role of an invisible force that guides (or even directs) us through the course of our lives. When confronted with difficult choices in our daily hustles, more often than not, we choose to move ahead with the path illuminated by this force. That is, our choices are defined by the ultimate goals that we set for ourselves, wittingly or even otherwise.
As the writer, I feel inclined to request my readers to not misconstrue my words. I do not wish to propagate an aimless and unanchored wandering through life. Having a sense of the final destination or a vision for our future selves is much required to impart a direction to our journeys. Seeking out what we wish to acquire acts as the key ingredient that imparts the flavour of purpose to our actions. But, is it wise to tether all our choices to the string of the ultimate objective? Do our emotions, wishes, and morals really need to take the backseat? Can our wants or goals never alter? Don’t new experiences and wisdom of age continually tinker with our sense of self? Would it be so terrible to digress from our previously chosen path?
At the naive age of 18, as we graduate from school and encounter the ways of the world, we are pressured to make a choice that will guide/configure our academic and professional life. Although believed to be free will, this decision is usually made under the strong influence of our families or friends or whoever we look up to for guidance.
We go through the majority of our twenties trying hard to justify the choice that we made or were made to make. Be it a dream job, cracking an entrance, clearing some competitive exam, and whatnot; we keep working relentlessly. Failure is an unacceptable and dreadful outcome that can only be a result of a lack of commitment and hard work. The philosophy of ‘do or die’ is imprinted onto our very souls. As if failure at something would mean the end of the world. As if an inability to achieve something would render us invalid.
Failure is as much a part of our lives as is success, if not more. It is the only way to learn humility and imbibe empathy. Humans are flawed with limitations. Why not just leave the idea of invincibility where it truly belongs: in the fictional superhero genre. Our life is not a three-hour thrilling apocalypse wherein failure to kill the zombies means ending up dead. Our life is a long voyage brimming with experiences that are thrilling and mundane, enriching and depressing, enchanting and horrifying, joyful and upsetting. It is a rollercoaster that requires cherishing each and every moment to the fullest.
So, let’s make plans and work hard to achieve them. Let’s put our heart and soul into fulfilling our dreams. But, at the same time, let’s not be afraid to face the bitterness of failures every once in a while. Doing our best is non-negotiable. But if things don’t work out, we need to use our disappointments to charter our way onto a Plan B. Knowing when to stop and when to move on is a highly underrated act of bravery. The world today is immense in terms of opportunities. The plethora of choices offered by the contemporary world is probably one of the few healthy outcomes of modern capitalism. Dear readers, it’s no longer ‘do or die’, instead ‘do or diversify’.
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