Navigating Life's Journey: Lessons from the Road

In a recent discussion with colleagues about the nuances of life, an intriguing analogy emerged. We pondered why there is so much variation in people's lives-not just in wealth, but in career success and personal fulfilment. We questioned why some people excel while others, despite having talent and skills, remain moderate in their progress. We also considered why people are drawn to others' success and how to resonate with it.

This debate can be lengthy with multiple perspectives, but, we found the analogy enlightening to summerise:

Consider driving in any large city, where reaching your destination on time is a daily challenge with ever-increasing traffic. Some people consistently arrive on time or early, while others barely make it or are delayed.

Those who reach on time typically start early, finish their preparations quickly, and study the map and traffic conditions beforehand. They plan their route meticulously and make decisions based on real-time updates.

Interestingly, despite all this preparation, many still face delays, while others who start a bit late, manage to arrive on time with seemingly less effort. This can be attributed to location and attitude. For example, in Delhi, if you start and hit the first green light, maintaining a steady speed of 50-60 km/h can keep you catching green lights for most of your journey. However, any accident, traffic violation, or unforeseen jam can delay your journey. On the contrary, someone who starts a bit later but is closer to the destination and encounters green lights may still reach the destination early.

Conversely, if you hit a red light early on, you'll likely keep encountering red lights, increasing your travel time and stress no matter where you start. The only thing you can control is your driving and your attitude to remain calm and continue towards your journey.

Life works similarly. We don't choose our parents, place of birth, or economic status, but our education and professional journey play significant roles. Being born into an established family can provide a head start, and with the right attitude and sincerity, one can complete their education and identify a suitable career path. However, both while driving and in life, accidents and challenges, big or small, are inevitable, and one's attitude determines how quickly one recover and continues their journey.

?Another point to note is that the type of car one drives-whether a luxury vehicle or a modest one-can affect the journey. People in bigger cars may face fewer weather and road condition issues and lower injury risks compared to those in smaller cars or on foot. However, the road is open to all, and everyone can reach their destination with the right attitude, sooner or later, comfortably or without comfort.

Similarly in life, doors are open for everyone to live their life, with their struggles, but sooner or later one can reach the desired destination if one is consistent and clear with the goals.

This analogy extends to the professional world as well. Working for a prestigious, established brand or business can be likened to driving a luxury car-it often comes with better resources, higher visibility, and certain prestige. However, it also entails higher expectations and established processes. Conversely, working for a smaller or newer brand or establishing a new business might offer fewer resources and less visibility but can provide more opportunities for personal growth, creativity, and innovation.

Also, while driving on the road and watching big luxurious cars, desiring a better car (or greater success in life) is natural, but with upgrades come higher maintenance costs and depreciation. Those in smaller cars often see only the luxury of bigger cars, not the associated issues. Similarly, we may be influenced by others' seemingly shiny lives without understanding what it truly takes to be them.

For example, a person with a small family and average height may find driving a smaller car easier than a large SUV, saving upfront and recurring costs. However, societal pressure may push them to buy a bigger car, leading to more stress and anxiety. I have had friends who live in a posh South Delhi locality, bought a Mercedes, and then got stressed as they had to park it along the road on the footpath in the absence of dedicated parking spaces in those colonies-the stress of what if someone scratches/break the car etc.

An interesting thing before I finish: have you ever noticed that while driving, you only know your destination, not others? So, it does not matter if someone is going to a club, a 5-star hotel, or a resort in the hill station on a Monday morning-you are focused on reaching your destination, which could be the workplace. Imagine if you started knowing others' destinations and getting bothered by that. Sounds absurd, right? But we do the same in our lives.

Most of us do not know the exact destination-where we want to go, what we want to achieve (barring earning more money or a big house and car, which is a universal dream)-but we do get bothered by others' success, assuming that to be the destination.

Then we start racing in competition to be first in the race. Remember when you drive on highways and a car zips ahead of you, you frown and increase your speed to be ahead. A few things happen after some time:

·????? You start driving faster, and then you decide it's enough, come back to your comfort speed, telling yourself the other is an idiot and may get into trouble later.

·????? You race ahead for some time, feel happy that you have overtaken, but cannot continue at the same speed as it is not per your liking. You reduce speed and let another pass. This time you are content that you have proven the other small by overtaking.

·????? The other car driver suddenly takes a break in a motel or Dhaba, and you realize that he has other priorities and has no intention of proving anything to you.

·????? Lastly, you zip ahead in the competition and find yourself penalized by the cops for overspeeding. The other party passes by with a cunning smile as you pay the challan.

In short, without the context, getting into a race is similar. And remember, whichever route one may take, reaching back home or reaching the destination, everyone spends time with their own family and friends, not with the whole world.

So, while we may admire successful individuals, CEOs, film stars, and sportsmen - we often overlook the contributions of those with us as family, friends, or colleagues who ensure that we thrive in whatever we are doing and wherever we are.

In conclusion, when we drive, we can only control our driving, not how others drive. Similarly, in life, we can only control how we live, not how others live. We can draw inspiration from others' journeys; however, we must apply those principles to our own lives to become who we want to be.

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