"Whenever I try to make both ends meet. Someone moves the ends.”
My friends and colleagues think I am crazy. “What are you studying for now?” I feel nervous with five pairs of eyes upon me. “It’s nothing. I say defensively, Just needed to complete some research. Trying to complete my thesis.”
“I thought you were done with that”. I am eyed suspiciously.
“Just some small things left.”
For Goodness Sake, can’t you TAKE A BREAK? You have everything one can ask for. A well-settled family life, doting kids, soaring career. And at this age. What more could you ask for?”
She was right. What more? Human beings are not designed to be content. There is the “only if” factor in our lives. We strive night n day to achieve that only, and we manage to achieve our goal, it suddenly loses its significance. Once we are in possession of the ‘only’, the ‘if’ remains or changes its form. It is different for all of us. It could be that dream house, the dream job, a brand new car or a vacation to an exotic resort.
Or as in my case, a higher degree, a prestigious title.
Our whole lives are spent in a catch 22 situation. We spend our lives running a marathon, from one hurdle to another, competing in a senseless and arduous race of wealth, possessions, titles and vanity, reach the finish line only to find another hurdle at the end or that the bar has been raised even further. Even before we have time to ponder over the purpose of competing in the first place. That medal or prize at the end tends to overshadow all other aspect of our lives.
“Life is not about the day you win prizes. It’s about all the days in between.”
My friends and colleagues think I am crazy. “What are you studying for now?” I feel nervous with five pairs of eyes upon me. “It’s nothing. I say defensively, Just needed to complete some research. Trying to complete my thesis.”
“I thought you were done with that”. I am eyed suspiciously.
“Just some small things left.”
For Goodness Sake, can’t you TAKE A BREAK? You have everything one can ask for. A well-settled family life, doting kids, soaring career. And at this age. What more could you ask for?”
She was right. What more? Human beings are not designed to be content. There is the “only if” factor in our lives. We strive night n day to achieve that only, and we manage to achieve our goal, it suddenly loses its significance. Once we are in possession of the ‘only’, the ‘if’ remains or changes its form. It is different for all of us. It could be that dream house, the dream job, a brand new car or a vacation to an exotic resort.
Or as in my case, a higher degree, a prestigious title.
Our whole lives are spent in a catch 22 situation. We spend our lives running a marathon, from one hurdle to another, competing in a senseless and arduous race of wealth, possessions, titles and vanity, reach the finish line only to find another hurdle at the end or that the bar has been raised even further. Even before we have time to ponder over the purpose of competing in the first place. That medal or prize at the end tends to overshadow all other aspect of our lives.
“Life is not about the day you win prizes. It’s about all the days in between.”
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