Sarcasm of life : “Work hard else you will fail & nobody will value you” !!
Since childhood, I was told to work hard to fulfill my dreams. I took this very seriously. I began believing that by working diligently, anything is possible. Whenever things were not so glorious in schooldays, I always thought I didn’t put in enough effort, and next year, in the next class, I would undoubtedly be a topper and compensate for it by scoring the highest marks. That kept on happening year after year. Some years were rewarding, but some were good enough to motivate me.
My ambition was never to become an engineer, despite the fact I always worked hard in Engineering college and maintained the top 10 ranks of best students. In my second year of College, I realized I was so wrong. Life is not just about hard work and burning midnight oil. It would be best if you had some fun and relaxation time too. It would be best to slow down, look around you to explore unknowns & smell flowers along the way. By the time I got this sense, it was too late to implement. As a result of years of training and conditioning, the mind could not accept this new way of thinking. There is a constant battle between the heart and brain. The moment the heart wants to enjoy, relax, and do nothing, the brain will try to push me towards hard work and force me not to waste any second. These words have always rung in my brain; “Work hard, Learn & focus, or else you will fail, and nobody will value you.” In this tug of war, my mind always won, and I kept working hard, sometimes uninterested and half-hearted, but kept trying. Somehow, I made it to a campus interview and got my first job as an engineer.
Many of you will think I finally got the fantastic outcome of my hard work. Some of my colleagues, who were “not so serious” about grades, backbenchers, and average scorers, also made it and got the job. They enjoyed their college time, made friends for a lifetime, and got a decent break. In comparison, I got the job and worked hard only. College or school is not just about higher grades. Getting good grades is one of the many criteria to get a job. I learned that one shouldn’t devote their entire time to A and A+. Spend time learning with fun, with joy. Exposure and tasting a variety of things are essential.
Is working hard the key to achieving your dreams? If you or your loved ones are on the same path, tell them to stop and take this life easy. It would be best to strike a perfect balance between working hard and enjoying life’s journey. You will surely fulfill some of your dreams by working too hard, but many things will still need to be fulfilled. Many life experiences will be missed, and you will regret it later. Work hard but don’t forget to live, to enjoy and to relax.In a world that often glorifies the hustle and the grind, it’s essential to remember that life is more than just work and accomplishments.
The time I spent struggling, killing all my desires to relax and chill out, my friends spent time with each other, some met their life partners, some learned and experienced new things and many of them cherish their friendship bonds till now. And I, as usual, still work hard and contemplate in my mind what’s next, or else I will fail and nobody will value me….
