So I want to today, in written form acknowledge my Aims and Aspirations. Truth is, one never really knows about this, but one always has some kind of a vague understanding, if one judges their own behaviour.
I think aspirations consist of the values that are unbending to you: I want to be happy, I want to be powerful, or I want to leave my mark on the world. While aims are more defined achievements which help in fulfilling our aspirations.
Let me first talk about the more narrow career-oriented aims that are seemingly more important in today's world. I, as a child (till about 4th grade) wanted to be a doctor. I believe, on later thought, that this was because my father wanted to be a doctor too, and my grandmother always mentioned this to me. Then suddenly I realised that I didn't want that, and then for a year I had no 'aim'. This was followed by a long phase of wanting to be everything. I doubt there is a career I did not consider. From food technology to biotechnology to oceanography to entomology to anthropology ................. Yet there is one that I never planned to do: engineering. I'm fully certain that this is because I come from a family of engineers. My grandfather is an engineer, his two daughters are engineers, they were both married off to engineers, whose brothers too were engineers. This is my immediate blood family. If you look at my culture, the south of India, it is considered the most prestigious degree. I have reason to believe that even if my mother and her sister wanted to do something else, they will not have been allowed. This probably caused some sort of a repugnance in me towards it.
As for aspirations, I want to lead a life free from fear; of any sort. I don't want to be scared about what others think, about the effects my actions will cause, about when my boss will feel I have nothing to contribute, and also insecurity about my abilities. I never want to be hindered from doing anything by thinking about the consequences. People say we have a short life (I personally don't believe that, let us arguendo take it to be true), then why should we waste time and energy listing the pros and cons of each thing? Just do what you want to do, and have the courage to face what it results in, without attracting the ire of society. It cannot be all that bad if we do have a sort life, right? Everything will be over quickly then.
I once had a friend who, when he was little, wanted to be a truck driver. It amused his mother and other elders to repeatedly ask him that and laugh at it. Indeed it was funny. But usually, most of us want to do very grandiose things when we're children, but get over all such notions by the time we enter our teens. Its exceedingly rare to see someone who still believes that s/he can do anything, and everything. I have one particular friend who till date has multiple ambitions - musician, economist, international affairs strategist among others. And he believes that he can do all that, which is truly remarkable. He has avoided being bogged down by the relentless negativism of society; avoided being affected by all the supposedly mature and wise people who tell you to dream in your childhood, and instruct you to dismantle and discard them when you grow older. Its like the Samsung advertisement Aamir Khan did some time back - bachpan mein to itni cheezein karna chahte the, toh ab kyun nahi? or some equivalent tagline.
Today, I resolve to always and forever believe in myself and my abilities, even if it means to magnify them a little, as there is nothing that one cannot achieve if one tries hard enough .
Obviam excellentia!
No comments:
Post a Comment