Being a Corpo'rat'e

Life has its own way of making one learn things. The feeling of being in an office excited me from the very first day. When I entered the corporate life it was completely different from what I had imagined. ‘Life is a race, if you do not run fast you will fall’ is the first dialogue that entered my mind. The race started the moment I sat in the cab which was meant to take us to the office. Every person in the vehicle wanted to be dropped first. An argument ensued and it was only when we settled it that we reached office building. Waiting for me at the office was another race – getting a spot in the lift. 8 lifts are never sufficient in the morning hours for the large number of employees pouring into the building. Spending maximum number of hours in a day in the closed building makes one feel like an innocent thief in the jail. After you enter your respective departments the list of races you must undertake is endless.

 Taking up a challenge is different from being in a race. A challenge is judged on its completion but a race can never be completed. When I was a child my parents always told me to top in school examinations, I did. Then they told me boards are the first check points, I did. ‘If you graduate from the top institution you will never have to bother about your future, everything will be automatically in line’ they said. I graduated from India’s no.1 college and got placed in one of the top companies in the world and I thought finally the race is over. But gradually I realized that the actual race had just started. Education is important aspect of our life. But, do your degrees give you the kind happiness you have been craving for since your childhood? From some yes, but for most of them a, resounding No. Few people do not have any option but to work for their living. But why can’t the same living be earned from doing what you like? Is it really important to push somebody in order to grow? These are the questions which are raging in my mind with two months of experience in the corporate world.

 I want to live my life with joy and passion. I do not feel burdened with my responsibilities as I have learnt to cope up with my new adult life. But, the fact is that regardless of whether you come from a top institution or a mediocre one you will still have to run the same rat race irrespective of the post you hold.