Lessons Learned Lately...

“Be a Roman while you are in Rome.” This is a famous quote that suits the present situation. The competing younger generation with the unfortunate older generation. We are now living in a competitive world. We are forced to face problems right from the day our life starts inside the follicle. Problems have become a part of our lives.

It is not a joke if I say even a crawling baby has its problems. Instead of crying over problems, it is always good to face them and come out with solutions. For a person like me who does not belong to the 20+ or 30+ category and belongs to the 50+ category, life looks like a balloon filled with stress. Even though we all know the balloon can burst with a single prick and bring down the stress level, we don't attempt to do so.

The first attempt to do that was a giant leap on the moon by Neil Armstrong. Directions to go ahead with our plans or find a solution to our problems are not that so hard; professional consultants or professional counsellors are available. Yet we make the clock tick so long to decide to go and meet them.

The present younger generation which must struggle hard right from the beginning, face hurdles, and achieve their targets, are tougher-skinned than we all. They know how to brush aside the problems and achieve what they want to do with a wink. Though we can boast of having a few decades of experience and facing life's problems, we lack something according to the present younger generation. They frown upon us and murmur “What the hell you are all up to? You all do not have an attitude as we have, and you need to learn a lot if you want to succeed in life.”

I am not talking about the fortunate ones who had the chance to climb up the ladder and enjoy the credit of being a leader or a mentor. I am not talking about the fortunate ones who got the chance to enjoy the fruits of life and settle down for a peaceful life in their old age.

I am talking about the unfortunate ones who never had a chance to prove themselves and swing between two ends of life. They believe that they possess the potential to achieve things and wait for a chance to prove themselves.

They live on the verge of disturbed ambitions and shattered goals. Their nights are filled with awesome dreams that make them feel breathless and weak. They find it hard to come out of their shell and compete on par with the so-called younger generation.

The younger generation howls at them and laughs at their inability to achieve targets or work focused on their goals. I don't deny that there is something we need to learn from the younger generation. Here I refer to the younger generation who boast of their responsibilities as managers and team leaders. I accept they are skilled and know what to do. Yet they lack one thing. They fail to look at things by having their feet in others’ shoes.

The natural disasters that wreck the world are because of this growing selfishness. We have more people who are self-oriented and who never shrink to kick the other fellow to get their things done. They fail to remember one thing, when their blood thickens, they must dance to the tune.

Nowadays we hear about families that do not care to build a home but spend their time dumping their house with sophisticated gadgets that can make their life comfortable. We have soft, smooth, silken pillows devoid of sleep. We have a sophisticated kitchen to cook which fails to fill the stomach with food cooked with love.

Everyone runs the rat race and wants to win the race. Run, run, and run. Go ahead and reach your target. Don't look around. Do not watch who is doing what. Focus on your goals. Reach your target. Once you reach your target, what are you going to do? Once again run the rat race to achieve your target.

Charles Darwin's theory of “Survival of the fittest” aptly suits today's scenario. Whoever escapes the wrath of the nearest person wins the race and emerges as a successful person. Even if you keep your eyes wide open, some hands can stab you from behind.

Beware!! Learn to sleep with your eyes wide open. Things can happen even if you are alert. Do not boast you are a hard worker for it may get a comment that you work blindly like an ox that goes continuously around a water mill. They may laugh at you saying that your eyes are blind to so many other things and it is your fault that you have not looked at them; it is you who failed to grab the opportunity and prove your worth.

A lesson learned very late.