Just as every other student around me had dreamt about the perfect life after twenty, I too had a great picture in mind. A college I'd love, some awesome friends, a great life, a successful career and the most important of all, the satisfaction of following my passion, doing something I love, something I can die for.
My five friends and me, all from in and around Delhi had the same thoughts when we first entered the college campus. And after 3 years of successful struggle through B.Tech, here I sit at the same place where my friends and I first imagined what our turning twenty would be like. All twenty, ask them, is their life anywhere close to the perfect one they imagined, there are nothing but blank looks I get.
So what went wrong? Did they imagine something extremely superficial or something that can never be achieved or did they not work hard enough to deserve the life they dreamt of?
The answer is No. Like every other youngster in the world, my friends and me have strived to achieve what we wanted. Then why aren't we happy and satisfied? Its because we have been taught never to be satisfied with what we have achieved. I remember my parents saying "You did well sweety, but there is still scope of improvement." "You are capable of doing much better." "This is good, try getting even better at it." These words have sunk in so deeply over the years that most of us have forgotten the meaning of complacency or gratification. Moreover, the cut throat competition around us has snatched away the sense of contentment from us. We are always thirsty for more. Not that its a bad thing, after all you can only progress when you strive for more. But as someone very rightly pointed out, we have become a part of the rat race, and even if we win it, we still are rats.
So what do we do about it? Should we stop working to get more or should we stop wanting more or should we stop imagining the perfect life altogether? Is this what we get on our turning twenty?
My five friends and me, all from in and around Delhi had the same thoughts when we first entered the college campus. And after 3 years of successful struggle through B.Tech, here I sit at the same place where my friends and I first imagined what our turning twenty would be like. All twenty, ask them, is their life anywhere close to the perfect one they imagined, there are nothing but blank looks I get.
So what went wrong? Did they imagine something extremely superficial or something that can never be achieved or did they not work hard enough to deserve the life they dreamt of?
The answer is No. Like every other youngster in the world, my friends and me have strived to achieve what we wanted. Then why aren't we happy and satisfied? Its because we have been taught never to be satisfied with what we have achieved. I remember my parents saying "You did well sweety, but there is still scope of improvement." "You are capable of doing much better." "This is good, try getting even better at it." These words have sunk in so deeply over the years that most of us have forgotten the meaning of complacency or gratification. Moreover, the cut throat competition around us has snatched away the sense of contentment from us. We are always thirsty for more. Not that its a bad thing, after all you can only progress when you strive for more. But as someone very rightly pointed out, we have become a part of the rat race, and even if we win it, we still are rats.
So what do we do about it? Should we stop working to get more or should we stop wanting more or should we stop imagining the perfect life altogether? Is this what we get on our turning twenty?
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