Happy Bday Zanat0s

This blog post will be published on the exact time I was born It is amazing what technology can do for you. Today I have lived more than a quarter of a century(+1 year). Well yes you can guess my age but age like I tell to my colleagues and friends is just a number(which unfortunately it only goes up). It is amazing how fast time goes around. Time cannot be stopped and we can only look back while we embark on the journey called life. Last year my whole class surprised me with a special bye bye party in Singapore. It was a well kept secret which I blew away by not going to the party they scheduled and organizing my small get-together. I haven’t planned anything for Monday just in case. I am in the office now during my break and contemplating some issues. I have been moving around the last 3 years, jumping over continents and countries, opening my mind and horizons.

I have become a global citizen. I have become a stronger person and above all adapted to different situations. Life is full of challenges and opportunities abound. If people ask which was the worst decision I ever made probably I have made so many that I cannot handpick one. But I can say with buoyancy that my best one was to apply to INSEAD(even at a very young age). INSEAD and my classmates helped acquire skills that not only benefit me professionally but also equip me with the abilities to flourish in this global environment. Actually until know I had the perseverance(or luck) to follow through my personal targets. Now is the time for a new year plan and new milestones. I am not though a superhuman. Like Newton said If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.” I will devote this paragraph to thank all my mentors. I will exclude my family since I thank them everyday for the principles they gave me and the morals they entrusted me with. Through my life I have had many mentors, mentors who had the experience and foresight to advise me on various matters.

 I won’t name them personally here but they deserve mentioning. My love for quote should be known by know: “I am indebted to my father for living, but to my teacher for living well.” By Alexander the Great(who was Greek by the way). One of the most important lessons imparted on me was to look at the mirror when I was discussing failures and look outside the window when talking about successes. In all of my successes I have been aided by marvelous individuals whom I give credit for all their help. It is time to give some advices on how to live a successful life based on my personal lifestyle. Prior to that one might ask what is a “successful life”. Well it depends on what we consider success. There is a huge majority of our society who measures success by material wealth. I know people will disagree about the aforesaid statement but it is a reality. Others measure success by how loved they are by their friends. There are humans who assess success by achievements or difficulties overcome.

A person who I know very closely will argue that successful life is related to spirituality. Well the list can go on but there are some universal success measures and ways to quantify failure too. Look at person A; Person A works at a major bank. That person becomes ultra successful in its line of business and creates a huge personal fortune. Due to the stress and demands of the workplace that person remains single throughout his/hers life but remains active in business up to the last day before passing away. That person is alone but ultra rich? Is that person successful? I know people who will answer YES but also others who will refuse to accept that person A is successful.

 Well like a poem says it is not the destination that matters but the journey. Here is what I consider universal success factors: 1. Above all a good health. Without health it is meaningless to talk about life. Money, friends and jobs come and go. Health is a bit more eccentric. Sometimes our bodies or immune system cannot recover. Everyone should take care of themselves and have a healthy lifestyle.

2. The ability to provide for yourself and your family. Come on nobody wants to be dependent on somebody else. A responsible independent person should be able to provide for himself and his/her family. A good way to earn an income is definitely a success criterion

3. Ability to connect on a deeper level. Well with the introduction of online social communities people make “superficial” connections or have engaged in a race to “add” more friends or engage them. It is more important connection built with people who same the principles.

4. A capability to create value. Well for better or for worse it is a competitive world(I think it is for the better) so people should be able to differentiate by creating value. Value is something ethereal which is give a “price” or a number by others.

5. The capacity to help others in need. Not everybody would be able to type this blog.

I am lucky that I have 2 arms with 10 fingers and also the power to move them at will, others are not so lucky. Thanx to a special person I have learned to appreciate that and devote some time(when I can afford) to helping those who need one to take care of them. Well That was my birthday post! Happy Bday to me!

Comments

[Ashish]

Well you sound like a good and enlightened man!!!

-cheers