During the later part of our schooling, in coaching institutes, and all throughout college, we receive career oriented education, aimed solely at helping us do well in competitive examinations and interviews, which does its part in ensuring success later in life. What we do not receive at any point is education or even advice on how to improve our quality of life. Nowhere are we taught how to balance work with our personal life, how to survive in today’s economy and at the same time maintain a shot at our dreams. We end up having to figure these things out by ourselves.
Success is not everything in life, of course, but even if you think along those lines, the parameters that society uses to measure success, are quite one-dimensional. In today’s world, survival, of course, is the top priority, but the overall development of consciousness should also be on a person’s list. One’s contribution to other spheres of life besides work should also be significant. Life is measured in experiences, and it takes more than just money to make those experiences memorable. Without a certain amount of money, however, you would lack the resources to facilitate new experiences. So, in the end, it is a fine art, balancing various facets of your life. And there are very few people around who can give you proper guidance as far as that is concerned, because very few people have actually mastered it.
You are taught time management in coaching institutes – how to divide your time between studying for different subjects. Now, that is very creditable, but in real life, you need an entirely different kind of time management. In real life, if you are not able to set aside enough time to enjoy yourself, it hampers your ability to think creatively. You also need to be able to focus when it is time for work to avoid becoming one of those creative people who never actually get down to doing anything creative. ‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’ is a very wise saying. Surely, if a psycho-analyst puts it in fancier words, people would start taking it more seriously. Good corporations realise this fact and ensure that their employees experience a change in environment every now and then. The bad ones, however, insist that their workers keep working like drones.
”Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears,’ said John Lennon. In the end, it all comes down to how many souls you connect with during your lifetime. And for that, you need time. Time and not petrol, is the most valuable commodity nowadays. And the quality of your life depends on how you spend it. Your best efforts will be spent earning time and not money. You need quality time with family, with friends, playing a little bit of sports, travelling, engaged in creative activities, etc. How have you spent your time lately? The answer to that question defines how ‘successful’ you are.
