Better late than never!

Past experiences are hard to forget. Student life, supposedly the best part of one’s life, is not just about having fun with friends. It is also about working hard, managing time and having specific goals in life. I was one of the favorite students of almost every teacher in school. Why? What else could be the reason other than scoring well in their subjects and make them proud. Life was going easy and downy till the end of my graduation days as I was a consistent hard worker. I had certain aims in life for which the determination to achieve them increased day by day, hour by hour.

Then comes the D-day. One of the most premier institutes of the world decides to show me the way to success. It was like a gateway to a whole new life; full of felicity and redolence, but away from home. Instead of getting a taste of happiness of getting into such a prestigious institute, I was more into packaging and managing. Before you misunderstand my words, I refer to packaging of fun with life and managing of life with fun. The basic goal and idea of achieving something in life was somehow getting eroded, not only at the back of my mind, but also in the front of my eyes. I started living life on the motto, ‘Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today’. Seems like James Dean quoted this solely for me.

Staying away from home is not easy. But creating a home wherever you stay is still an achievable task. That is exactly what I did and solved my problem of homesickness. The kind of care that parents ensure and friend like support from sister, I got all of this from my buddies. An extended family of friends was what I got and I cherish every moment spent with them. Two years of unmitigated fun and lack of hard work was what it all resulted in.

But as they say, ‘the whole object of education is...to develop the mind. The mind should be a thing that works.’ This does not hold good for every dam person on earth! A fellow person scoring well but having no practicality of his writings gets awesome opportunities in life to succeed. The entire system of education revolves around scoring good, being a Topper! Education is quite often misunderstood as Learning! I realised that a tag of good institute at your forehead would do no good if you sit idle.

My aim never was to score high. All that I wanted was to find a place in a good job. I could not get it for the reason that I did not score sensibly high. A feeling of regret captured my mind. I could see my dreams scattering all around. I closed myself into a shell of sorrow. I shut the doors of my mind and windows of my sole. Kept thinking all day and night, Is this my destiny? I could smell failure and got a taste of inferiority.

There entered the dilemma. How to succeed in life in such a scenario? I started believing that the two most crucial years of my education, the ones in the prestigious institute, had gone wasted. I then had a choice of taking one of the two roads. One led to hope of happiness, the other led to a fear of sorrow. In either case, I had to move on! Interacting with people provided me a rescue. This not only gave me moral support, but also showed me the light towards the hope of happiness road. I realised that I was not alone in the boat of confusion. I met a person who said, “I could have been studying Engineering if I had studied well in my school days.” A friend of mine quoted the words of Henry David Thoreau, “The cost of a thing is the amount of life which is required to be exchanged for it, immediately or in the long run” after losing the chance of becoming a successful architect, only because of improper hard work. But today these both are doing well in their lives.

‘If these people can move on, why can’t I?’ was the only question that kept creeping my mind. But there was something that was stopping me. What could it be? Am I incompetent? Of course not! Am I scared? Not at all! Has the right time gone? It’s never too late! Then what? What was it? Who would tell me? Teachers? They were too busy in their routine works! Friends? Busy with new life!

Then who? Whom should I go to? Dam!! I was lost in the bay!

Then came the time!

I figured out the solution to my problem. The only way out was hard work. If not then, then now. If not now, then never! Something very truly said, ‘Time waits for none.’

But another thing which is truly said is ‘Better late than never!’

I struggled, I craved, I cried, I enjoyed!

I got a job on the basis of my perseverance in my early days and the tag of the institute I was in. I owe a lot to it. I owe my joy, my endless list of friends, my career and my expertise in my field to the institute.

Today, I am content with life, content with my education and content with the way of life. As and when I grow career wise, my demands from life would rise. But one thing I have done away with is the feeling of regret and despair.

I am now in a position of advising people which path to take to succeed in life. I do not need to tell them much about it. As my only answer is hard work and never to give-up!

I am now in a position to stand besides the people who had left me behind in the race of success. I ran fast! Faster and faster! And I won!!

Those were the days; those were the moments, when I was sad! These are the days; these are the moments, when I am glad! Glad to be the way I am. Glad to be a struggler. Glad to be successful!