In pursuit of achievement

A long time ago, I, a fourteen year old, was sitting on the window seat of my school bus. My eyes were focused on the road below, trying to capture anything and everything on the road. As the bus stood still in the traffic jam, I saw a young couple getting out of their car, hand in hand and walk inside a up-scale store. Fifteen minutes later the bus had not moved an inch, but the couple was done with their shopping and they walked towards the car with shopping bags in their hands. They left, and miraculously my bus moved a full tire circle. That very moment, I said to myself, "When will I achieve this?"

Fifteen years hence, I am married to a wonderful woman and have two cars standing in my garage. We are shopping freaks and do all the normal things, which all couples do. It is amazing to see that how "achievement" is replaced with normal.

I know that you will say that this is very normal. Child desires are always trivial and cannot be compared to adult desires or achievements. But I beg to differ.

What is a 'normal' adult desire?

• Career Progression
• Calm married life
• Loads of money
• House
• Car
• See Exotic Locations
• etc...

The above are my desires as well. I would love to have all the above. But 30 years hence, when I might have 'achieved' all the above, wouldn't these achievements be a 'normal'. At that time, will I have enough time left to ponder whether my achievements were really achievements, or just a small part of "The Matrix".

Now, my thoughts come to a full circle. My desires as a child were trivial for an adult, and my desires as an adult, would be trivial for an old man. So what is a real achievement, or say a practical "Nirvana".

A quick brain search came up with the following results:

• Visit unvisited places in the world, learn what people from different cultures perceive as achievements and sources of happiness
• Invest time and money in a cause which would positively impact people. It could be anything: Teaching and sharing knowledge, Grow more trees to reduce pollution impact and depletion of water resources, etc.
  
• Open a business and generate employment
• Make people in rural parts of the world aware of the favor they are doing to the world by producing food. Helping them bridge the divide between city and rural life, while still staying in the rural areas. The word "rural" in itself is negative. Just imagine being called a rural citizen. It is sometimes synonymous with the word "backward".

So even I am not sure what is an achievement? But, I am happy that at least I started thinking about what it could be. Hopefully, soon, I will at least know one achievement I want to accomplish in life.

Will keep you, and myself posted :)

Update

So its been a year and a half since my last post. There can be a zillion excuses, but none better than the loss of interest to share my events of life.

A lot has happened since Jan 1st, 2007:

-Neetu's arrival to the US in March'07
-Parents visit to US
-Summer Internship with Qualcomm
-Got involved with the concept of internal innovation and entrepreneurship
-Tried my hand at Golf and Racquetball
-Graduation
-Full-time with the New Business Development group of Qualcomm
-Dad is trying hard to recover. He is a tough person, and I am sure he will get out of this.

So what next?

-Try to absorb as much information as possible, considering that the information super-highway is becoming a race track, rather than a brainstorming medium
-Blog regarding some interesting recent experiences
-Form a regime for myself. Adnan is quite an inspiration
-As the MBA fever fades, I realize the real world is quite different than what an MBA expects in the first month of graduation. I have to keep myself focused on competing with myself rather than self-select my benchmarks.
-Though I didn't end up joining a consulting firm, and rather chose a corporate career, I need to develop certain skill sets which will make me universally acceptable

I hope the next post is not an update post. Henceforth, I am going to make a conscious effort to write more substance.

Keep the faith!!