What is Success????

“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I needed to be.” -Douglas Adams. I have seen too little of life to comment on Douglas Adams. One day when I reach the rear end of life, may be I will be able to pass a better judgement on the quote. However, the existential nature associated with the quote drives me to search deep into the meaning of life. Yes, the basic questions --Who am I? Why am I here? What is the purpose of life?

I still remember when I was in sixth or seventh standard every month when my father used to get his salary, some four thousand bucks, he would come home and discuss with mom how he would get an increment of a few hundred bucks after a few months. At that age money was the villain in my life. “My friend have a computer, We don’t even have a colored TV”, I used to complain. Today after ten years, I find it difficult to understand what was it that kept my parents going.

A year back, when I was placed at the lowest paying company in the entire campus, I was almost devastated. The salary that I was offered was higher than what my father is earning today. Yet, I felt I deserved more. “Why me? I have a more than eight CGPA. My performance in academics has been ok throughout.” I used to feel. There was a time when I wanted to give up everything and take buddhism. Had I not been able to perform well in GATE  I would have probably given up already.

I have started believing that its success or the prospect of it that keeps us all moving forward in life. For my father it was the prospect of earning a little higher after a few days. For me it is probably the prospect of going into a much better job and reaching the level of my peers. Anyone can succeed. A painter, a writer, a poet or a music artist succeeds when their ideas get conveyed through their art, a doctor tastes success when he is able to cure his patient, a teacher feels satisfied when his pupils understand what he meant and so on. In today’s world people have started associating money with success and hence the society is running after money. That’s how it works.

So finally I would like to conclude this blog by maintaining  that I don’t have a conclusion. I would rather end this with an excerpt from one of my favorite movies “The Hunger Games” -

President Snow: Seneca, why do you think we have a winner?

Seneca Crane: What do you mean?

President Snow: I mean, why do we have a winner? I mean if we just wanted to intimidate the districts why not round up twenty four at random, and execute them all at once? It would be a lot faster.

[Seneca doesn't know what to reply and just looks at Snow]

President Snow: Hope.

Seneca Crane: Hope?

President Snow: Hope. It is the only thing stronger than fear. A little hope is effective. A lot of hope is dangerous.