Things have gotten busy. Not busy like the way they used to be, its different somehow. Working in a pure start-up environment is really all it’s made out to be. Challenges, changes, excitement, risk, concern- truly a medley of situations within a concoction of experiences. All this in the last 40 days. Positive point number 1 is that there aren’t any signs of grey hair just yet, the initial assimilation of the environment has been smooth and finally- there’s a heightened sense of belief in what opportunities lie ahead. Needless to say, the time period accompanying a major change always goes by so damn fast. I can safely say that the months of Feb, March and April from 2002 to 2008 have been a blur. They’ve always been decision making time, inexplicably hosting transitional phases and adding years to the wisdom of how one ‘pushes the limits’
I’ve found time in between to do the things I love though. The guitar rocking continues on in anticipation of Lord Seth’s return. Badminton at Gita’s place is an occasional must, my game isn’t nearly as good as it used to be but the sporadic presence on the doubles court reminds the crowds of what it means to behold pure skill. Hell yeah, the cross court behind the head drop shot is still a work of beauty.
The most interesting of engagements recently was one put together by a fellow boss dawg – Udit. An alumni from Don Bosco, he’s created an annual half-day seminar for students between the age of 15-16 (in Indian education systems, this is the time when most kids choose their ‘specializations’ from between the arts, commerce and sciences) that allows them to hear from and interact with young professionals with diverse backgrounds. These last few years have got me feeling pretty passionate about these subjects and a recent trip back to my alma mater (DPS RKP) with the Asia Society folks led me to accepting. I put together a short presentation in my distinct style; threw in a few inspirational videos, a couple of anecdotes and basically set out to challenge the mindset of the current generation around how they thought they’d like to see their individual growth charts shape up. The discussions stayed lively but the real impact point came when I threw this idea to the group:
The slide heading read “ What makes you happy?”
The bullet points below it read:
- Money?
- Friends?
- Travelling?
- Respect?
- Authority?
- Being your own boss?
- Leadership?
- Challenges?
- Uniqueness of experience?
So the discussions started. Couple of kids in the front got up and said “why is uniqueness of experience so important?, I’d rather do something my parents/society respects so that I can hold my stature in society”. I helped them debate their own thoughts, gave them examples of various vocations/occupations that delivered tremendous learning opportunities as well as financial security. We went back and forth, the topic obviously resonated with them at some level. Yes, as young people we’re told to find a purposeful role in society, but no one’s really making an effort to help us answer 2 simple questions- ‘How do I know what I enjoy doing?” & “Why would I enjoy doing it?”
The discussion evolved till Moses got up. Yup, his name was Moses. Shirt loosely tucked into his trousers, tie hanging from his neck, hair slightly rumpled- the kid was a 100% me back in the 11th grade. Just how alike we would turn out to be, I was to find out in a few moments.
“Sir honestly, I don’t think I need anything on your list to make me happy except one- Money. If I have money, I can buy friends, I can buy respect, I can buy authority and I can choose to do what I want. Who needs leadership, challenges and uniqueness when I can have money?”
I forced myself not to smile. These are serious questions and define pretty serious elements of our society today. We’re bringing up a generation (I was exactly like this) that’s losing sight of themselves in pursuit of a lifestyle. The media attention that focuses on the glitz & glamour of high-flying lifestyles is failing to talk of more real elements like attaining a personality. In fact, its 2 extremes. Either we’ve got life-gurus urging us to leave it all behind for a 10-year hiatus off the coast of Madagascar amidst some shrubbery, or we’ve got wall street profiling the next big investment banker/ million dollar package of the IIMA/IIT student. Someone’s got to tell these kids that there’s a life in between. There is a grey. From a marketing perspective, everyone wants to be a Microsoft but noone's realizing there's a joy in being brand Linux or Brand Apple- with all the perks thrown in! There is a balance- and it is this balance which offers the most of all. I’m not saying one doesn’t have to push frantically in a certain direction from time to time or make sacrifices for an ambitious pursuit, all I’m saying is that it pans out. It has to. A lack of balance is the biggest cause of unhappiness on the long run.
Me and Moses debated for about 10 minutes. I asked him if the friends he ‘bought’ were the kind of friends he wanted. There were jokes and there was some banter from the crowd. In the end, I told him to call me in 10 years to let me know how the plan had panned out. I look forward to that call.
I left the kids with this list – entitled “Dhruv’s basic list towards planning a career”
• Never, EVER be afraid to ask questions
• Things ‘sound’ a lot fancier then what they actually are.
• Building expertise in an area is vital!
• It’s not all about the money! Your quality of life index is as important as your ‘well-being index’
• Experiences are what matter at your age. Try everything and anything.
• Knowing what you don’t want to do is as good as knowing what you do want to do.
What would you guys add to this?
Musically, van chitgo has been treated to some brilliance recently. I saw clips of the Guardian with the creators recently and was once again hauntingly attracted to this voice and muted guitar expertise in the background of the scene when Kevin costner’s swimming alone in the pool timing himself after every lap. I downloaded the soundtrack (thank you mininova and torrent files- mininova.org) and heard the first 60 odd seconds of each track. Straining hard. Suddenly, with the conclusion of a short but captivating piano solo, was her voice. The myspace profile speaks volumes of Abby’s experience and her growth as a musician. Tri-me is especially brilliant, one of those songs that I’d want to hear whilst sitting on a thick armchair in a large patio amidst the smell of old Cubans and mahogany furniture. A song of strength, experience and wisdom. Sung by someone so young. How music transcends conventionality amazes me. Check out the other tracks as well- they are all worth a listen. The plan now- is to try and figure out how to see her play live : )
All else has been great. Working on a seminar for the 23rd of April that should boast of an interesting format. “Creating Places for People” is the theme and urbanization is the context. If you happen to be in Delhi and are driven by the idea of ‘liveable cities’ that join social, physical and cultural infrastructure in a manner that spurs growth of communities, then let me know, I’d be happy to send you an invite.
Take care yawwlll.....
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