The Well Grounded Expert of Life
As I progressed in my professional career, things seemed to go as planned, or did they?!!🤔
What am I talking about, you ask?#
I'm talking about my work life. If you're interested, read on. If not, feel free to keep reading anyway, because you may relate to it at some point.
If you ain't grounded, you ain't rounded.
During the latter part of my B.Tech graduation days, I was as innocent as anyone could be. Even before that, in my junior college days, I didn't care about knowing the future or what the goal might be for someone finishing junior college in the discipline I was in (M.P.C - maths, physics and chemistry). All I cared about was the day-to-day stuff and the momentary happiness. As the days approached when others were very tense and skeptical, I couldn't care less about the future. I just relaxed.
The attitude was simple: I'll face my future when I get there, so I'll have time to worry about it. Why think about it now? Looking back, the philosophy sounds cool.
The gurus of Indian and Telugu philosophical and spiritual realm really paved a good way for thinking positively and practically in my generation of students.
I didn't even know that there was something called a degree college where I had to do my graduation, so there was no question of knowing anything beyond that. I don't remember now, but I had no idea how or why people worked so hard when they were my age. Not knowing was really helpful.
I finally learned that the EAMCET entrance exam was necessary to get into technical courses called Bachelor of Engineering (or Technology). The rest had to go for an ordinary degree. Where I come from, there is still a wide divide between the four-year long technical engineering degrees and the three-year long regular degrees. The rift is pretty big in terms of how people treat you in society, and in some cases, engineering degrees are mandated for certain jobs.
In my second year of junior college, I worked hard, cracked the exam with a good state level rank (1224 out of 200,000+ applicants), and joined the engineering college.
When I was in my third year of graduation, I started to learn more about what happens beyond college. People either get jobs or go for post-graduation. I wasn't sure how either of those paths would work, so I waited. Then the campus hires happened, and I cracked the interview and got an offer from a reputed Indian corporate company. I felt happy.
The Twist#
However, there was a catch: I was a Mechanical Engineering student, and the company that offered me the job was known for its IT services. This left me wondering what kind of work I would be doing; would it be mechanical or IT-related?
With a year left before joining the company, I had plenty of time to think. However, the seniors who had joined companies before us warned us that the work would be unrelated to what we had learned. Some even discouraged us from taking the job and instead urged us to pursue post-graduation studies.
Despite this, my laid-back attitude told me to let the future come and face whatever challenges the job would bring. So, I eventually accepted the job, which dealt with software. I learned, struggled, and questioned my decision at times. Yet, I persevered and kept moving forward.
The wait-and-see game#
Why do we call it the game of patience when it comes to life choices and jobs?!!
There is no right or wrong way to do things. It's all about how you respond to the outcomes. Do you learn from mistakes, avoid challenges, or persist?
Two useful sayings here are:
Whatever you think, you'll become.
Frequent exposure to challenges, even if it's unbearable pain, will make winning them second nature.
Combine these two and you have a recipe for success. Ignore those who think they know better than you. You know yourself best.
Choose the path that will make you excel at what you do. You will experience pain and frustration, but find ways to mitigate the negative impact. Make your goal your own and think of it often. If you want to be a good public speaker, think of yourself as one. Your mind will take those thoughts as positive signals and shape itself accordingly.
Some people waste their time at work, chatting with colleagues and going home without even knowing how to fix issues. They lounge in cafes, complain about poor pay and bonuses, and debate office politics. All this wasted energy could be used to improve themselves. Don't be an escapist. Instead, take control of your life and strive for success.
Thinking wisely always pays-off#
In conclusion, I would like to say that I always strive to motivate others, but everyone has their own perspective on life and the world. Some won't listen and may even belittle you. However, those who do listen will succeed. The formula for success is clear: take it or leave it. You can either take it and succeed, or leave it and it will leave you behind.
"Don't chase success, aim for excellence and success will follow." -- From the movie "3 Idiots"
Currently, I am well grounded. I hope you are too.
Photos credits: unsplash.com