Life’s Journey
Life’s Journey
Having reached that station in life when Alumni Reunions and Fraternal Jamborees become the order of the day a common motif that repeats in all these do’s is the poser – stock taking of the journey thus far.
Having traversed the better part of life’s arc from birth to death, it is time to look back and sift the gems and nuggets from the accumulated detritus of time travel. In any such exercise the conundrum that confronts you is of choosing the set of standpoints against which you take stock – what mesh to chose that sieves the grain from the chaff.
The universal benchmark for assessing one's life’s worth is his/her contribution to the society. It could be qualitative and as well as quantitative. Everyone sets out on this journey with lofty goals but with time as the lag between ambition and ability increases one tends to pare the ambitions to keep the gap realistic. It is here the super-achievers do better than the soft pedlars and underachievers. To make life comfortable it is easy for the latter to rationalise and fall into the trap of over trimming one's goals. Less tension, of course, but a smaller canvas too.
So, as you look back on your life’s path, you see a series of bumps when compromises were made but taken in totality you still have reached somewhere. And it sure looks pretty substantive and surely enough to regale your grandchildren with stories of how you've done it and gladly retire. Happiness is the essence of a life well lived. Always heed the old adage –“Happiness is not as much in having the best as in making the best of what you have”.
Having reached that station in life when Alumni Reunions and Fraternal Jamborees become the order of the day a common motif that repeats in all these do’s is the poser – stock taking of the journey thus far.
Having traversed the better part of life’s arc from birth to death, it is time to look back and sift the gems and nuggets from the accumulated detritus of time travel. In any such exercise the conundrum that confronts you is of choosing the set of standpoints against which you take stock – what mesh to chose that sieves the grain from the chaff.
The universal benchmark for assessing one's life’s worth is his/her contribution to the society. It could be qualitative and as well as quantitative. Everyone sets out on this journey with lofty goals but with time as the lag between ambition and ability increases one tends to pare the ambitions to keep the gap realistic. It is here the super-achievers do better than the soft pedlars and underachievers. To make life comfortable it is easy for the latter to rationalise and fall into the trap of over trimming one's goals. Less tension, of course, but a smaller canvas too.
So, as you look back on your life’s path, you see a series of bumps when compromises were made but taken in totality you still have reached somewhere. And it sure looks pretty substantive and surely enough to regale your grandchildren with stories of how you've done it and gladly retire. Happiness is the essence of a life well lived. Always heed the old adage –“Happiness is not as much in having the best as in making the best of what you have”.
