What does success mean to you?

Hey, I think most parents got it wrong. Especially in India.
I mean I grew up seeing most parents, including my own,
wanting one thing more than anything else from their children. Topping the school board exams.

I mean, that was like the prime goal. And so were the vacation coaching classes and burning the midnight oil.

But what were they saying to us indirectly? That all that matters is to be at number one. That you have to be one rank above your peers. Only then can you be happy. Only then are you superior to them. It's where you stand relative to your peers, what matters most in life.

And how many of us have grown up believing this and still spend our time trying to reach that number one spot in this competitive world?

The question is, for me to feel good about myself, for me to be happy; do I have to be superior to him/her?

And I think the answer is no. Each one of us is good in someway or the other. Each one of us has his own good qualities. And any real world team needs a combination of all. Just because there is Sachin doesn't mean that you don’t need the Dravids,Yuvrajs and Dhonis!.

And so there is no point in comparing yourself with others. It just has to stop.

But what am I saying here. Since the beginning of time, men have been driven by one desire alone. To be the best at what they do. To be better than the other. To be number one. To be the best actor/actress/painter/programmer/athlete...

And even the Olympic Games salute the spirit of healthy competition. "Without you my competitor, I am nothing." That's true. And beautiful.

But what applies to sports, do we need to apply to our lives?

Being number one, because you enjoy so much what you do that you just can’t help. Now that's different from being wanting to be number one because only that can make you feel worthy. If only that is your source of happiness and self esteem, then it is a pity.

At the end of the day, what would you define as success in this competition? A salary hike? A promotion for all those hours spent slogging away at office? A best employer award?

Or would it be watching your child grow into a fine young man? Coming home to someone you love? Making a difference to the society? To the country?

What then would success be for you?

As for me, after four years working in this industry, I don't want to be better than anybody anymore. I have had my successes and awards. But now I am out of this rat race. Being better than the other no longer motivates me.

Yet I will continue to work hard. I will continue to be better than who I was before. Because this is what I love doing.

But I think, for me success would be, if I can make one unhappy soul happy. If I can do something that will make a difference to the people around me. And it would be doubly wonderful if I can make use of my computing skills to do the same.

PS:
And I wish that everybody wouldn't stress so much on rankings in board exams. I wish parents would encourage their children to equate their sense of self worth to the contribution they make to their world.
And I hope every child’s ambition would be to grow up to be good human beings more than anything else.