There
are three kinds of people in this world. The first kind is all for going out
there and grabbing the olive wreath. These people will do absolutely anything to
be successful. The second category includes those people who just don’t
understand the word compromise. They’ll always do what they love doing and will
care a damn about what others think about them. The third category is left with
all the confused souls who really can’t figure out which way to go. They try to
sail in two boats at a time – they try to do what it takes to be successful but
shy away from attempting completely outrageous things.
Though
I pity those who run after the success tag, I do admire the fact that they have
a clear purpose that they relentlessly pursue. They meet happiness when they
achieve what, according to them, is success. Whether the meeting lasts even
after the next finish line is unveiled is a matter of debate. Moreover, is the
definition of success set in stone? It is what you define it to be. For some,
success means being the best in what you do; for some others it is closely
associated with money – lots & lots of it; for some people it means power
and for a really small group of people, it just means being happy every single day
of the year.
I’m
a diehard fan of those who make it a point to pursue their interests no matter
what. I salute those who don’t care about how they are perceived. They
understand that perceptions and notions are never solely based on facts. A
perception is like a recipe, a very complex one at that. A lot of things like
the observed person’s behavior, language, knowledge and also situations go into
making this recipe. But there is also a secret ingredient called the observer’s
presumption. This ingredient is called a secret ingredient because most of the
times the person forming the assumptions doesn’t realize its presence.
Sometimes it becomes the core ingredient and yet one can’t even see the
difference in the final product - the perception. That’s precisely why
perception is called perception. It is what one thinks you are and not what you
actually are.
Having
said all that, the only group that deserves attention is the confused lot.
These are people who have no idea about what they want in life. They are so
bogged down by how others perceive them that they start living a life that is
completely devoid of joy. They spend their entire life trying to be what
someone else wants them to be.
Living
a false life is a dreadful disease that is hard to diagnose. To all those who
are afflicted by this disease, please remember if you are not being yourself,
no amount of success can give you happiness. Being yourself is the best gift
you can give yourself.
