Chetan Bhagat at Symbiosis

Don’t just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful. Balanced means ensuring your health, relationship, mental peace are all in good order. There is no point in getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Shopping is not enjoyable if your mind is full of tensions.

Life is one of those races in nursery schools where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your mouth. If the marble falls, there is no point coming first. Same is with life where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your life. Else you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die.

One thing about nurturing the spark – don’t take life seriously. Life is not meant to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here. We are like a pre-paid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just 2,500 weekends. Do we really need to get so worked up?

It’s ok, bunk a few classes, scoring low in couple of papers, goof up a few interviews, take leave from work, enjoy with your friends, fall in love, little fights with your loved ones. We are people, not programmed devices. 

                                                       Don't be serious, be sincere.

The Day when I was GOD!!

Let me tell you a story. Since I am the creator of this story, it makes me the God.

Once upon a time I created a guy named Mr Wrong. He never appreciated what I had to offer him. He was always complaining about things, always trying to find faults in other people (who also were created by yours sincerely). I mean, couldn’t the guy ever say that how fortunate he was to have this or that or some other thing. I gave him a house but that had to be too small for him, a job that he said and I quote “it pays me peanuts”, parents that were too interfering for him, and friends that were too well off than him. I even gave him a girl but he pissed her off with his constant whining and she left him. This guy, Mr Wrong, has shooed away anyone who has ever loved him.

And then one day, you won’t believe what happened. Mr Wrong somehow found my address and showed up at my doorstep, with an axe in his hands.

Mr Wrong:     Look God, either you change the script of this story or prepare to die this instant. (Raising his hands high up in the air)

I:     Dude, would you put that thing down. It’s scaring me.

Mr Wrong:     Hey you are God. You are not supposed to be afraid, remember.

I:     Well, it’s not about what I am supposed to be, it’s about what I want to be. (Smiling now)

Mr Wrong:     Huh! Whatever! I don’t want to be Mr Wrong anymore; I want to be Mr Right. Please make me Mr Right.

I:     Very well then, your wish shall be done my friend. But remember, “Wrong is as wrong does”.

And with that I clapped my hands two times and there was light all around. Mr Wrong covered his eyes with his arm.

When he opened his eyes he was standing in a sprawling mansion and had all the luxuries that one could ever dream of. I gave him a fleet of cars; I gave him a million dollar industry to run, a beautiful wife, and good friends. So our Mr Wrong should now feel contend with all that I had to offer. Day and night he was occupied in running his business because now he wanted to turn it into a billion dollar enterprise. Suddenly million dollars were not good enough for him. He worked by day and toiled by night. He had no time left for his family. He avoided his friends who were not rich enough for him. He was constantly on the run, from one place to another, signing deals making new contacts but not keeping a track of the old ones. His wife left him, fed up of being continuously neglected. In the name of his friends he now had money minded colleagues and associates but none with whom he could share his feelings and thoughts. His parents were long gone from this world.

He cried in isolation in his office realizing the fact that was now his life. There was not even a shoulder to cry upon, just a billion dollar enterprise to cover up for the things that he had done.

And that’s when he heard a knock on his door. The door opened by itself and there I stood, at the entrance dressed in a white coat and pant, with my hands tugged inside my pockets, legs in a crossed position and my left shoulder rested against the door entrance. I removed my shades and walked towards Mr Right with shades in the right hand and adjusted my hair with the left one. My entrance was applauded with a clapping sound in the background. Mr Right looked up with his tearful eyes.

Mr Wrong:     Hey God, you were right.

I:     About what, me playing the character of God??

Mr Wrong:     Nah, you are still lousy at it. You were right about me being Mr Wrong.

I mean, I should have known that it’s not about where you want to be in life, it’s about how you get there which is important. Today, I can’t even stand the face in the mirror.

I:     Great, now you complain about your aesthetic beauty?

Mr Wrong:     Come on God, you know what I mean. Today, despite of having everything that a person could wish for, I have nothing.

I:     K, cool, but there is one problem. This story cannot have a sad ending, but you are sad. So we have got to do something about it. I mean, being God I cannot allow things to end up screwed.

So I clapped my hands twice once again, and once again there was light all around and once again Mr Wrong covered his eyes with his arm. But this time when he opened them, he found himself back in his old small home, with his friends, girlfriend, and parents by his side and also the same old job which paid peanuts. He looked up in the sky and winked. But this time he chose to be Mr Right because he had the right attitude.

That was Mr Wrong turned Right who learned his lesson the hard way. Let’s learn something from his story and gain something out of it.